Rangers Release 20-year-old Forward Antonino Pugliese
Kitchener, ON – The Kitchener Rangers announced the release of 20-year-old forward Antonino Pugliese. The Hamilton, ON product has been released from the team, putting the Rangers’ overage player list to three. Goaltender Jackson Parsons and forwards Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) remain 20-year-old players on the roster.
Kitchener Rangers General Manager, Mike McKenzie shared his thoughts on this tough decision, “Antonino beat the odds of playing in the OHL as a 14th round pick and left his mark on the ice and off the ice with his charity work in the community. He was a fan favourite with his relentless work ethic on the ice and we will miss him. It is unfortunate with the OA numbers game we had to make this difficult decision. We wish Antonino the best of luck moving forward.”
Pugliese was drafted by the Rangers in the 14th round (277th overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. Antonino’s best season came last year where he scored fifteen goals coupled with nine assists, totaling 24 points in 64 games. He appeared in 137 career OHL games for the East Avenue Blue, fourth most on the active roster, and quickly became a fan favourite. Known for his resilience and determination on the ice, he quickly adopted the nickname “Pug”. That translated off the ice too, when he spearheaded the launch of the limited-edition “Pug-Life” t-shirts in support of the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario’s (POGO) mission to support children and families affected by childhood cancer. POGO is a program that is important to Antonino’s heart because of health issues his brother Giacomo endured as a child.
The fourth-year winger tallied two goals and an assist in four games to start the 2024-25 season.
The Kitchener Rangers organization would like to thank Antonino for his contributions to the organization and community of Kitchener and wish him well on the next step in his hockey career!
