2025-26 Season Preview: Kitchener Rangers

The Kitchener Rangers (47–15–4–2) hit the 100-point mark last season and advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2017–18, before being eliminated by the London Knights for the third straight year. This season marks the club’s first without OHL and CHL Goaltender of the Year Jackson Parsons, who was instrumental to their 2024–25 success. The crease will now be entrusted to Jason Schaubel and import netminder Christian Kirsch, who face the challenge of filling Parsons’ shoes.

Fortunately for OHL Coach of the Year Jussi Ahokas, much of his roster remains intact, featuring eight NHL-drafted players. Up front, the team receives a major boost with Jack Pridham choosing to stay in Kitchener instead of heading to the NCAA. On the back end, the blueline will once again be anchored by recent Nashville Predators draft pick Cameron Reid, who is expected to step into the leadership void left by former captain Mathew Andonovski, now likely headed to the pros.

With the Rangers recently named one of two finalists to host the 2027–28 Memorial Cup, all eyes will be on how the organization manages expectations and builds momentum throughout the season.

 

Recent Transactions

*- denotes conditional draft pick

DATE	TEAM	TRANSF.	TO	TEAM	TRANSF.
Jun. 17	KIT	Jude Bray		BFD	SAR 6 2026*
Jun. 9	KIT	Tomas Pobezal KIT 2 2025 Import		KGN	KGN 1 2025 Import KGN 8 2029*

 

Futures Watch  – a list of some of the new faces fans should be keeping an eye on as the team prepares for the upcoming campaign.

 

Five Questions Heading Into 2025-26:

As the Kitchener Rangers aim for a return to the Western Conference Finals, we asked four media members who cover the team closely to weigh in on the key questions heading into the 2025–26 season. Here’s what they had to say:

 

1. Who is your breakout candidate?

Mike Farwell (Play-by-play, CityNews 570 Radio): Tanner Lam – He’s so skilled and so creative. He didn’t hear his name called in the NHL draft this June, so I wonder if that puts a little chip on his shoulder? Plenty of reasons to believe this guy has a point-per-game in him, and then some.

 

Josh Brown (Reporter, Waterloo Region Record): Tanner Lam – He quietly had the best sophomore season among Rangers forwards last year and finished tied for the team lead with 40 assists. He’ll be motivated after being bypassed in the NHL draft. 

 

Jason Hagholm (Play-by-play, Rogers TV): Luca Romano – After getting drafted in the 3rd Round by the New York Islanders, you can see that Luca is ready to take the steps to be the player everyone in R-Town thought he would be when he was taken 11th overall in the 2023 OHL Draft.

 

Sean Furfaro (Host, Rogers TV): Luca Romano – Luca Romano is poised to be an elite-level player in this league. He has returned to Kitchener after the NHL Draft and Islanders Development camp with new confidence and the ability to elevate those around him.

 

2. What’s the Rangers’ biggest question mark entering 2025-26?

Farwell: Goaltending – The Rangers’ biggest question mark has to be in goal, and that is absolutely not an indictment of the likely tandem of Christian Kirsch and Jason Schaubel. It’s just that Jackson Parsons was so good last season and meant so much to the team that it remains to be seen how close to that level this year’s Rangers goalies can get.

 

Brown: Goaltending – It will be tough to replace Jackson Parsons, the reigning OHL and CHL goalie of the year. The team will turn to Swiss keeper, and San Jose Sharks prospect, Christian Kirsch and Jason Schaubel, who was a member of Canada’s squad at last month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

 

Hagholm: Goaltending – The biggest question mark for the Kitchener Rangers in 2025-26 will be goaltending, as while I think Christian Kirsch & Jason Schaubel are up to the task, it’s hard to replace the 2025 OHL & CHL Goalie of the Year.

 

Furfaro: Goaltending – Goaltending, but that’s inevitable following a historic season like Jackson Parsons had last season. I’m confident Jason Schaubel and Christian Kirsch can carry the mail. 

 

3. Who will the Rangers’ top NHL Draft prospect be by the end of the season?

Farwell: Oscar Hemming – Having a fellow Finn as his head coach should help ease the transition to North America, and he’s got all the tools to be in consideration for the first round next June.

 

Brown: Jacob Xu – Some draft rankings have defenceman Jacob Xu as a potential first-round pick. This will be his first full season in the OHL, and he showed up to Rangers training camp looking noticeably bigger and stronger.

 

Hagholm: Jacob Xu – The Rangers’ top NHL Draft prospect will be defenceman Jacob Xu, as the steps he took last year in those 13 games showed that he has the hockey IQ, toughness, and talent to be a big impact on the Rangers’ blueline with a full season in Kitchener 

 

Furfaro: Oscar Hemming – Oscar Hemming has the potential to be a top-line player, and playing in Kitchener will have a lot of teams watching closely.

 

4. Which new addition are you most excited to see?

Farwell: Jacob Xu – While he’s not necessarily a new addition, he saw limited action last year after joining the Rangers late in the season, but he was trusted enough to play meaningful minutes in the playoffs. He’s got the size and skating to be a real standout on the blueline.

 

Brown: Oscar Hemming – Finnish forward Oscar Hemming is coming into the season with a lot of hype after a strong Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He just turned 17 but is already six-foot-four and 190 pounds and plays with a bit of an edge.

 

Hagholm: Oscar Hemming – The Hlinka Gretzky was an excellent showcase for Hemming, finishing 7th in points, but a year in Kitchener playing under Jussi Ashoka’s system will only make him a better player.

 

Furfaro: Oscar Hemming – I’m excited to see Oscar Hemming play at The Aud, and I think Rangers Nation will embrace his style of play. New D-Man Alex Forrest has already made a lot of new fans after looking great during the Pre-Season Showcase.

 

5. Who will the Rangers’ MVP be in 2025-26?

Farwell: Jack Pridham – Man, did he adjust to life in the OHL pretty quickly last season. If Pridham picks up where he left off last spring, the sky’s the limit. With 27 goals in just 48 games last year, he should push 40 goals this season.

 

Brown: Cameron Reid – This is a tough call since Kitchener currently has eight NHL drafted players on its roster. Rearguard Cameron Reid is future captain material and ready to take on a bigger role in the back end, with Matthew Andonovski likely gone to the pros.

 

Hagholm: Jack Pridham – 54 points on 48 regular-season games was only an appetizer for what Pridham can do with a full season in the OHL. 

 

Furfaro: Jack Pridham – He could lead the league in scoring, and perhaps be the Rangers’ third straight Leo Lalonde winner for OA of the Year after Jackson Parsons and Matt Sop. No pressure.