OHL Friday Night Faceoff: Barrie at Kitchener

The OHL Friday Night Faceoff opens the new year at The Aud as the Kitchener Rangers host the Barrie Colts in a Midwest Division matchup. Fans can watch the game live and free on FloHockey’s YouTube, X, and Facebook channels, as well as the OHL’s Facebook page and the pages of both participating teams. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.

Barrie enters the night short-handed with Cole Beaudoin, Emil Hemming, and Kashawn Aitcheson all away representing their countries at the World Junior Championship. With key pieces absent, the spotlight turns to veteran forward Brad Gardiner, who has shouldered a major offensive role this season. Gardiner currently ranks inside the top seven in OHL scoring among overage players and has been a steady presence for the Colts in all situations.

In goal, Barrie continues to rely on one of the league’s top netminders, Ben Hrebik, who has been among the OHL’s best, leading the league with a .929 save percentage while also sitting at 13 wins on the season, giving Barrie a chance to win every night regardless of lineup changes.

Kitchener counters with an offense that has found another gear following the addition of Dylan Edwards from Erie. Colorado Avalanche prospect Christian Humphreys leads the Rangers in scoring with 12 goals and 42 points, driving a deep forward group that has produced consistently through the first half of the season. Captain Cameron Reid remains away with Canada at the World Juniors, while goaltender Christian Kirsch is also overseas representing Switzerland.

Despite the absences, the Rangers still boast some of the league’s top overage production. Dylan Edwards currently ranks first among OHL overage scorers, while Jack Pridham sits third, joining Gardiner as three of the most productive overage forwards in the league meeting on Friday night.

With both teams navigating World Junior absences and leaning on veteran contributors, Friday’s matchup at The Aud sets up as a key divisional test to start the calendar year.

A new Friday Night Faceoff matchup is featured free every week throughout the 2025-26 season across FloHockey’s social platforms. Fans can also watch every OHL game all season long on FloHockey.tv and the FloSports app.

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