OHL Friday Night Faceoff: Owen Sound at Kitchener
The 2026-27 OHL season is finally here, and with it comes the return of Friday Night Faceoff for its second season! In partnership with FloHockey, YourTV, Rogers tv and Eastlink Community TV, all 20 OHL clubs will be featured at least twice on the initial schedule, with games available live and free across FloHockey’s social platforms.
The 2026-27 Friday Night Faceoff schedule opens in championship fashion on Friday, September 18, as the reigning OHL Champion Kitchener Rangers raise their 2026 Memorial Cup and 2025-26 J. Ross Robertson Cup championship banners to the rafters of the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium before hosting the Owen Sound Attack.
The opening-night celebration follows a memorable 2025-26 season in Kitchener that saw the Rangers capture their fifth OHL championship and first since 2008 before going a perfect 4-0 at the Memorial Cup to claim their third national title.
Friday’s matchup brings together two Midwest Division rivals beginning new chapters in 2026-27. Owen Sound enters the season under a new leadership group, with President and General Manager Tyler Nother and head coach Keenan Reynolds bringing a new philosophy and approach to player development while working with an experienced returning roster.
Kitchener is also adjusting to plenty of change after reaching the top of junior hockey last season. Several key pieces from the championship group have moved on, while Jeff Kyrzakos takes over behind the bench after spending the previous three seasons as the Rangers’ Associate Coach and Assistant General Manager.
With both sides looking to establish what their next chapter will look like, the first Friday Night Faceoff of the season provides an early test between two Western Conference foes.
Players to Watch
Kitchener Rangers:
- Cameron Arquette (LW) – Cameron Arquette took a major step forward last season, more than tripling his offensive production from his first two OHL campaigns with a career-high 45 points in 68 games. He carried that production into the postseason, adding five goals and nine points during Kitchener’s championship run. After establishing himself as a consistent contributor a year ago, the 19-year-old returns as one of Kitchener’s top offensive threats.
- Jason Schabuel (G) – After spending the past two seasons behind Jackson Parsons and Christian Kirsch, Schaubel now has the opportunity to make the Rangers’ crease his own. He appeared in 28 games last season, gaining valuable experience before backing up Kirsch throughout Kitchener’s championship run. It’s a path the Rangers have seen before, with Parsons waiting for his opportunity before eventually taking over the crease and developing into the OHL and CHL Goaltender of the Year. Now, the spotlight shifts to Schaubel on opening night as he looks to establish himself as Kitchener’s next starter.
Owen Sound Attack:
- Cole Zurawski (RW) – Hearing his name called by the Florida Panthers in the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Draft, Zurawski enters the season with plenty of momentum. The 6-foot-1 forward exploded offensively during the preseason, leading the OHL with 15 points (4-11–15) in just six games.
- Pierce Mbuyi (LW) – After winning OHL Rookie of the Year in 2024-25, Pierce Mbuyi took another major step last season, leading the Attack with 32 goals and 75 points in 68 games. His sophomore campaign also saw him become the 30th captain in franchise history before the Pittsburgh Penguins selected him in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft. Still entering just his third OHL campaign, Mbuyi has already established himself as a central piece of the Attack’s core and returns from Penguins Rookie Camp in time for opening night.
As part of the media partnership between the OHL and FloSports, a free Friday Night Faceoff matchup will be featured every week throughout the 2026-27 season across FloHockey’s social platforms.
Subscribers can continue to watch every OHL game all season long on FloHockey.tv and the FloSports app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and most smart TVs.
