Oakville Rangers and Vaughan Kings face off in 2024 OHL Cup Championship Final

The 2024 OHL Cup presented by FPS Payment has two teams left standing as the Oakville Rangers and undefeated GTHL champion Vaughan Kings hit the ice Saturday afternoon at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The puck drops at 2:00pm and the game will air for free on CHL TV, as well as across the province on OHL Action Pak channel 467. Tickets for Saturday’s Championship game are $13.00 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s matchup, with some pre-game notes on each team.

Oakville Rangers (5-1-0) – OMHA Third Place Finisher

• Rangers finished season as the fourth-ranked team in the OHL Cup Top-10 Rankings. They were included on the rankings in all 17 weeks this past season. They played to a regular season mark of 31-1-1-1 for first place in the OMHA West, reaching the OMHA Championship Semi-Final before falling to the eventual champion Barrie Colts.

• Rangers met Vaughan in the Quarter-Finals of the Toronto Titans Tournament this season, defeating the Kings in overtime.

• Rangers are into the OHL Cup Final for the third time; winning the tournament in 2013 with a 5-1 win over the Toronto Marlboros.

• Rangers are the highest scoring team in the showcase thus far, registering 32 goals led by Evan Headrick, younger brother of 2017 OHL Champion Owen Headrick, with 11 points (6-5-11), followed by Ethan Belchetz (5-5-10) and Jaxson Harismowich (1-8-9).

• Rangers found success in tournament play this season, winning the Steve Richey Tournament of Champions over the Peterborough Petes. They were Finalists in the Marlboros Holiday Classic Tournament, and Whitby Silver Stick and Toronto Titans Semi-Finalists.

• Oakville is the first OMHA team to reach the tournament final since the 2016 York-Simcoe Express defeated the Toronto Marlboros in overtime.

• Rangers defenceman Callum Croskery represented Team Canada at the 2024 Youth Olympics Winter Games in South Korea this past January.

Head Coach Mike Derenzis says:
“It’s six years of hard work with this group, this what they’ve been building for. About 90% of this team has been together for three years, and half of them have been here for six. For us, we’re just looking to play our game, make sure we manage pucks, make sure we use our speed, and play the way we’re capable of playing.”

 

Vaughan Kings (6-0-0) – GTHL Champion

• Kings finished season as the top-ranked team in the OHL Cup Top-10 Rankings. They were ranked first in the rankings in 16 of the 17 weeks this past season. They played to a regular season mark of 29-3-4 for first place in the GTHL standings, clinching the GTHL Championship for the third straight season.

• Kings prepare for their third OHL Cup Final appearance; a rematch of last year when the Jr. Canadiens prevailed by a score of 3-0.

• Alexander Hage leads the Kings with seven points (2-6–8), while Zach Nyman (2-5-7) and Alessandro Di lorio (4-2-6) trail closely in his footsteps.

• Looking to win their second tournament of the season, the Kings reigned supreme in the Whitby Silver Stick tournament over the Toronto Marlboros by a score of 5-3.

• Seeking to etch their name in OHL Cup history, the Kings clinched victory over the York-Simcoe Express in the inaugural 2022 U14 tournament, aiming to become the first team to triumph in both OHL Cup tournaments.

• Kings forward Alessandro DiIorio also represented Team Canada at the 2024 Youth Olympics Winter Games in South Korea this past January, tallying seven points (6-1-7) in four games played, with his sixth goal tying the record for most goals by a Canadian in a single Youth Olympics.

• A distinguished OHL alumnus, Kings Head Coach Daniel Sisca is making his third consecutive appearance in the OHL Cup Final. He clinched the championship with the 2022 Toronto Jr. Canadiens and reached the final with the 2006-born team. Sisca boasts an impressive junior record, tallying 332 points (140-193-332) across 314 games played for the Owen Sound Attack, Mississauga Steelheads, and Sarnia Sting from 1999-2004. Sisca held the rookie scoring record for the Owen Sound Attack until it was surpassed by current captain Colby Barlow in 2022.

Head coach Daniel Sisca says:
“This is a special group. Through ups and downs, fighting adversity, this group always finds a way to overcome. So it’s exciting for this group and hopefully we can get it done. It’s two of the top teams in the age group, tt should be a good battle for both teams and fun for the fans to watch”.

 

Dates to Circle:

• The 2024 OHL Development Combine presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario takes place at the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa, Ont. on April 6-7. A total of 76 prospects eligible for the 2024 OHL Priority Selection will be in attendance.

• The 2024 U14 OHL Cup presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario and hosted by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association will take place from April 19-21 at Invista Centre in Kingston, Ont. The event will comprise of 16 U14 AAA teams from across the province. Last year’s event saw the Toronto Jr. Canadiens crowned champions.

• The 2024 OHL Priority Selection presented by Real Canadian Superstore is set for Friday, April 12th, with Rounds 1-3 beginning at 7:00pm. The Selection process will be produced by YourTV and aired across the province on the OHL Action Pak. Check local listings for more viewing options. Saturday, April 13th coverage of Rounds 4-15 begins at 9:00am. Both days of the OHL Priority Selection will stream for free on OHL Live.

• The 2024 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection will take place on Wednesday, April 17th, beginning at 7:00pm. Tune in to live coverage on OHL Live.