Kitchener Rangers fans have waited 21 long years since their last OHL championship. Since then, they have witnessed a Memorial Cup heartbreaker against Ottawa in 1984, a 1989 season in which team achieved first overall in the regular season only to lose in six games in the first round of the playoffs, a 1990 season in which the team lost in the OHL finals to the Oshawa generals, and four straight years of futility from 1999-2002 in which the team won only one playoff game over that span. But in 2002-03, the team brought new hope in the regular season to achieve first overall in the OHL. Finally after 21 long years, the wait is over for the suffering Ranger fans; Kitchener is unquestionably the top team in the OHL and will now represent their league in the Memorial Cup.
Road to the Cup
Western Conference quarterfinals vs. the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds
Kitchener was in control for the entire series. The Greyhounds suffered a devastating blow in the first game when captain Trevor Daley went down with a season ending leg injury. Evan McGrath scored the same number of goals (3) as the entire Greyhound team in the series. Scott Dickie was outstanding, posting two shutouts and made the 3 star selection three times (two first star selections and one second star selection).
Western Conference Semifinals vs. the Guelph Storm
The second round was much more intriguing for the Rangers then the first; their rivals from Guelph were in town and the Rangers desperately wanted to avenge their 2002 sweep at the hands of the Storm. The Rangers took game one 4-3 and game two 6-2 but the Storm battled back and took game 3 by a single goal. Kitchener won game 4 in Guelph to take a 3-1 series lead with an opportunity to win the series at home in game 5. The Rangers rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the 3rd period to tie the game and send it to OT where Michael Richards cleanly won an offensive zone faceoff which Nathan O’Nabigon snapped into the top corner. The Rangers’ second line of O’Nabigon, Richards, and Peter Kanko led all scorers in the series.
Western Conference Finals vs. the Plymouth Whalers
This series featured the top two teams in the OHL during the regular season and pitted Rangers head coach/GM Peter DeBoer as well as assistant coach/assistant GM Steve Spott against their former team. Plymouth dominated game 1 but the score remained close until the Whalers clinched it in the final minute with an empty net goal. Kitchener rallied in the next two games winning 6-1 and 3-2 to take the series lead. In a must win game, the Whalers came from behind in the 3rd period of game 4 to win 3-2 and took game five 2-1 in OT to take a 3-2 series lead home for game six. The spirited Rangers never gave up and overcame an early deficit to win 7-4 to set up a seventh game back home. With the score tied 1-1 with under seven minutes remaining in the 3rd period, Michael Richards and Gregory Campbell scored 16 seconds apart to give the rangers a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish. Scott Dickie was outstanding, stopping 32 shots in the decisive victory.
OHL finals vs. the Ottawa 67’s
The OHL marquee series featured the best team in the east in the regular season vs. the best team in the west in the regular season. It also pitted one of the OHL’s best young coaches Peter DeBoer against the winningest coach in CHL history in Brian Kilrea. Kitchener fired 63 shots at Lukas Mensator in game 1 but Adam Smyth scored in overtime to give Ottawa the opener. In another nail-biter in game 2, the Rangers knew they were in a must-win situation and squeaked out a victory on Nathan O’Nabigon’s second OT goal of the playoffs. Kitchener brought their ‘A’ game to the table in game 3 and overcame an early Ottawa goal to win 4-1. Game 4 turned out to be the longest game in the OHL playoffs as the teams battled for over 85 minutes of hockey before George Halkidis scored his only goal of the playoffs on a point shot in double OT to give Kitchener a 3-1 series lead heading home. In game 5 Kitchener had the opportunity to erase 21 years of failure and did no disappoi nt. Michael Richards scored in the last minute of the first period but Ottawa’s Brendan Bell replied in the first minute of the second. Kitchener then took over the rest of the way in the middle frame as Derek Roy, Gregory Campbell, and Evan McGrath scores successive goals to give Kitchener a 4-1 score in the game and the series as they took home their first championship since 1982 and head off to their first Memorial Cup in 13 years.
Player Previews (by jersey number)
#2 Matt McCann – Defense
The Rangers 9th defenseman, he has not played a single playoff game and likely will not see any ice unless three Ranger defenders get injured.
#3 Matt Manias – Defense
Kitchener’s 7th defenseman, Manias saw limited action in his six playoff games this year. Shows some offensive potential but his defensive game and positioning need work.
#6 Thomas Harrison – Defense
Kitchener’s 6th defenseman doesn’t usually see regular shifts and has shown signs of rust when called upon. His positioning game is questionable but Harrison is a tough force to be reckoned with.
#7 Nick Duff – Defense
The Rangers 8th defenseman has yet to dress for a playoff game. Duff lacks the puck handling and passing skills to be effective at this stage of the year but has matured defensively and would provide grit if the Rangers ran into injury trouble.
#10 Jesse Boucher – Left Wing
Boucher has had a very inconsistent playoff; after an effective series in the first round, Boucher has vanished in the last three rounds, posting a mere one point. He has seen limited action in the later rounds and was a healthy scratch for a game in the finals. Will only see 4th line duty at the very most.
#11 Matt Grennier – Centre
Grennier is one of the OHL’s best defensive forwards and penalty killers. He is one of the main reasons Kitchener achieved the best penalty killing throughout the year. Grennier is not very much of an offensive threat but is a utility player who does the little things extremely well. He’ll centre the 3rd or 4th line as well as kill penalties.
#12 Paul McFarland – Left Wing
McFarland has been battling with Chad McCaffrey all playoffs for the 12th forward spot. Kitchener mainly only rolls three lines which is why McFarland has seen limited ice time. Barring injuries to the Rangers forwards, he should not have too much ice time in Quebec.
#16 Andre Benoit – Defense
Kitchener’s 2nd defenseman lead the OHL in goals and points among defenseman in the regular season. A smooth skater, with an effective shot, Benoit seems to always create offensive chances at even strength and does a good job quarterbacking the second power play unit. Benoits’ major weakness is his lack of physical play in the corners and in front of his net.
#17 David Clarkson – Left Wing
Clarkson’s strong all around play earned him a spot on the Rangers top line in the finals. He likes to dig in the corners and get his nose dirty and has a hard slap shot. He is very strong on the puck and hard to move off it. Clarkson is a very effective player for this time of the year and the opposition must be aware of him when he’s on the ice in Quebec.
#18 Michael Richards – Centre
Richards has been one of the league’s best second line centres all year and lead the Rangers in goal scoring (37) and points (87) in the regular season. He lead all scorers in the second round of the playoffs against the Guelph Storm. His weakness is in the defensive zone; Richards has trouble covering opposing players without taking penalties. Richards played in the top prospects game earlier in the year and knows that a strong Memorial Cup tournament could greatly help his draft status for this June.
#19 Evan McGrath – Centre/Left Wing
McGrath has developed quite nicely this year and is widely viewed as one of the top rookies in the OHL. McGrath provided six goals in the playoffs including the final goal in the final game for the Rangers. His solid stick handling and skating ability came in handy for team Ontario at the Under-17 tournament this year as he lead his club in scoring. McGrath has already been predicted to go in one of the top three spots of the 2004 NHL entry draft.
#21 George Halkidis – Defense
Kitchener’s 4th defenseman has arguably been their most consistent rearguard in the OHL playoffs. He lead the Ranger defensemen in assists in the playoffs and lead all OHL players in +/- in the playoffs. Halkidis is extremely steady in his own end and his experience as an overager has been very important to the Rangers. He’s excellent at starting out breakouts with smart passes from his own side. His only goal in the playoffs was in double overtime of game 4 of the finals.
#24 Rafal Martynowsky – Left Wing
Martynowsky has seen ice time on each line throughout the regular season and playoffs and has shown good versatility in being able to play all three forward positions and any role asked of him. He possesses excellent stick handling and is a hard worker. He’s shown weaknesses in his passing game. Expect Martynowsky to play on the 3rd or 4th line in the Memorial Cup.
#26 T.J. Eason – Defense
The Ranger’s 5th defenseman would be much higher on the depth charts of most other teams. The overage Kitchener native has not seen very much ice time in the playoffs due to his weak offensive skills and defensive zone coverage. Eason does provide solid leadership and grit in his own end. Kitchener mainly rolls 4 defensemen so barring an injury to one of their top four blueliners, expect Eason to see limited ice time.
#27 Adam Keefe- Right Wing
After sitting out the first nine games of the regular season, Keefe has made an excellent transition from the role of enforcer to that of a grinder. Many claim that Keefe has ‘hands of stone’ in front of the net and lacks puck handling skills but Keefe knows that scoring goals is not his main role. Keefe provides the Rangers with a great deal of hard work and battles hard in the corners and loves to hit. Brother of former OHL champion and current member of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Sheldon Keefe, Adam will continue providing a spark for the Rangers on the 3rd or 4th line.
#33 Carlo DiRienzo – Goaltender
This season has been a roller coaster ride for the underage net minder; DiRienzo started the year very strong but fell down to earth after some weak games. That didn’t stop the young netminder from earning a spot next to Evan McGrath on Team Ontario’s Under-17 team. His inconsistent play has prevented coach Peter DeBoer from starting him in important games but when DiRienzo brings his ‘A’ game to the table, he’s very difficult to beat. He’s yet to see a minute of action in these playoffs but knows he has to be ready in case he’s called upon.
#38 Nathan O’Nabigon – Left Wing/Right Wing
O’Nabigon was acquired from the Mississauga Ice Dogs earlier this season to fill the Rangers’ void in the grit department. He provided much more then what was asked of him including 22 goals in the regular season to establish himself as one of the OHL‘s top power forwards. O’Nabigon has been even better in the playoffs, scoring 10 goals and 8 assists for 18 points. Included in his goal totals were the second round series winner in OT as well as the OT marker in game two of the finals. O’Nabigon will continue providing a solid combination of grit and goal scoring on Kitchener’s 4th line in the Memorial Cup.
#39 Chad McCaffrey – Left Wing
McCaffrey has been alternating with Paul McFarland for the team’s final spot on the 4th line. The main reason why he has not secured a permanent spot on the lineup is his inconsistent play; he did provide three two-goal games in the regular season but went through long stretches of weak play. His goal in game 3 of the finals coupled with his extra year of experience may give him the edge over McFarland in the Memorial Cup.
#40 Scott Dickie – Goaltender
Prior to the season the Rangers had three goaltenders on their roster and knew they had to move either Dickie or Matt Harpwood. Kitchener’s decision to trade Harpwood for Nathan O’Nabigon irked a few Ranger fans who claimed that Kitchener could never win with Dickie in goal. The overage southpaw proved his critics wrong this year with a spectacular playoffs. He lead the OHL in wins, goals against average, save percentage, and tied for the lead in shutouts. How timely has Dickie’s goaltending been? Consider that in the entire playoffs, Dickie has not allowed a single goal while the Rangers were losing. Dickie remains undrafted and unsigned to an NHL contract and knows that adding a Memorial Cup to his resume could be the missing link to a promotion.
Head Coach/General Manager Peter DeBoer
DeBoer is in his second year in Kitchener and franchise’s huge turnaround has been attributed to him. The Rangers were the OHL’s most improved team in 2002 after he took over. DeBoer came to the Rangers from Plymouth where he enjoyed great success as the Whalers were perennial contenders. DeBoer won coach of the year in the OHL in 1999 and 2000 and the CHL coach of the year award in 2000. DeBoer can now add to his resume that he won the highly touted ‘battle of the star coaches’ series in the OHL finals against CHL legend Brian Kilrea.
NHL draft picks on the Rangers
#4 Gregory Campbell – Right Wing (Florida Panthers 3rd round pick in 2002)
NHL vice president Colin Campbell’s son was an important acquisition by the Rangers before the season and did not disappoint. Campbell averaged over a point per game in the regular season and scored a team high 15 goals in the playoffs. He’s not the most skilled player but is an extremely hard worker who provides strong defensive play and has excellent hockey sense. His strong hand-eye coordination is a huge asset on the power play as Campbell is excellent at tipping point shots out of mid-air. Campbell will continue to play on the first power play unit and first line on Quebec as he has done all year.
#8 Steve Eminger – Defense (Washington Capitals 1st round pick in 2002)
Eminger comes to the Memorial Cup with 17 games of NHL experience already to his credit. He made the transition from the NHL to the World Junior Championships to the OHL with relative ease, achieving defenseman-of-the-month honors in January. Eminger’s transition game is as good as anybody’s and is solid at moving the puck out of his own zone. He recorded 27 assists in only 23 games in the regular season. He had been maligned for his weak play in the first two rounds of the playoffs when he was battling a shoulder injury, but silenced his critics with his solid play in the Western conference finals as well as the OHL finals. An excellent stickhander who has perfected the spin-o-rama, Eminger may be the best two-way defenseman in the Memorial Cup. Eminger will continue to quarterback Kitchener’s first power play unit and play 30 minutes a game on the blue line in Quebec.
#9 Petr Kanko – Right Wing (Los Angeles Kings 3rd round pick in 2002)
Kitchener’s only import player has been one of the top power forwards in the CHL. Kanko loves to hit and has knocked a few players silly but also possesses excellent skating and solid stick handling. He provides excellent tape-to-tape passes and is more then willing to go into the corners. He had a solid playoff with 11 goals and 16 points for 27 points. Kanko has no serious weaknesses in his game and is a presence whenever he touches the ice. He will continue playing on the second line and on the power play in the Memorial Cup.
#14 Derek Roy – Centre (Buffalo Sabres 2nd round pick in 2001)
When Kitchener drafted 5’8″ Roy in the second round in 1999, management was heavily criticized for using a high pick on a player deemed too small to succeed in the league. Four years later, the criticism over the Roy pick continues but it is not directed towards the Rangers, it’s directed towards the 19 GM’s that passed him up. Roy has never looked back since his rookie of the year honors in 2000. He was second in the OHL in points per game in the regular season and lead the Rangers with 32 points including the championship winning goal against Ottawa. Roy may be short but his speed and excellent stick handling make him very difficult to take the puck off of. He has also provided a strong defensive punch. Roy will continue playing 25-30 minutes a game in the Memorial Cup. Still unsigned by the Sabres, Roy knows he could re-enter the draft and given that the Memorial Cup will be his last few games as a Ranger. Expect a solid tournament from Roy.
#25 Marcus Smith – Defense (Phoenix Coyotes 8th round pick in 2002)
Kitchener’s 3rd defenseman was having an excellent playoff until he suffered an arm injury in game 3 of the 3rd round. He was able to recover enough to play very strong in the final two games of the playoffs and should be 100% for Quebec City. Kitchener’s playoff MVP in 2002 thrives in important situations. A strong skater with good stick handling and a strong ability at keeping the puck in the offensive zone, Smith posted 10 assists in 15 playoff games this year. He has improved his physical game this year but his defensive zone positioning still needs some work. Next year Smith will be challenging for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons next year and knows that a solid Memorial Cup could greatly help his chances.
