OHL Round 3 Preview: (1) Kitchener Rangers vs (2) Windsor Spitfires – The Hockey Writers –

The long-awaited Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Western Conference rematch has been set. One season after a heartbreaking second-round Game 7 overtime loss, the Windsor Spitfires get a chance at playoff redemption against the Kitchener Rangers. This time, it’s for the Conference Championship.

Last season, the then-second-seeded Spitfires had a 3-0 series lead on the then-third-seeded Rangers in the second round. However, injuries and illnesses piled up, and the Rangers won four straight for a 4-3 series win. The memories remain fresh. This season, the Spitfires are the second seed entering the series, but now they’ve got a top-seeded Rangers’ club that not only gave them serious trouble in the regular season but are hungry for a league championship. Welcome to this highly anticipated showdown for the Wayne Gretzky Trophy.

The Vitals

Records:

Spitfires – 44-15-6-3 – 97 points – second in Western Conference, first in West Division

Rangers – 47-14-5-2 – 101 points – first in Western Conference, first in Midwest Division

Home-and-Away Records:

Spitfires – 24-4-5-1 (home), 20-11-1-2 (road)

Rangers – 27-6-0-1 (home), 20-8-5-1 (road)

Goals-For and Goals-Against:

Spitfires – 264-173

Rangers – 261-179

Head-to-Head Records:

Spitfires – 1-2-1-0

Rangers – 3-1-0-0

• Rangers outscored the Spitfires 15-9

Special Teams:

Spitfires’ power play – 28.4 percent (66-for-232) – second in OHL – allowed nine shorthanded goals
Spitfires’ penalty kill – 82.2 percent (181-of-221) – first in OHL – scored 11 shorthanded goals

Rangers’ power play – 26.1 percent (65-for-249) – fourth in OHL – allowed four shorthanded goals
Rangers’ penalty kill – 81.1 percent (189-of-228) – second in OHL – scored 19 shorthanded goals

Leading Producers and Goaltending Stats

Top 3 Producers:

Spitfires –

• Captain Forward Liam Greentree (New York Rangers) – 52 games, 38 goals, 36 assists, 74 points
• Forward Nathan Villeneuve (Seattle Kraken) – (two teams) 51 games, 21 goals, 42 assists, 63 points
• Defenceman Carson Woodall – 68 games, 12 goals, 51 assists, 63 points

Rangers –

• Forward Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) – 65 games, 46 goals, 44 assists, 90 points
• Forward Dylan Edwards – (two teams) 67 games, 40 goals, 47 assists, 87 points
• Forward Christian Humphreys (Colorado Avalanche) – 63 games, 27 goals, 58 assists, 85 points

Goaltenders:

Spitfires –

• Joey Costanzo – 50 games, 32-11-4-1, 2.16 goals-against average (GAA), .908 save percentage (SV%)
• Michael Newlove – 23 games, 12-4-2-2, 2.76 GAA, .886 SV%

Rangers –

• Christian Kirsch (San Jose Sharks) – 41 games, 27-10-2-1, 2.42 GAA, .899 SV%
• Jason Schaubel – 28 games, 20-3-3-1, 2.65 GAA, .897 SV%

Playoff Stats and Clubs’ Journeys So Far

Top 3 Producers:

Spitfires –

• Greentree – eight games, five goals, five assists, 10 points
• Defenceman/Forward Anthony Cristoforo – eight games, two goals, eight assists, 10 points
• Defenceman Jakub Fibigr (Kraken) – eight games, two goals, eight assists, 10 points

Rangers –

• Forward Sam O’Reilly (Tampa Bay Lightning) – nine games, 10 goals, four assists, 14 points
• Edwards – nine games, eight goals, five assists, 13 points
• Humphreys – nine games, five goals, six assists, 11 points

Goaltenders:

Spitfires –

• Costanzo – eight games, 8-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .919 SV%

Rangers –

• Kirsch – nine games, 8-1-0, 2.31 GAA, .896 SV%

Special Teams:

Spitfires’ power play – 29.2 percent (seven-for-24)- sixth in OHL – allowed no shorthanded goals
Spitfires’ penalty kill – 88.5 percent (23-of-26) – second in OHL – scored three shorthanded goals

Rangers’ power play – 30.8 percent (eight-for-26) – fifth in OHL – allowed no shorthanded goals
Rangers’ penalty kill – 87.1 percent (27-for-31) – third in OHL – scored one shorthanded goal

Clubs’ Playoff Roads So Far:

Spitfires –

• Round 1 – Defeated (7) Guelph Storm 4-0. Outscored Storm 21-5
• Round 2 – Defeated (3) Flint Firebirds 4-0. Outscored Firebirds 17-11

Rangers –

• Round 1 – Defeated (8) Saginaw Spirit 4-0. Outscored Spirit 19-8
• Round 2 – Defeated (5) Soo Greyhounds 4-1. Outscored Greyhounds 22-14

Playoff History Between Clubs

There is significant playoff history between the Spitfires and Rangers, starting almost 40 seasons ago and going as recently as last season.

1988 – After earning 50 wins in 66 games, the Spitfires swept the Rangers 4-0 in the first round. The Spitfires would go on to sweep the playoffs, only to suffer their only loss in the Memorial Cup Championship.

1992 – The fourth-seeded Rangers earned a 3-1 series lead on the Spitfires before finally defeating them in Game 7.

1999 – While this wasn’t a playoff game, it deserves to be told. The clubs tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The result was a dramatic one-game tie-breaker at the old Windsor Arena on Sat., March 20, 1999. This classic went into double overtime before Blair Stayzer beat goaltender Reg Bourcier to give the Spitfires a 2-1 win.

2010 – In the Western Conference Final, the third-seeded Rangers grabbed a commanding 3-0 lead on the first-seeded Spitfires. However, the defending Memorial Cup Champions weren’t going away easily. They won four-straight to defeat the Rangers, 4-3, and eventually earn their second Memorial Cup title.

2016 – The fourth-seeded Rangers beat the fifth-seeded Spitfires in five games.

2023 – This series will go down in OHL history. The top-seeded Spitfires were expected to challenge for the league title. However, the eighth-seeded Rangers were far better than their record indicated and proved it from the start. The underdogs outscored the favourites 20-6 in a four-game sweep, becoming the first eight seed in OHL history to sweep a top seed.

2025 – Wanting revenge for 2023, the second-seeded Spitfires jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the third-seeded Rangers. However, with as many as eight regulars out of the lineup, the Spitfires couldn’t find that fourth win. The Rangers outscored them 14-3 in the final four games, including a 2-1 overtime thriller in Game 7, to take the series 4-3.

What the Spitfires Bring to the Conference Championship

This is a Spitfires club that’s gelling at the perfect time. After losing the OHL Championship in 2022, they’re ready for another chance. The core of the group is the 2005 or 2006-born players who have been together for three or four seasons now. Led by Greentree, it includes Costanzo, Cristoforo, Woodall, A.J. Spellacy, Cole Davis, and Conor Walton, among others. General manager Bill Bowler added Villeneuve, Fibigr, and Alex Pharand at the deadline in hopes of boosting multiple areas on the ice.

While they’re primarily defence-first, they can score with almost anyone. They’ve put up 38 goals in eight playoff games and, not only can they mix-and-match their lines, but they can throw three offensive lines at you every night.

The result has been a team that’s working together, playing for each other, and buying into the systems designed by head coach Greg Walters, plus assistants Casey Torres and Kris Newbury. Despite having 2026 NHL Draft prospect Ethan Belchetz out for the foreseeable future, they went 7-1-1-1 in their last 10 regular-season games and have gone 8-0 in the playoffs.

Much of this group was around for both the 2023 and 2025 playoff series, where the Rangers found a way to win. Now, they’re ready for their final chance at redemption. It’s a hungry group that wants to get this weight off their shoulder and get back to the OHL Championship.

What the Rangers Bring to the Conference Championship

Like the Spitfires, the Rangers are built for this situation. The club hasn’t made it past the Western Conference Final since 2007-08, when they won the OHL and lost the Memorial Cup Final against the Spokane Chiefs. Now, they’ve got the talent and leadership to get back to the Memorial Cup, and they’re focused on the task at hand.

They’re led by veterans Humphreys, Pridham, and Dylan Edwards up front, plus Matthew Andonovski, Cameron Reid, and newcomer Jared Woolley on defence, and Kirsch in goal. The one player they’re missing is forward Luke Ellinas, who had six goals and nine points in five playoff games against the Spitfires last season. He’s been out since November with an injury.

GM Mike McKenzie got Woolley, Edwards, and O’Reilly, among others, at the trade deadline. Woolley and O’Reilly were part of the London Knights’ Memorial Cup championship last season, so that experience has really paid off for the Rangers.

They know how to win, and they do it well. Head coach Jussi Ahokas has them playing outstanding hockey, and they’re going to make life tough on the Spitfires.

The X-Factors

Spitfires

Their X-factor in this series is discipline. There is no love lost between the Spitfires and Rangers. It feels like every shift and every whistle during the regular season had some kind of altercation. The result was 14 Rangers’ power plays in four regular-season meetings (just eight for the Spitfires).

However, near the end of the season, Walters put his foot down and started benching players for undisciplined play, including veterans. It seemed to work, as in their final 10 games, they went on the penalty kill just 18 times.

While that number has increased to 26 penalty kills through eight games, it has to get back to Walters’ ways in this series. The Rangers have enough firepower to bury any team. Yes, the Spitfires’ penalty kill has been outstanding, but testing it against this group is a dangerous recipe. If they can stay as disciplined as possible, they’ll have a better shot of taking the conference.

Rangers

The famous Wizard of Oz quote is “there’s no place like home.” That certainly applies to the Rangers, and it’s their X-factor in this series.

This season, the Rangers went 27-6-0-1 at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, and are 5-0-0 so far in the playoffs. It’s a mini Maple Leaf Gardens with over 7,000 screaming fans at every game. We’re talking about a tough, intimate arena where getting a win is a challenge for any visitor. In fact, the Spitfires are just 2-5 there over the last two seasons, including going winless this season in two meetings.

The Rangers have home ice in the series. If they can continue their dominance, it has the potential to be a major factor in helping them move on to the OHL Championship.

Quotables

On Tues., April 21, we talked to Greentree and Walters about this series. Here’s what they had to say.

Greentree on the Rangers – “They’re a lot like the Firebirds. They’re pretty skilled up front … For us, it’s about getting on their good guys. They have good guys in their back end, so we have to be careful with them. As long as we play our game and stay above, we’ll be good.”

Greentree on winning at the Auditorium – “It’s just about coming out with confidence and playing our game. Not getting too down. We’ve played there a lot. I’ve played there a lot since my first season. I know what that building has to offer. I think it’s exciting for us.”

Greentree on soaking in this opportunity – “100 percent, but for us, we want to win. I’ll soak in the moment when I have a trophy in my hands. That, for me, is my biggest goal and has been my goal since the start of the season.”

Greentree on redemption for 2023 and 2025 – “That was a tough swing, and we’re not too proud of that. We’re getting excited. We have a chance to prove ourselves in what we should have done last season.”

Walters on what the Rangers bring to the table – “Everything. They’re a great hockey team. They play a great brand of hockey. They have their ways. But, as I’m sure they know how we play, we know how they play, and it’s going to come down to execution and making the right plays at the right time.”

Walters on how to win a game at the Auditorium – “Just coming out and understanding that we’re two of the final four teams. It doesn’t happen. Come out with controlled emotions and making sure all 20 guys are ready to do their jobs.”

Walters on soaking in this experience – “100 percent. We have to have fun with this. Our practices are intense, short, and detailed. When we’re done, let’s relax, get in some good meals together as a team, have some fun on the bus, and make sure that we’re ready to go at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.”

Prediction

We have the two best teams in the Western Conference. They’re confident, and very little separates them. The Spitfires have come together at the perfect time, are playing for each other, and just swept a very tough Firebirds’ team. The Rangers are deep at every position and haven’t shown many, if any, weaknesses throughout the playoffs. This is a battle of the titans, and it should be a marathon. Don’t be surprised if the Auditorium is a factor if this goes the distance. Rangers in 7.

Schedule

Here is the official schedule:

Game 1 – Fri., April 24 at Kitchener – 7:00 p.m.
Game 2 – Sun., April 26 at Kitchener – 6:00 p.m.
Game 3 – Mon., April 27 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m.
Game 4 – Wed., April 29 at Windsor – 7:05 p.m.
Game 5 – Fri., May 1 at Kitchener – 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 6 – Sun., May 3 at Windsor – 4:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 7 – Mon., May 4 at Kitchener – 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

Ticket Information

Tickets for games at the WFCU Centre in Windsor can be purchased on the WFCU Centre website. They range from $37.15 (east end) to $60.15 (Platinum behind benches).

Tickets for games at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium can be purchased on KW Tickets. The prices range from $38 for children to $42 for adults in most sections.