Kitchener Rangers’ Week 2 Stars of the Week

Reid was all over the ice on Friday. He set up chances in the offensive zone and got back defensively to suppress scoring chances. He finished his first game back with two primary assists in the 5-2 victory, highlighted by a pass to Jack Pridham that set up a beautiful give-and-go play.

Reid didn’t get on the scoresheet in the loss to the Attack on Saturday. However, early in the game, he showed his leadership by responding to a massive open ice hit that was laid on one of his teammates. He also finished with three high-danger shots on goal.

While it was probably a significant adjustment for Reid and other Rangers returning from NHL camps, Reid has looked dominant to start the season, and he will only get better as he finds his rhythm.

Second Star: Jack Pridham

Midway through last week, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that Jack Pridham would be returned to the OHL. Pridham joined the Rangers partway through last season and made an immediate impact, scoring 27 goals and totalling 54 points in 48 games. After rejoining the Rangers last weekend, he picked up where he left off, scoring a goal in each game he played to open the season.

Pridham finished off the beautiful give-and-go play he and Reid set up on the power play against the Otters for what became the game-winning goal. The next night, he gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead after deflecting home a Jacob Xu point shot against the Attack.

The 2024 third-round NHL draft pick created scoring chances all over the ice, with nine shots on goal in two games, including five that were considered dangerous. With more time to get reacquainted, expect Pridham and his line to continue to put up impressive numbers.

First Star: Haeden Ellis

The Rangers were missing many stars for their first couple of games of the season. However, Haeden Ellis, along with Cameron Arquette and Matheas Stark, stepped up offensively throughout the first weekend.

Ellis had a goal and two assists in the Rangers’ first two victories, and added to that this past weekend, scoring a goal in both games against the Otters and the Attack. He also earned an assist on the Rangers’ insurance goal, giving them a 4-2 lead with less than five minutes to play against the Otters.

On Friday night, Ellis broke the ice halfway through the game on a chance off the rush, where Arquette made a beautiful seam pass through the slot to locate a wide-open Ellis, who made no mistake on the shot. This goal opened the floodgates, and the Rangers went on to score four goals in the third period.

Ellis then opened the scoring for the Rangers the following night against the Attack. It was the third straight game he had scored the team’s first goal, and the fourth consecutive game where he had a point on their first goal of the game. This time, he scored on a shot from the point, which hit one of the Attack’s defenders and fooled the goalie.

Last season, Ellis had nine points in 36 games. He already has six points through four games this season. If he can maintain this level of play, he could find himself on NHL draft boards by the end of the campaign after being passed over last season.

Rangers Honourable Mentions

The Rangers’ goaltending was great this weekend. Christian Kirsch looked good on Friday en route to his first win with the team. Then, on Saturday, despite giving up five goals to the Attack, I thought Jason Schaubel was excellent. The Rangers hung him out to dry, and without him sprawling across the crease several times, the Attack could have scored close to double digits in that game.

Tanner Lam also stayed hot this weekend, scoring two goals against the Otters. That marks four goals in four games for him, but he still has more to give. Stark and Arquette also got on the stat sheet this weekend, continuing their hot streaks from last weekend. Jakub Chromiak continues to produce at a near point-per-game pace from the blue line with three assists in four games, and Christian Humphreys had a three-assist game in his return to the Rangers.

The primary concern will be getting on the same page and improving their puck movement as the season progresses. Their main struggles last weekend were when they turned the puck over or when they got into penalty trouble. The Rangers have a week of practice before a rematch with the Attack on Friday, so they should look much cleaner and more prepared this weekend.