Memorable year
New GM top storyline from Rangers’ season
KITCHENER — Fans would rather be focusing on the post-season.
But the Kitchener Rangers are done after being ousted by Owen Sound in five games during the opening round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Despite the short run it was a memorable year marked by big achievements, surprising moves and unfortunate luck. Here are 10 storylines worth remembering from the 2016-17 season.
1. Change at the top Front office movement seems to dominate off-season news for the Kitchener Rangers and this year is no different. The team announced a shakeup late last month when general manager Murray Hiebert stepped down to become the team’s director of hockey operations even though he still had one more year left on his contract. Assistant GM Mike McKenzie was promoted and given a four-year deal and is tasked with turning the Rangers back into a perennial contender. Hiebert inherited a club that was light on picks and prospects and spent the bulk of his four years accruing assets. Kitchener never made it past the Western Conference semifinals under his watch.
2. Mascherin hits 100 It came down to the wire, but forward Adam Mascherin hit the century mark with an assist in the final game of the season. The Maple native finished with 35 goals and 65 assists and became the first Rangers player to collect 100 points in one season, since Jason Akeson notched 108 points in 2010-11. The Florida Panthers prospect can become the fifth Ranger to do it twice if he hits the hundred next season.
3. Bracco goes streaking Winger Jeremy Bracco recorded a point in 26 consecutive games for the Rangers between Oct. 7 and Dec. 9.
It was the second-longest pointscoring streak in team history and nine games shy of leader Mike Morrison, who tallied in 35 straight matches in the 1985-86 season. Bracco had 17 goals and 34 assists during the run, which was the third longest this season behind Sarnia’s Jordan Kyrou (30 games) and Erie’s Alex DeBrincat (27 games).
4. Video replay confusion
Off-ice officials got it wrong four times. Video review judges burned the Rangers twice during a 4-3 overtime loss to Kingston on Dec. 2, when they blew a pair of offside calls on plays that resulted in goals. A few weeks later, Guelph was awarded a goal after the puck went off the cross bar in a 5-2 Storm win. Kitchener got one back in a 5-4 shootout victory against North Bay, when Joseph Garreffa was credited with a third period marker that clearly did not go in. Off-ice officials in Kingston and Kitchener were disciplined by the league for the gaffes.
5. Roster remade
The Rangers went into sell mode for the third time in the past four seasons at the trade deadline in January. They moved veterans Jeremy Bracco, Mason Kohn and Jacob Cascagnette, while dealing overage goalie Dawson Carty earlier. The club got decent value back for the quartet; but shedding reliable players contributed to the team’s quick post-season exit and fan frustration.
6. Sick bay stocked
Every team deals with injuries, but it seemed like the Rangers suffered more than their fair share. It started with goalie Luke Opilka who came into camp on the shelf after having off-season hip surgery and never really settled in until about two months into the schedule. By then fellow netminder Chris McGonigle (hip) and veteran defencemen Connor Hall (shoulder) and Doug Blaisdell (knee) were gone for the season. Rearguards Andrew Burns (hand) and Frank Hora (concussion) joined the list later on.
7. Bracco wins gold
The Americans beat Canada 5-4 in a thrilling shootout to capture the gold medal at the world junior hockey championship in Montreal, but Rangers fans took some solace in seeing winger Jeremy Bracco on the winning side. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect was the first Rangers player to win a gold medal since goalie John Gibson did it in 2013, also with the United States. Bracco returned a champ, but never played another game for Kitchener as he was traded to Windsor soon after.
8. NHL presence
Rangers fans had reason to be excited at the beginning of the season, when nine players were invited to NHL rookie and/or training camps: F Jeremy Bracco, F Adam Mascherin, F Connor Bunnaman, F Darby Llewellyn, D Frank Hora, D Connor Hall, F Mason Kohn, D Dylan Di Perna and F Jake Henderson. Goalie Luke Opilka would have made it 10, but he was recuperating from hip surgery at the time.
9. Meltdown in Erie
Kitchener led the Otters 3-2 after two periods at the Erie Insurance Arena on Nov. 5. But something spoiled the party during intermission. The Rangers came out flat and Erie scored five third period tallies and embarrassed the visitors 7-3. Coach Jay McKee kept the incident in-house but didn’t hide his feelings after the game saying: “I couldn’t be more disappointed right now.” The club did some team bonding exercises in the week after the game and the Rangers responded by winning five of their next six games.
10. Rangers ranked
The Rangers had the second best record in the OHL at 10-3-0-1 and were ranked seventh in the Canadian Hockey League’s weekly top ten in early November. Only the eventual league champions, the Erie Otters, were better. Alas, it didn’t last. The Rangers lost talent to trades and injuries and ended up sixth in the OHL’s Western Conference. But, for a month or so, things were looking up.