Congratulations to the Kitchener Rangers on their OHL Western Conference Championship, which they secured with their recent 4-1 series win over the Windsor Spitfires. It was their first conference championship since 2008, and they now await the winner of Barrie and Brantford to play for the J. Ross Robertson Cup. That series is tied at 3-3, and Game 7 will be played tonight to decide the winner.
Barrie very well may be without the services of leading scorer Cole Beaudoin (UTA) for game 7. The OHL’s leading playoff point-getter with 29 points (10G 19A), Beaudoin is suffering from an undisclosed injury which forced him to miss Game 6 against the Bulldogs. While Barrie prevailed 4-3 (OT) in that game, they were outshot 57-28, relying upon a 54-save effort by goaltender Ben Hrebik (2026 draft-eligible, #31 among North American goalies) and three assists from d-man Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI) to extend the series. They will need another strong effort from those players to advance.
For Brantford, its scoring leaders are forwards Caleb Malhotra (2026 draft-eligible, #6 North American skater) and Jake O’Brien (SEA), who, along with Beaudoin, complete the trio of top OHL playoff scoring leaders. Malhotra has 26 points (13G 13A), trailed by O’Brien’s 23 points (6G 17A). Both registered a point in the Bulldogs’ Game 6 overtime loss, and presumably must play a big role in Game 7 for Brantford to advance.