Latest news with #KitchenerRangers
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Kitchener Rangers sign Adam Valentini to the team
Adam Valentini signs on with the Kitchener Rangers on May 5, 2025. The Kitchener Rangers have added a new player to their roster. Adam Valentini, a 17-year-old forward from the Toronto area, officially signed with the team on Thursday. He just finished a season with the Chicago Steel, part of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Valentini also played with Canada White at the U17 World Hockey Championships where he racked up four goals and five assists in nine games. 'With his skill, hockey sense and offensive creativity we expect him to make an immediate impact with our team,' Mike McKenzie, general manager for the Rangers, said in a media release. 'He has always been a top tier player in his age group and when his rights became available last summer, we knew we had to do our best to acquire him and try to get him to Kitchener.' The Rangers acquired those rights after a trade last September with the Brampton Steelheads. The deal was sealed thanks to a recent rule change. Players with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) are eligible, as of Aug. 1, to take part in NCAA hockey programs. 'That definitely opened up more options for me,' Valentini told CTV News. 'Kitchener is such a first-class organization. I think it's what suited me best. I want to play here and can't wait to get things going.' He said he was in the crowd when the Rangers took on the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL playoffs, and is looking forward to donning the red, blue and white. Valentini will be wearing number 92 when he reports to training camp in August.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Saying goodbye to Weather Will
Will Aiello at the Stratford Festival. CTV News Kitchener is saying goodbye to weather specialist Will Aiello as he prepares to embark on a new journey with CTV Morning Live. Will said he is moving back to his hometown to be closer to family and take on his 'dream job.' However, the decision was not an easy one to make. 'Leaving the CTV Kitchener team will be very difficult but their support with the new opportunity has made it feel much better,' he shared. 'Thank you to everyone for allowing me to be myself and spread so much energy and positivity into this wonderful community.' To celebrate our time with Will, we are sharing some of our favourite moments with 'Weather Will.' He hosted Oktoberfest activities, got his hands dirty in weekly Get Growing segments, and made our tastebuds tingle with Get Grilling. Here are some memories we will cherish, long after Will has changed his alarms to his new 1 a.m. wakeup call. Expand Autoplay 1 of 37 Will Aiello Will Aiello on his first day with CTV News Kitchener. Will Aiello Will Aiello speaking to an Oktoberfest crowd. Will Aiello Will Aiello with members of the Humane Society. Will Aiello Will Aiello at the Stratford Festival. will aiello Will Aiello Will Aiello with Tanya Olsen from Royal City Nursery. Will Aiello Will Aiello at a Kitchener Rangers game in Feb. 2024. Will Aiello Will Aiello with Tanya Olsen from Royal City Nursery. Will Aiello A behind-the scenes photo of Chef D, Will Aiello and Alexandra Pinto at CTV Kitchener in July 2023. Will Aiello Will Aiello, Leighanne Evans, Alexandra Pinto and Tony Grace during Toy Mountain 2022. Will Aiello Leighanne Evans, Tony Grace and Will Aiello in 2025. Will Aiello Angie Hill, Will Aiello and Daryl Morris at the Oktoberfest parade in Oct. 2022. Will Aiello Will Aiello prepares for a live hit from Exhibition Park in Guelph at the 2022 Canada Celebration Tour softball game. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) Leighanne Evans and Will Aiello at CTV News Kitchener on April 4, 2025. Leighanne Evans and Will Aiello at CTV News Kitchener on April 4, 2025. Will Aiello Decorating "expert" Will Aiello. Will Aiello Will Aiello reporting from Waterloo Park. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) Will Aiello Will Aiello gets uncomfortably close to a snake at the Humane Society. (Dave Pettitt/CTV News) Will Aiello Will Aiello in a behind-the-scenes snap for Toy Mountain 2023. Will Aiello Will Aiello dressed up for the Barbie movie. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) Will Aiello and Dan Lauckner CTV Kitchener CTV News' Will Aiello and Dan Lauckner posed for a photo during the season opener at Stratford Festival on May 26, 2025. Will Aiello Will Aiello, dressed up as the Joker, for a live Halloween hit. Will Aiello Will Aiello in 2025. CTV Kitchener Left to right: Will Aiello, Leighanne Evans, and Tony Grace of CTV Kitchener. Will Aiello Will Aiello Emily Richards Will Aiello and Emily Richards make pizzas in an outdoor oven. will aiello chef matty b Chef Matty B and Will Aiello. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News) will aiello food bank emily and will CTV's Will Aiello and cookbook author Emily Richards prepare some beer braised brisket Super Bowl sandwiches. (Jeff Turner/CTV Kitchener) Will Aiello Will Aiello with KW Glee in May 2022. Ted Reade Chef Ted Reader and CTV's Will Aiello prepare to grill Ontario veal street tacos and blackened veal burgers with voodoo relish. (Jeff Turner/CTV News) will aiello Will Aiello accepts a plaque from Grand River Motorcycle Ride for Dad on May 7, 2024. Royal City Nursery's Tanya Olsen with Will Aiello. Royal City Nursery's Tanya Olsen with Will Aiello. Kitchener Rangers Potato Night 2025 CTV News Kitchener's Leighanne Evans and Will Aiello discuss the Kitchener's Rangers annual Don Cameron Potato Night event on March 18, 2025. ctv kitchener ckco alex pinto will aiello daryl mo Alexandra Pinto, Will Aiello and Daryl Morris holding the CTV letters. (March 1, 2024) Music Monday March 17, 2025 Bounce 99.5's Angie Hill and CTV News Kitchener's Will Aiello share a laugh on March 17, 2025. CTV News Kitchener: Get Growing - Caring for Christmas Trees CTV's Will Aiello heads to Royal City Nursery to learn some tips for Christmas tree care. Will Aiello Will Aiello and Tony Grace in the CTV Kitchener studio in May 23. June 5 is Will's last day. Tune in at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to see what surprises we have in store for our ray of sunshine. We will also be announcing our new community weather host during the 6 p.m. newscast.
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Jack Nesbitt became one of the 2025 NHL Draft's biggest risers
On the morning of Game 7 between the Windsor Spitfires and Kitchener Rangers, Jack Nesbitt awoke to an unwelcome realization. His head hurt. His throat hurt. His stomach hurt. Everything hurt — so much so that he had to get an IV ahead of the deciding game of the OHL second-round series. Even after the IV and a pregame nap, Nesbitt still could barely get out of bed. It was later revealed he had strep throat. But when the time came for puck drop, there he was, out there at center ice for the opening faceoff. Advertisement 'I just pushed through it, did what I could,' Nesbitt told The Athletic. 'Game 7, gotta play.' In a game that went deep into overtime, Nesbitt ended up logging 23 minutes for the Spitfires. He took 20 faceoffs, put five shots on net and assisted on the team's only goal. 'It was touch and go if he was even going to play,' Windsor coach Greg Walters said. 'And then, the warrior that he is, he was one of our best players.' No doubt the 2-1 overtime loss was a sour way to end the Spitfires' season. But in terms of final statements, it was nonetheless an impressive one for Nesbitt, who over the course of the season was perhaps one of the most improved players in this NHL Draft class. In NHL Central Scouting's 'players to watch' list from October, Nesbitt was graded as a 'B' prospect — indicating a second- or third-round candidate for the NHL Draft. But after a big season, in which Nesbitt more than tripled his production from his OHL rookie campaign — finishing with 25 goals and 64 points in 65 games — Nesbitt has put himself in the mix to be a potential top-20 pick in June's draft. Nesbitt's physical traits stand out immediately as a 6-foot-4 center. But part of that size, especially for someone who had a significant growth spurt of about four inches around age 15, is being able to carry that frame around the ice. Nesbitt's skating, as a result, can look laborious. It's the primary question surrounding his draft profile, and it's a valid one, in a league that's only getting faster. But the rest of Nesbitt's tools, as a physical forward with soft hands, are impressive — and hard enough to find that it's easy to see a team betting on what he can become if that skating improves. 'I think the exciting part for even a guy like me, or an NHL team, is what will this guy look like in four or five years,' Windsor general manager Bill Bowler said. 'It's just, there's too much there. He checks every box for a hockey team, I think.' Advertisement Bowler is quick to point out that the Spitfires' 2023-24 team, which finished with the second-worst record in the league, wasn't the greatest environment for Nesbitt to showcase himself as a 16-year-old. That could be part of the reason Nesbitt's offensive production jumped so much from year to year. Nesbitt also pointed to confidence coming in for his second season. But just as Windsor shot up the standings, finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season, Nesbitt took real strides in his game, too. And the path to that improvement began last summer. Every week, Nesbitt would leave his home in Sarnia, Ontario, near the Michigan border, for the Greater Toronto Area — staying with a billet family in Oakville so he could train at Junxion Performance (which is affiliated with Nesbitt's agency, Quartexx) Monday through Thursday, before returning home to Sarnia on the weekends. And the skating was an area of emphasis. Certainly, for a player Nesbitt's size — and with a fairly recent growth spurt — a big part of that was going to be general, raw strength. It takes more muscle to move around a bigger body. But there were also certain principles Junxion wanted to drill down and emphasize specific to his hockey stride. 'For him, it was really sitting low on a single leg, understanding how to maintain that position,' said Jason Martin, the head performance coach at Junxion. 'And then how to use his upper body independent of his lower body. Those were the kind of big ones for us.' Martin said they work off a spectrum of athletes that range from more innately elastic (such as Connor McDavid) to more muscle-dominant and driven by force production (more akin to Sidney Crosby). For Crosby, that might show up in the explosiveness coming out of a tight turn, or ability to protect the puck, whereas for McDavid, it pops most when he's at top speed in full flight. Advertisement 'And what was crazy about Jack, is, although he's a tall kid, big feet, big physical features – like he's going to be a big kid as he fills out — he was actually very elastic for his size, and he was really actually pretty bouncy,' Martin said. 'So we kind of leaned a little bit into the strength side for him, the force-production side.' The goal, basically, was to take the potential that comes with Nesbitt's frame and add the strength needed to effectively propel it while rounding out the other side of that spectrum. And there are examples to reinforce what that can look like over time. Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen was a big body with some offense in his draft year in 2017, but his main question was his lack of speed at 6-foot-6. This past season, NHL Edge data had Rasmussen in the 94th percentile for top skating speed, at 23.29 mph. Likewise, in that same draft, Boston's Morgan Geekie — who Corey Pronman listed as his player comparison for Nesbitt — had some concerns around his skating. This year, NHL Edge data had his top speed in the 84th percentile, in a season in which he had 33 goals and 57 points. 'Obviously with the size, if they have the ability to have some good top-end speed using that elasticity, but also be able to protect the puck and be strong in the corners, that's a dangerous athlete,' Martin said. At 18, Nesbitt is still in the early stages of working to make those gains. Martin noted that the summer is only so long, and even working out four days a week, 'it's not actually that many workouts.' Still, he felt he could see Nesbitt starting to get stronger, and he's eager to see what the next stage will bring. 'Because year over year at that age, they just develop so quickly,' Martin said. 'But I think once his body fills out relative to his height, I think he's going to be a monster.' Advertisement Martin also emphasized Nesbitt's character and receptiveness to the work they gave him, calling him 'one of the most coachable guys that we've had a chance to work with.' For teams betting on his potential, that could be key in believing his ability to reach it. But while the allure of Nesbitt has a lot to do with those longer-range projections — of what he can be when his body is filled out, and if that skating develops as hoped — there is still already a solid present-day picture. Walters was in his first year coaching Windsor, so he didn't have Nesbitt the season prior, but still felt he could see a jump in Nesbitt's skating from watching him. And from Day 1 when he got there, Walters felt that in Nesbitt he had a player who wouldn't cheat for offense, playing 'extremely tough' with 'huge character.' He also emphasized Nesbitt's willingness to fight if needed, to stick up for his teammates — a bit of a throwback element that also can separate Nesbitt in the modern game. 'I think the biggest thing with Jack is obviously he's very good away from the puck, and competes extremely hard,' Walters said. 'Really good hockey sense. Loves getting to the front of the net. Real good on power play, on top of the blue paint and extremely high hand-eye coordination.' That should give him a steady floor, knowing he can use his size and smarts to check. And when you combine that with the potential if his feet can catch up to his frame, there's the recipe for a potentially versatile player who could use his skill, size and toughness to complement offensive players high in a lineup, too. 'Jack is the same regardless,' Bowler said. 'Whether Team Canada uses him how they see (fit), how the Windsor Spitfires (use him), this guy knows what his role his, (what) his job is on each and every shift. And he seems to be so consistent and thrive in that, and he doesn't get caught up in everything else. He just does what's expected.' Taken all together, it starts to feel easy to see how Nesbitt went from a 'B' prospect entering the season, to Central Scouting's 15th-ranked North American on their final ranking. Advertisement Now, it's all about where he goes from here. 'From what I can tell, he's already a great athlete, even with the growth spurt and trying to find his body,' Martin said. 'And he's such a good mover that once he starts being able to express what his body's trying to do, meaning he gains the strength and muscle mass and positions that he's learning, I think kind of sky's the limit for him. I think he could fit in a lot of different roles.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ottawa Senators 2024 Draft Sleepers: Luke Ellinas Signs Entry Level Deal; Blake Montgomery Ready For Memorial Cup
The Ottawa Senators may have struck gold in the fourth round of last summer's NHL Draft. With three picks in that round, the Senators uncovered a trio of prospects who already look like potential steals. Two of them took to the spotlight this week, including forward Luke Ellinas, who made news on Tuesday by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Senators. Recommended:Ottawa Senators Prospect Heads Home To Sign With Swedish TeamSenators Make More Front Office Changes, Adding NHL VeteranWill RFA Fabian Zetterlund Get Paid On His San Jose Numbers Or The Ones In Ottawa Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. Ellinas, 19, was selected 104th overall and has quickly emerged as an intriguing prospect from the 2024 draft class. He put together a breakout campaign with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this past season, registering 20 goals and 37 points in 50 regular-season games. His 20 goals ranked fifth on the team, and he appears to be one of those valuable players who can elevate in the playoffs, leading Kitchener in goals (8), assists (8), and points (16) over 14 games this spring. Through two OHL playoffs, he's averaged a point per game, with 24 points in as many appearances. He also scored one of the biggest goals in Rangers history: his OT goal in Game 7 capped Kitchener's comeback from an 0–3 deficit against Windsor. His natural hat trick also sparked the history-making comeback in Game 4, a 3–0 Ranger win. With that, the Rangers moved on to round three to face the London Knights, led by another 2024 Sens fourth-rounder, Blake Montgomery. The Knights made quick work of the Rangers, winning four straight. On Saturday night, Montgomery and the Knights will begin their pursuit of the 2025 Memorial Cup, facing QMJHL champion Moncton. Montgomery went 117th overall last summer, and at 6-foot-4 and 187 pounds, he has some filling out to do, but he transitioned nicely from the USHL to the OHL this season. He recorded 23 goals and 27 assists over 51 games and has become a key contributor for one of the league's top teams. When many of his top teammates were away at the World Juniors, that's when Montgomery really went off, posting 13 goals and 13 assists in 16 games. BMO Is Money: Ottawa Senators Forward Prospect Has 26 Points In Past 16 Games As a prospect, 6-foot-4 forward Blake Montgomery becomes more and more intriguing with each passing month. He just turned 20 and is set to play for the University of Wisconsin this fall, but hopes to lift the Memorial Cup first. Sandwiched between Ellinas and Montgomery, and taken by Ottawa at 112th overall, is power winger Javon Moore out of Minnetonka High School in Minnesota. Moore is already 6-foot-4, 202 pounds, and when he put up 53 points in 28 games in 2023-24, that was tough to ignore, even at the high school level. Moore, 19, had a solid 2024-25 USHL season with 17 goals and 39 points for the Sioux Falls Stampede. He had one goal in their four-game, best-of-five, second-round loss to Waterloo. Moore will continue his development this fall with the University of Minnesota. It's far too early to declare the 2024 draft a success, but based on early returns, Ottawa's fourth-round class has a chance to go down as one of the best value hauls in recent franchise history. Steve Warne The Hockey News-Ottawa Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more.
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Kitchener Rangers' Lucas Ellinas signs contract with Ottawa Senators
We chat with Luke Ellinas about playing with the Kitchener Rangers and being drafted to the Ottawa Senators. One of the star players for the Kitchener Rangers has signed a deal with a Canadian NHL team. In a social media post, the Ottawa Senators announced Lucas Ellinas has been signed to a three-year entry level contract. The Senators drafted the 19-year-old 104th overall in the fourth round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Lucas locked in 🔒 The #Sens have signed Lucas Ellinas to a three-year, entry-level contract! 📰: — Ottawa Senators (@Senators) May 20, 2025 Ellinas, originally from Etobicoke, was a stand out during the Rangers' post-season run, despite missing the first three games of the team's series with the Windsor Spitfires due to a suspension. He netted a hat trick in the vital Game 4 match-up, keeping the Rangers alive as they trailed 3 – 0 in the series. It was the momentum the team needed to pull themselves out of the hole. Ellinas also tucked away the Ranger's overtime goal in Game 7 to cement their comeback victory. However, the Rangers couldn't stand up to the London Knights and were swept out of the playoffs during the Western Conference finals. The 2024-2025 season was Ellinas' second with the Rangers.
