Former Kitchener Rangers reflect on 2003 Memorial Cup victory as team prepares for Kelowna

Fresh off their OHL Championship win, the Kitchener Rangers are already preparing for their next test: the Memorial Cup. CTV’s Krista Simpson reports.

The Kitchener Rangers and their fans are celebrating a huge win at the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship.

For the first time since 2008, the team hoisted the J. Ross Robertson Cup after completing a sweep of the Barrie Colts on Tuesday evening.

Peter DeBoer, who was the Kitchener Rangers’ head coach from 2001 until 2008, said he can’t believe it’s been 18 years since the last OHL championship win.

“The championship seems like yesterday,” he said during an interview with CTV News on Wednesday. “I know how passionate that city is about their hockey and the Kitchener Rangers, so I couldn’t be happier for that group of coaches and players and particularly those fans.”

As a testament to the dedication of those fans, several people waited out in the rain Tuesday night and into the early morning hours of Wednesday to welcome the Kitchener Rangers home.

The next challenge

The team and its coaching staff have little time to bask in the glory of their big win; another challenge is looming at the end of May.

The Memorial Cup will be held in Kelowna, B.C. from May 22 until May 31.

Winning the OHL Championship means the Rangers will represent the league at the Memorial Cup in Kelowna B.C.

The Memorial Cup features the best teams from across the Canadian Hockey League, which includes the Western Hockey League (WHL), OHL and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The host city’s team is also automatically given a slot at the four-team round-robin tournament.

The Kitchener Rangers haven’t won the Memorial Cup since 2003 when they defeated the QMJHL’s Hull Olympiques in Quebec City.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize how difficult [winning the Memorial Cup] is,” T.J. Eason, a member of the Memorial Cup winning 2003 Kitchener Rangers’ team, said. “It’s difficult for a number of reasons. One being how many teams there are in Ontario and how many teams there are in Canada, but also how difficult it is because you only have a small window with certain players to try to win. To do that is tricky. Everything’s got to align and everything’s got to come together.”

Chad McCaffrey was also part of the Memorial Cup winning team in 2003. He said he sees a lot of similarities between his team and the current day Rangers.

He congratulated the team on their OHL win, but said the Memorial Cup is a very different beast.

“It’s a very tough thing to win. You have to win, get through the OHL, which they did last night, which is beautiful,” McCaffrey said. “But getting through the Memorial Cup is its own thing. You got to get through a round-robin. You only have one game round-robin each team and you’ve got to try to get it done. It’s not a seven-game series.”

Making memories

As the former Rangers reflected on their time, one thing was very obvious – the community bonds and the relationships they forged lasted long after the final whistle blew.

“I remember coming to the rink in May and it being warm outside and going to places like Fairview Park Mall, or just driving around the city, and seeing Rangers signs everywhere,” Eason recalled. “It was at that moment that I kind of really realized how much this team meant to the city and now, later on, watching it happen again and getting to experience it at a different stage in my life it pretty cool.”

“A boy growing up in Kitchener, as a hometown player, it was probably the most special moment in sports in my life,” McCaffrey said. “Living about five minutes away from the arena off Ottawa Street and growing up loving the Rangers – to win that year, it was an extremely special experience ad something I’ll never forget.”

McCaffrey can still be found hanging out at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, sharing his love of hockey, and the Kitchener Rangers, with his three sons.

“They love it. It’s a dream come true for me to be in that situation, to see them enjoy the game like I did at that age and aspire to play there.”

DeBoer, who is now the head coach for the NHL’s New York Islanders, said he also sees the lasting impact junior hockey has had on many of his players.

“They’re memories that will last a lifetime and friendships that will last a lifetime. Those bonds you make when you win at that age – you talk to the NHL players that I coach now, that have been in the NHL now for 18 years, a lot of their best friends are the guys they played junior hockey with and won championships with in those teenage development years,” DeBoer said.

“Enjoy it. Take advantage of it.”

As the team prepares to head to Kelowna, the former players had high hopes for the Rangers.

“It goes by really quick. So just enjoy it and make the most out of it,” Eason said.

“I just wish them nothing but the best. Love the team, love the organization and I hope they can get it done,” McCaffrey said.

DeBoer was added to the Kitchener Rangers’ Level of Legacy earlier this year. During that ceremony, he got the chance to speak with the team.

“My message to them was exactly what it would be today – these opportunities are very few and far between and they’re life changing. Enjoy it. Take advantage of it. Don’t take it for granted. It’s such a privilege to still be playing hockey at this time of year and representing the great City of Kitchener on a national stage.”