Junior hockey teams gear up for 2026 OHL playoffs

The Kitchener Rangers, Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs are gearing up for the first round of the OHL playoffs. CTV's Alexandra Holyk has more.

Excitement is building ahead of the 2026 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoffs, which get underway later this week.

The Kitchener Rangers, Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs have all made the cut.

Mike McKenzie, the general manager for the Rangers, is leaving it all on the ice as his team gears up to face the Saginaw Spirit on Friday.

“Every game, every goal, every period’s that much more important,” he said of the team’s post-season run. “It doesn’t really matter what you’ve done in the regular season. It’s a new focus and a new season for everyone, and really a clean slate for the whole team.”

The Rangers ended the 2025-26 regular season with 101 points, taking the top spot in the Western Conference. They will host Saginaw for Games 1 and 2 in the first round of the tournament.

“All of a sudden it’s a different path to the championship,” Justin Born told CTV News.

He and Andrew Merrigan host The AudPod, a podcast dedicated to the highs and lows of the Blueshirts. They have also analyzed the team’s prospects heading into the OHL playoffs.

“They are the top seed in the west,” Merrigan said. “If there is an upset in the first round, perhaps Guelph pulls off an upset, that’s who the Rangers will get.”

• MORE: Playoff schedule for the Kitchener Rangers, Guelph Storm and Brantford Bulldogs
• BEYOND THE BENCH: One-on-one with the Kitchener Rangers

The Storm ranked sixth in the west, making their long-awaited return to the playoffs after watching from the sidelines last year. The team will take on the Spitfires in Windsor, with Game 1 set for Thursday.

“I’m rooting for Guelph to beat Windsor,” Merrigan admitted. “But I think anything less than a Kitchener-Brantford final, we lose out as OHL fans. I think that has to be the final.”

The Bulldogs, who were first in the Eastern Conference, will face off against the Sudbury Wolves in round one.

“I know the fans will be ready, and I know the players are ready,” Matt Allman, chair of the Brantford Bulldogs Booster Club, said. “They’ve been waiting all season for this shot at the playoffs.”

As all 16 OHL teams prepare for the playoffs, the stakes are high — but fans are rallying behind their favourites.

“Game One. Holy cow, the energy is buzzing. It’s loud, there’s fireworks,” said Born.

“Friday is going to be a very, very good evening,” added Allman.

Tickets to the first round of the OHL playoffs can be purchased online.