Rangers one win away from clinching OHL championship title

The Kitchener Rangers and Barrie Colts in Game 3 of the OHL championship on May 10, 2026. (Source: Kitchener Rangers)

The Kitchener Rangers need one more win to claim their first OHL championship in 18 years.

On Sunday, the team hit the ice in Barrie for Game 3 of the series.

Sam O’Reilly got the first goal of the game for Kitchener, while the Colts remained scoreless through the first and second periods.

The action really picked up in the third.

The Colts tied it up early in the third, which Kitchener answered 46 seconds later with a goal of their own from Carson Campbell.

The Rangers then regained the lead, but only for 36 seconds until Barrie tied it up again.

All three goals happened within a span of 1:22.

“We don’t give up,” Coach Jussi Ahokas said of Kitchener’s resilience. “We don’t let things bother us. We just keep going.”

Dylan Edwards got the message and scored his first goal of the game for the Rangers.

Then, with just 12 seconds left on the clock, Kashawn Aitcheson came through for Barrie and forced the game into overtime and then double overtime.

“Obviously, in the moment, it’s a little frustrating,” Edwards said after the game. “You’re so many seconds away from sealing the win, but after that happens you can’t take it back. So, we were focused on the next shift. Coming into OT, we continue to work. You just got to have a short memory in hockey. Obviously, things are going to happen. Mistakes happen.”

Ahokas described the mindset of the Rangers heading into the fifth frame.

“You stay simple. You continue to every shift,” he said. “The fatigue, obviously, hits later in the game. But that’s when you simplify your game and continue to do the things the right way.”

There were also snacks on hand to keep the energy up, including berries, honey and pickles.

“We had a pizza there for the second overtime if somebody needed the slice,” Ahokas said. “Just to get quick energy.”

Edwards was the one who got the game winner.

“It was unbelievable. Smiles everywhere,” he said of the team’s reaction. “We never had a doubt in there. We came ready to work every period.”

“The guys showed it, they wanted the win,” Ahokas added. “I thought in overtime we played really well.”

The Rangers also felt the support from fans who made the trip to Barrie.

“At one point in the game I was hearing ‘Let’s go Rangers’ chants,” Edwards said. “They did a great job tonight. Just to have people there that are cheering for you… it’s unbelievable. They’re amazing people, and everyone in Kitchener I love. The fans are amazing.”

Ahokas was impressed with the performance from the Colts.

“They’re a good team. They work hard. They defend hard. I’ve been saying it the whole time.”

Kitchener now leads the championship series 3-0, so Tuesday night will be do-or-die for Barrie.

If the Rangers get a win in Game 4, they will clinch the OHL Championship series and the J. Ross Robertson Trophy for the first time since 2008.

The puck drops at the Sadlon Arena at 7 p.m.