Rangers drop Colts in OHL Championship Series opener

Kitchener Ranger Andrew MacNiel celebrated after netting the game winning goal in Game 1 of the OHL Championship in Kitchener, Ont. on May 6, 2026. (Courtesy: TSN)

The Rangers defeated the Barrie Colts 5-2 in Game 1 of the OHL Championship Wednesday in Kitchener, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

1st Period

The Rangers opened the scoring halfway through the first. Andrew MacNiel’s shot from the point with plenty of traffic in front of Barrie’s net beat Ben Hrebik, Colts goaltender, to put Kitchener up 1-0.

2nd Period

The Colts answered minutes into the second with Ben Wilmott scoring his 10th of the playoffs. Mason Zebeski’s shot went off a Rangers defender and found its way to Wilmott, who rifled it by Christian Kirsch, Rangers goaltender.

The Rangers regained the lead halfway through the frame. After Dylan Edwards won a puck battle behind the Barrie net, Luca Romano was stopped by Hrebik, but Edwards potted the rebound past a sliding Hrebik for his 12th of the playoffs to make it 2-1 Kitchener.

Minutes later, it was Wilmott again for the Colts.

Immediately after Zebeski won an offensive zone faceoff, Kashawn Aitcheson, fed Wilmott for a one-timer, who slapped it by Kirsch for his second of the night, tying things at 2-2.

3rd period

The Rangers regained control early in the third thanks to MacNiel’s second of the night.

The Kitchener defenceman intercepted a Colts clearing attempt by William Schneid and bounced another point shot past Hrebik.

Minutes later Matthew Andonovski, Rangers defenceman, threw a puck toward the Barrie net and Cameron Arquette beat Hrebik after a scramble to make it 4-2 Kitchener.

Sam O’Reilly added an empty-netter for Kitchener with his league-leading 15th of the playoffs.

Game 2 of the Championship Series is set for 7 p.m. Friday evening in Kitchener.

Follow your Barrie Colts on CTV News as we provide extended coverage in our special series, “The road to the Memorial Cup,” brought to you by the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner Charity Hockey Game.

Salandra stretchered off

With less than a minute left in the second, Cameron Reid, Rangers defenceman and captain, ran into Joe Salandra, Colts forward.

Salandra lay on the ice for several minutes as his Colts teammates knelt around him at centre ice. Salandra was eventually stretchered off.

The official details of his injury and updates on his condition are not yet known.