570News - Gary Doyle

It’s never easy. The Kitchener Rangers, who already have a berth in the Memorial Cup in May, are determined to enter the tournament through the front door. That means a lot of hockey, a lot of focus, a lot of talent, and a lot of luck. It also means a lot of fans. The great thing about my 22 years in Kitchener is the time I get to spend at the best rink in the OHL. I know, that’s cliche, but having been in the other 19 rinks, I stand by the statement. Case in point. Saturday night in Plymouth, Michigan fewer than two thousand fans showed up to watch the defending OHL Champs post season home opener against the Rangers, arguably the team they love to hate the most. (see profiles of DeBoer, Spott and Smith). I’ve already heard the arguments. The Red Wings, The University play-offs, Easter Weekend…yadda yadda yadda! It’s a great product that continues to be mostly ingnored in Metro Detroit. A tip of the hat to the Ranger fans who showed up in gear and tooted their horns. Some even wore their cardboard Butch Goring buckets to the game. Gotta love the fans.