The AudPod: Kitchener Rangers Podcast

Andrew Merrigan and Justin Born
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Hockey
  • Updated Weekly

The AudPod is the unofficial home of Kitchener Rangers fandom. Hosted by an Oilers fan and a Flames fan who agree on exactly one thing: the Kitchener Rangers are the best team in hockey. We covered every step of the 2025-26 season from puck drop to the 2026 Memorial Cup, interviewed the players who made it happen, and lost our minds in the Aud right alongside you. Every week we break down Rangers games, react to OHL news, debate the CHL landscape, and talk to the players and personalities inside the organization. Whether you're a lifelong Rangers fan, a junior hockey obsessive, or someone who just discovered the OHL, you've found your podcast. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok | @theaudpodcast Watch us on YouTube | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com Email | hello@theaudpod.com

  1. 3d ago

    79: Patience Pays Off Interview with Jason Schaubel

    BUY OUR MERCH! Only Available Until Oct 5. Free Shipping in Canada!   Seven shutouts and a 0.86 goals-against average in U16, then two years of waiting behind Jackson Parsons and Christian Kirsch. Now Jason Schaubel finally sits down with the AudBalls, and he says he'd play all 68 if you let him. He ranks the Rangers goalies by intelligence (Parsons up top, everyone else "all the way down here"), explains the salt-spiked water bottle and the shirt changes every period, and tells the story of the "can we talk?" text from Jordan DeKort that had him thinking he'd been traded. Before that, the guys run through a three-game weekend: a 4-3 loss to Erie, a 4-3 overtime comeback in Erie for Mason Hriczov's first OHL win, and a 6-3 win over Kingston, plus the Luca Santala trade. Jason says he'd love a goalie fight, so who should he drop the gloves with?   Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com  Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Cold open: the last days to buy the merch2:30 The throwback jersey is back, and tiny letters around the league6:15 Luca Santala comes over from London13:02 Friday: a 4-3 loss to Erie at the Aud18:03 Saturday: a 4-3 OT comeback in Erie and Hriczov's first OHL win21:39 Sunday: 6-3 over Kingston in the new jerseys27:50 The AudBalls' 3 stars31:47 Looking ahead: Saginaw, Guelph and Flint33:12 Jason Schaubel joins: the crease is finally his41:01 Ranking the Rangers goalies by intelligence43:17 Blackhawks rookie camp, salt water and shirt changes46:52 Jordy DeKort to Nashville and the 'am I getting traded?' text50:16 All 68 games, and backing up Mason Hriczov52:29 Taking care of a goalie's body, and why he became a goalie at 854:23 New teammates, Santala's shot and road roommates57:33 Playing for Jussi, and leading a room with 11 rookies1:00:52 What the Kitchener fans mean to him1:03:09 Jason's take on the Leafs trade1:04:14 Goalie fights and the Owen Sound stick to the throat1:08:07 After the interview, and the thank yous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  2. Sep 25

    78: The Schaub-shank Redemption

    There's a story the AudBalls have never told before, and they finally do: how a rain-soaked 2:30am parking lot outside the Aud turned into center ice with the J. Ross Robertson Cup in their hands, the exact photo now on the pre-sale t-shirt. Opening night was a hard-luck 1-0 loss to Owen Sound and a Ryerson Leenders shutout, but Jason Schaubel stood on his head at the other end, and after two years of waiting his turn he's both hosts' first star of the weekend. The very next night the Rangers got revenge, winning 4-1 behind Ryder Roberson's first OHL goal and a two-goal Tanner Lam night. The guys also roast Owen Sound for handing the losing goalie the first star in game one, and clock Guelph getting outscored 11-1 and sliding in the power rankings already. Was the Schaubel spear to the throat a penalty, or just too fast to call?   Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com  Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Cold open: buy the merch, and a story that's never been told2:46 The J. Ross Robertson Cup at 2:30am8:31 Banner night: raising the Memorial Cup banner10:53 Opening night: a 1-0 loss to Owen Sound and Leenders' shutout14:47 The Schaubel throat spear and MacNiel's instigator16:17 Standouts from game 1: Ellis, Lam, Arquette, and Puglisi22:00 Revenge in Owen Sound: Roberson's first OHL goal and a 2-goal Lam night29:37 Ranting on Owen Sound's homer 3-star picks31:15 The AudBalls' 3 stars of the weekend38:30 Looking ahead: Erie, Kingston, and Guelph's freefall   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  3. Sep 18

    77: Season Preview with Jason Hagholm and Dan Polischuk

    Tonight the Rangers raise the J. Ross Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup championship banners and open the season at home against Owen Sound, so the AudBalls bring back Rogers TV voices Dan Polischuk and Jason Hagholm, the show's first-ever returning guests, for the full season preview. They relive the championship run out of Everett and Kelowna, note Sam O'Reilly's Memorial Cup MVP, and hear Jason pick Jack Pridham as his own tournament standout. From there it's Pridham's late playoff surge, Luca Romano's something-to-prove season, who wears the letters, new pickup Dmitri Toporowski arriving from the pro ranks, and breakout picks Haeden Ellis, Weston Cameron and Avry Anstis. Dan and Jason size up how new bench boss Jeff Kyrzakos fills Jussi Ahokas' huge shoes with his own spin, and a predictions round closes it out with one of the hottest takes Jason says he's heard in a while. As Jason puts it: don't get too high. See you at the Aud.   MERCH & Website | theaudpod.com  Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Cold open: new hats and Temu knockoff jokes 1:04 Welcoming back Dan Polischuk and Jason Hagholm 2:13 Reliving the Memorial Cup: Everett, Kelowna, and picking Pridham for MVP 6:50 Pridham catches fire, and Luca Romano's something-to-prove year 11:26 Breakout watch: Haeden Ellis, Weston Cameron, and Avry Anstis 13:44 Who wears the letters: Romano, Bilecki, Lam, and MacNiel 19:50 Dmitri Toporowski arrives from the pro ranks 22:02 New imports and the disrespectful power rankings 24:15 Alex Forrest, the Sutherland Cup winner still growing into his frame 27:30 The culture shift after winning it all, and the Oscar Hemming tinfoil hat 33:15 Jeff Kyrzakos fills huge shoes with his own spin 40:57 Jason Schaubel's time to be the guy 45:18 Predictions: goals, assists, penalty minutes, and the hottest hot take 1:01:23 Merch drop: the shop opens today, closes October 5 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  4. Sep 11

    76: Hlacar-izard Interview with Matthew Hlacar

    Cut by Ottawa, cut by Kitchener, cut by London, then signed as an undrafted walk-on and finishing as a Memorial Cup champion: Matthew Hlacar's story is the one the AudBalls have wanted to tell since he first dropped the gloves at the Aud. Now a Brantford Bulldog, he sits down to relive the 10-guys rule Ando preached, the deadline that made the room believe, the Sault Ste. Marie shootout winner that lives in AudPod lore, and the dad who begged him not to get suspended before the hotel was paid off. Plus Muay Thai at Darkside, favourite dance partner Ryder Boulton (now a teammate), the Arky mattress prank, and whether he is ready to walk into the visitors' room at the Aud. Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com  Email | hello@theaudpod.com Chapters 0:00 — Cold open: undrafted to Memorial Cup champion 0:49 — Thoughts with Matthew Mayich 2:05 — Brad Flynn, the 13th forward, and leaning into the physical game 4:28 — Cut by Ottawa, Kitchener and London, then signed 5:42 — We got 10 guys: Ando’s rule and the toughest room in the league 7:00 — The deadline, Woolley, and we didn’t load up for nothing 8:03 — A Brantford Bulldog now, a Hamilton kid close to home 9:02 — Tossed from the game, then sitting in the stands with dad 10:29 — Silky hands: the Sault Ste. Marie shootout winner 12:19 — Tom Wilson, Lucic, and staying engaged as a healthy scratch 15:30 — Brandon Merli’s skates, Brantford’s assault bike, and Muay Thai at Darkside 19:00 — Favourite dance partner Boulton, and the new fight rules 21:12 — Saying goodbye to the group, and the jersey wall 22:45 — Joining Brantford: it’s the best of the best 24:11 — Roommates, Avry Anstis, and the Arky mattress story 27:40 — Woolley, the London Knights, and celebrating the Cup 32:03 — Sign-off: walking into the visitors’ room at the Aud Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Sep 4

    75: Soup’s On Interview with Carson Campbell

    He walks through the trade that pulled him out of Sarnia as a 17-year-old, the billet family that became a second home, and the secret foodie TikTok nobody was supposed to find. He also breaks down the overtime poke check that saved the Robertson Cup run, the Flint celebration that got him tossed, and why he’s in no rush to trade 97 games of OHL hockey for a partial NCAA schedule, even with Bowling Green waiting. Bittersweet doesn’t begin to cover it: the guy who anchored the Rangers blue line for three years is off to college, and this one’s a goodbye as much as a victory lap.   Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com  Email | hello@theaudpod.com   Chapters 0:01 — Cold open: welcoming Soupy to the show 1:44 — A whirlwind season, and goodbye to the D-core 3:43 — Traded from Sarnia: the call, and day one at the Aud 7:25 — The secret foodie TikTok and Kitchener’s best eats 9:19 — Billet family life, and the Ellinas connection 11:01 — The Bowling Green decision and no rush to leave the OHL 15:22 — The Flint celebration and getting tossed 17:30 — Battling an injury from the press box 18:55 — Building the championship D-core: Wolfe, Ellinas, and the steals 21:34 — Standing up for the boys, and the Memorial Cup fight 26:07 — The overtime poke check that won the Robertson Cup 30:37 — Cameron Reid, career highs, and saying goodbye  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  6. Aug 21

    UNDER REVIEW: Interview with Matthew Andonovski

    Under Review rolls on with the one that started it all. Before Ando was a Memorial Cup champion and the OHL's 2026 Teammate of the Year, he was the very first guest ever to sit down with the AudBalls. Justin opens with a look at where the Andalorian has landed since, then the full June 2025 conversation re-airs: the werewolf answer that should have sunk his Ottawa draft interview, the fight he arranged in warm-ups that made the Aud the loudest he's ever heard it, and the view from inside the room during the Windsor reverse sweep. What a lovely human being. Enjoy.   Originally aired June 20, 2025 as "Can We Call You Ando?"   Follow us on Instagram & TikTok | @theaudpodcast Watch us on YouTube | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Under Review: Justin on Ando, one year later 01:31 June 2025 re-air: our very first guest 02:32 Can we call you Ando? 03:16 Framed: the worst music taste on the team 04:39 Parry Sound, Bobby Orr, and why he wears 5 05:57 An OHLer's offseason and signing with Ottawa 08:45 The werewolf draft interview 12:14 Not a Leafs fan anymore, family and billet life 15:43 Funniest guys in the room and bus karaoke 18:24 The playoff run: the Flint fight and the Windsor reverse sweep 23:46 Leading the young guys as captain 26:47 The OT winner and joining Ellinas in Ottawa 28:34 Wrapping up: an honour for the inaugural guest Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  7. Aug 14

    73: The Flynn-terview Interview with Brad Flynn

    Brad Flynn once put up 253 penalty minutes in 37 games, and now he's the newly promoted associate coach of your Memorial Cup champion Kitchener Rangers. The AudBalls sit down with the Brad Boy himself to talk growing up in Nova Scotia playing against a chubby-cheeked Sidney Crosby, the coaching road from Swan River to Red Deer to Kitchener, and the SummerSlam '91 promo that got him tossed in Peterborough. He gets emotional about the black aces who were the fabric of the championship run, and he puts Rangers Nation right next to Green Bay and Liverpool. Get into it.   Follow us on Instagram & TikTok | @theaudpodcast Watch us on YouTube | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Cold open: Brad reads his own intro 0:26 Growing up Flynn: a Hall of Fame dad and New Glasgow roots 6:20 Playing with Sidney Crosby (and why Nova Scotia makes stars) 10:23 The case for university hockey, and the NCAA debate 18:02 Oscar Hemming and the Hell's Bells draft walkout 19:13 The coaching road: Swan River to Red Deer to Kitchener 24:37 The ejections: standing up for his guys 28:41 253 penalty minutes: the enforcer years 33:52 The defence corps, the black aces and the secret sauce 40:45 New season, new bench: associate coach Flynn 42:58 Old-school wrestling, rapid fire and gratitude 48:23 Post-show: Brad Boys 3, Hockey Podcast Network news and thank-yous Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  8. Jul 31

    72: How Much Do You Bench-Boss? Interview with Head Coach Jeff Kyrzakos

    On this episode of The AudPod, we sit down with Head Coach Jeff Kyrzakos for an in-depth conversation on everything happening behind the bench and inside the locker room! We dive into:  The Memorial Cup Run: Looking back at last season's high-stakes journey.  Stepping Into the Role: What the transition to head coaching duties has really been like.  Game-Day Quirks: Jeff breaks down his personal superstitions and routines.  Managing the Room: What it’s actually like spending most of the year around twenty 16-to-20-year-olds.  Looking Ahead: Expectations, goals, and mindset for the upcoming season. If you enjoy the episode, make sure to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more Kitchener Rangers coverage every week!   Follow us on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast Watch us on⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com Email | hello@theaudpod.com   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Welcome Jeff Kyrzakos 00:53 Mudbugs Championship Stories 02:01 Joining Kitchener Rangers 03:44 Memorial Cup Bid Pivot 04:42 New Season Game Plan 06:54 Handling Expectations 09:22 Barrie Series Grit 11:55 Building Team Leadership 14:51 Trade Additions Chemistry 19:07 Coaching Style After Jussi 23:47 Accidental Player Coach 26:21 Preparing Kids For Pro 29:10 Life Skills Reality Check 30:45 Gen Z Slang Talk 31:56 Unplugging From Hockey 32:38 No Offseason Schedule 34:07 Dirty Dangles Debate 35:14 Morning Skate Traditions 36:28 Playoff Superstitions 38:52 Pizza And Media Snacks 40:00 Six Point Game Grudge 43:14 Post Interview Debrief 44:28 Jussi Moves On 46:02 Pod Shoutouts And Updates 46:53 New Baby Girl Congrats 48:09 Signing Off Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

See All (101)

About

The AudPod is the unofficial home of Kitchener Rangers fandom. Hosted by an Oilers fan and a Flames fan who agree on exactly one thing: the Kitchener Rangers are the best team in hockey. We covered every step of the 2025-26 season from puck drop to the 2026 Memorial Cup, interviewed the players who made it happen, and lost our minds in the Aud right alongside you. Every week we break down Rangers games, react to OHL news, debate the CHL landscape, and talk to the players and personalities inside the organization. Whether you're a lifelong Rangers fan, a junior hockey obsessive, or someone who just discovered the OHL, you've found your podcast. Follow us on Instagram & TikTok | @theaudpodcast Watch us on YouTube | @theaudpodcast-kitchenerrangers Website | theaudpod.com Email | hello@theaudpod.com

Information

You Might Also Like