Kitchener Rangers - what's up with them?

[AlphaDog]

Can anyone explain why the Kitchener Rangers completely copied everything from the New York Rangers?

Are they owned by the same owners as the Rangers?

i've always wondered about that and figured this place would be a good place to ask. Every team is original with an original name and original jersey. Kitch. copied the NYR colours, copied the NYR logo, copied the NYR name. How come?

[ItsGameTime]

Straight off the Kitchener Rangers website....

It seems that the team originated in Guelph and was a farm team to the NY Rangers. Then were asked to move to Kitchener, pretty interesting story

The year was 1963 and while junior hockey was alive in Guelph as a "farm" team for the NHL's New York Rangers, and the team's existence was in jeopardy due to financial difficulty. A local business entrepreneur, Eugene George, was approached by the NY Rangers about moving the team to Kitchener in hopes of building a more stable junior environment.
http://www.kitchenerrangers.com/Images/Misc/Win.jpg
George, along with fellow friends, spearheaded an aggressive community attack that saw the team meet its expectations and ice a junior team in Kitchener. The first five years saw the team roll along with a take-charge leader in George until the NHL collectively agreed to drop its "sponsorship style" of junior teams in 1967. The New York Rangers then offered the team to Mr. George for $1, a token receipt to assume the financial and overall responsibility of the team from then on.The modest George, realizing the community importance of the Kitchener Rangers, instead turned the team over to the community; in essence, to its season ticket subscribers.
And so, the Rangers had landed as a community owned team. George and fellow colleagues strategically set up a volunteer Directorship, including a 40-person Board of Directors to which 9 Executive Committe positions were elected for key duties including Finances, Ticket and Sponsorship Sales , Policies, and a Hockey Committee among others.
This structure remained unchanged until 1996 when the organziation created full time sales and marketing positions and removed Ticket sales and Sponsorship Sales responsibilities from its volunteer Directors. As the organization looked to its future and the changing landscape in sports, it made a further strategic change in 2002 with the appointment of a full time Chief Operating Officer and Governor who became responsible for the overall operation of the teams operations and represented the Rangers on the Ontario Hockey League Board of Directors.
These changes have allowed the volunteer Directors to focus their attention on long term planning and governace of what has become one of the most valuable franchises in the Canadian Hockey League.
Today, the Rangers continue to enjoy great success at the turnstiles as an OHL attendance leader. The team has set record attendance for 11 consecutive years, and averaged in excess of 100% capacity crowds for 175 consective games covering over 5 seasons.
Throughout the years, the Rangers have had a variety of different uniform looks. When the Rangers first appeared in Kitchener, their sweater design mimicked the New York Rangers, with the Ranger letters set diagonally across the sweater.
This continued as the sweater design until 1990 when the Rangers decided to incorporate a character into their uniform to boost their marketing efforts toward a family atmosphere and 'break away' from the classic New York Rangers design. The initial design had soon to be mascot Tex riding on a horse. That original design was modified on two different occasions after its initial introduction in 1990 only to be modified again in 1995 when the Rangers re-designed the logo and removed the horse from the crest. The Rangers with the addition of mascot Tex, became among the first OHL teams to have a mascot. The Rangers did however have its first mascot 'Lone Ranger' for a brief period in the '70's.
Recognizing the "Tradition" that the team had establihsed since its birth in 1963, the Rangers returned to their classic style sweaters during the 2000-2001 season. For the first time in over 10 years, the Rangers dawned the classic sweaters; very fitting as the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
The entire Rangers organziation understands its responsibilities to our community and its founder, Eugene George as we continue our quest for success and continuing Eugene George's dream of junior hockey in Kitchener. Kitchener Rangers hockey; a team for its community just the way Eugene George envisioned it.


Its amazing what a group of volunteers can do...

[TheQuietOne]

From Wikipedia (the most compact source to find the information, and I know it is verifiable)

By 1967, direct NHL sponsorship of teams and individual players had ended. Prior to this time, all of the Original Six (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Six) NHL teams had involvement in OHA teams:
Boston Bruins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Bruins) - Barrie Flyers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrie_Flyers) (1945-1960); Niagara Falls Flyers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls_Flyers) (1960-1967); Oshawa Generals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshawa_Generals) (1962-67)
Chicago Black Hawks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Black_Hawks) - Galt Black Hawks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galt_Black_Hawks) (1949-1955); St. Catharines Black Hawks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Catharines_Black_Hawks) (1962-1967)
Detroit Red Wings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Red_Wings) - Galt Red Wings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galt_Red_Wings) (1944-47); Oshawa Generals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshawa_Generals) (1950-1953); Hamilton Red Wings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Red_Wings) (1960-1967)
New York Rangers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Rangers) - Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Biltmore_Mad_Hatters) (1947-1960); Guelph Royals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guelph_Royals_%28hockey%29) (1960-1963); Kitchener Rangers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchener_Rangers) (1963-1967)
Montreal Canadiens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Canadiens) - Peterborough Petes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_Petes) (1956-1967); Montreal Junior Canadiens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Junior_Canadiens) (1961-1967)
Toronto Maple Leafs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Maple_Leafs) - Toronto Marlboros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Marlboros) (1927-1967); Toronto St. Michael's Majors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_St._Michael%27s_Majors) (19??-1961); London Nationals (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Nationals) (1965-1967)

The other teams with the same nicknames (Blackhawks, Red Wings and Canadians), as well as the established Leafs team (Marlies) have all folded or changed names. Only the Rangers and Generals (Boston) remain under the same name as they existed then.

History of the Original 6 Farm teams as existed in 1967:
- The Barrie/Niagara Falls Flyers (who along with the Generals were a Boston farm team) are now the Sudbury Wolves. The Oshawa Generals farm club remains to this day.
- The St. Catharines Blackhawks (Chicago farm team) were moved to Niagara Falls to become the second incarnation of the Flyers, then to North Bay to become the Centennials, and now exist as the Saginaw Spirit
- The Hamilton Red Wings (Detroit) were renamed as the Hamilton Fincups, then moved to become the St. Catharines Fincups, and back to Hamilton as the Fincups again. They then moved to become the Brantford Alexanders, and then back as the Hamilton Steelhawks, over to the Niagara Falls Thunder, and currently exist as the Erie Otters
- The Kitchener Rangers (Rangers) still exist today
- The Peterborough Petes (Canadiens) still exist. The Montreal Junior Canadiens became the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (in the QMJHL) and the Kingston Canadiens (in the OHL), which became the Kingston Raiders, and now the Kingston Frontenacs
- The Toronto Marlboros (Leafs) became the Dukes of Hamilton, and are now known as the Guelph Storm. The London Nationals were renamed as the London Knights.

And this completes the brief history lesson of the OHA/OMJHL/OHL, with the exception of: Brantford Lions, Galt Canadiens, Galt Red Wings, Galt Rockets, Guelph Indians, Hamilton Lloyds, Hamilton Majors, Hamilton Szabos, Hamilton Tiger Cubs, Hamilton Whizzers, Kitchener Canucks, Kitchener Greenshirts, Cornwall Royals, Detroit Compuware Ambassadors, Detroit Junior Red Wings, Detroit Whalers, Guelph Platers, Mississauga IceDogs, Newmarket Royals, Owen Sound Platers, and the Toronto St. Michaels Majors.

(whew)

[TheQuietOne]

I decided to take a study break and chronologize a team history of the OHA/OMJHL/OHL from its known history beginning in 1937, and any information known before that. It's available in written form, but charts are always a little bit easier to read and understand. Hope this is informative for some people.

You can download the file (Excel spreadsheet format) from http://www.mediafire.com/?1inse3z25l1 (A file hosting website. It's not a virus that's going to eat or destroy your computer. I promise).

[GoDogsGo]

awsome.. thanks for that.

[Schtick]

Thanks for posting all the info guys!

I am always interested in History of everything!!
:D

[ItsGameTime]

Thanks for posting all the info guys!

I am always interested in History of everything!!
:D
In that case....

It was a cold January night when I was brought into the world....


hahhaha

Just kidding!

[GoDogsGo]

In that case....

It was a cold January night when I was brought into the world....


hahhaha

Just kidding!
this could be a thread on its own.... each person puts in a sentence and it continues from there... quickly getting out of hand.:D

...then the door bell rang and it was...