What a season it was for Kitchener Minor Hockey’s U10 tier 2 BB team!
The Kitchener Jr Rangers U10BB Blue finished the 2025-26 season bringing home medals as Alliance Championship runners-up — falling 4:55 into 3-on-3 overtime of the finals to the Burlington Bulldogs U10BB tier 1 Red team.
The boys never gave up.
The Jr. Rangers Blue battled back from a 3-2 deficit by tying the game late in the third period, forcing overtime - one shot away from winning it all.
The road to the championship final was straight out of a storybook.
The team started the pre-season as Kitchener Minor Hockey’s tier 2 entry in the U10BB/B division of the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario. Through hard work, and a commitment to player and team development, they steadily climbed the ranks of the division throughout the season.
The journey required intense commitment from tryouts until the championship final game – an average of three hours of practice per week, off-ice professionally led track and field training, weekly power skating and goalie training, participation in five tournaments, exhibition games against U10A teams, team meetings to review video clips of their games, homework assignments, and studying the team’s play book, systems, and values.
The hard work paid off.
The Jr. Rangers Blue completed the first half of the season qualifying for the BB division after finishing in sixth place out of 15 teams with a record of 7-4-3.
And they kept climbing.
After a 3-4-1 start to the second half as one of eight teams in the BB division, the Jr. Rangers Blue lost only once in their remaining six games – finishing third, just two points behind the Waterloo Wolves and Burlington Bulldogs Red for top spot in the standings.
With an 8-5-1 record in the second half, the team was the only BB team across all age groups of the Alliance this season to record more wins in the second half of the season than the first. The strong finish saw the Jr. Rangers Blue qualify for the Alliance Championship Tournament in Brantford.
The boys started the championship tournament by beating Waterloo 4-2 in their opening game before battling through a demanding round robin. A 2-1 win over the Brantford 99ers and a 2-2 against Burlington Red earned the Jr. Rangers Blue a berth into the semi-finals against the Kitchener Jr. Rangers U10BB tier 1 Red team.
Here the boys delivered their finest performance of the season defeating Kitchener Red 4-1.
By advancing to the championship final, the Jr. Rangers Blue became the only tier 2 entry in a BB division, across all ages in the Alliance this season, to make it to the championship final.
In the final game, the boys showed everything they had built over the course of the season — competing hard to battle back, ending regulation 5-on-5 play tied 3-3.
Burlington’s tier 1 Red team needed 3-on-3 overtime to claim the championship in a thrilling finish.
To every player and parent who was part of this incredible journey - thank you!
And a special thank you to our remarkable staff including coaches Michael, Chris, Bill, and Ody, team trainer Joe, team manager Jake, treasurer Jenny, events coordinator Amy, fundraising coordinator Belinda, and our skills instructors Dan, Gary, Brad, Crystal and Kenen!
This team of kids gave everything they had every time they stepped on the ice, far exceeding expectations, and going the distance. It took 3-on-3 overtime to end their season — and even then, they were just one shot away.
We are proud of every single one of them.
Jim Karahalios, Head Coach
Kitchener Jr. Rangers U10BB (2016) Blue, 2025-2026 season
Visit: https://kitchenerminorhockey.com/Teams/10942/Articles/82795/A_team_on_the_rise_going_the_distance_one_shot_away%E2%80%A6_/
