Kitchener Rangers announce hockey operations staffing changes

By Liam Tremblay — 7 August 2026 — 3 min read

Kitchener, Ontario – The Kitchener Rangers have announced several updates to their hockey operations department as they prepare for the 2026-27 season. These changes include new roles for familiar individuals within the organization.

Michael Zsolt has been appointed as the new Associate General Manager. He initially joined the Rangers in 2017 as the Director of Analytics. Over the past five seasons, Zsolt served as the Assistant General Manager. His responsibilities will continue to encompass various aspects of hockey operations, such as scouting, team management, player recruiting, and player development. He will also maintain his oversight of the team’s analytics program, which is integrated into all areas of hockey operations. Zsolt has supported the development of other members of the Rangers‘ analytics team, with some moving on to professional sports opportunities in the NHL, MLB, and NBA.

Before his tenure with the Rangers, Zsolt worked as an analytics consultant for the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds during the 2016-2017 season. He also completed project work for an NHL team and has over a decade of professional experience, including roles in private equity investing and business strategy consulting after graduating from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

Brad Flynn has been promoted from Assistant Coach to Associate Coach. This position was previously held by the team’s current Head Coach, Jeff Kyrzakos. Flynn will continue to manage the defensive core and oversee penalty-killing duties. Under Flynn‘s guidance, the Kitchener Rangers have consistently ranked among the top teams in the OHL for penalty kill percentage, never finishing below fourth place and always maintaining a clip above 80%. During the 2025-26 season, the team finished second in the OHL with an 81.1% penalty kill percentage and led the Canadian Hockey League with 19 shorthanded goals.

Flynn, who is 41, brings extensive coaching experience to his new role, having coached in all three leagues within the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Before joining Kitchener, he was an Associate Coach with the Saginaw Spirit in 2021-22. He also spent three seasons as an Assistant Coach with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2018-21 and one season as an Assistant Coach with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2015-16.

Flynn has been instrumental in player development, having worked with over 20 current National Hockey League (NHL) players. This includes two first-round draft picks: Alexander Alexeyev, selected 31st overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2018 draft, and Pavel Mintyukov, chosen 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2022 draft.

Brandon Merli will take on additional responsibilities for the upcoming season with a new title: Director of Sports Science and Player Development. This marks his 25th season with the Kitchener Rangers, having spent four seasons as a player and 21 seasons in the front office. In his expanded role, Merli will oversee all aspects of fitness, including strength training, conditioning training, and nutrition. He will also lead additional on-ice training sessions for players throughout the season. Merli has experience working with a diverse range of clients, from fitness beginners to professional athletes.

These organizational adjustments follow recent coaching staff additions. Nick Spaling was named Assistant Coach, and Jake Paterson joined as Goalie and Video Coach. Both will serve under Head Coach Jeff Kyrzakos for the 2026-27 season. The Kitchener Rangers are preparing for the 2026-27 season after their OHL Championship and Memorial Cup victories last season.

Source: kitchener.citynews.ca