Filip Mesar has been on fire since the Montreal Canadiens brought him back to the Kitchener Rangers in Ontario.

The young forward was leading the OHL in average points per game heading into Saturday night’s games; He now ranks second behind teammate Carson Rehkopf among players who have played at least five games.

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Before the games on Saturday evening

Mesar, who struggled to maintain a point-per-game average last season, has had a spectacular showing in North America.

The Slovakian and good friend of Juraj Slafkovsky has 18 points, including five goals, in 10 games and a difference of +11.

Over the summer, Mesar accepted the challenge of playing in the American League from 2023 to 2024. He started the season with the Laval Rocket, but was often removed from Jean-François Houle’s team and due to a lack of physical maturity, he eventually returned to Kitchener after picking up one assist in two games.

Under the guidance of a European head coach in Kitchener, Finland’s Jussi Ahokas, Mesar appears to have found his bearings.

The right winger was the second selection the Canadiens made in the first round at the 2022 draft in Montreal. After calling for Slafkovsky at the top, the staff turned to Mesar at 26, while some fans would have preferred Jiri Kulich as the lucky one.

Kulich, who was selected two ranks later by the Buffalo Sabers, also performed excellently in the American Hockey League (AHL), recording 14 points (including 10 goals) in as many games.

Back to Mesar: The CH prospect finds himself in a good environment to gain self-confidence and express his offensive skills.

The Rangers are in first place in the OHL with a record of 16-5. With 106 goals scored so far, they also have the best attack.

The top three in the OHL scoring rankings are also occupied by three Rangers players: Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz and Matthew Sop. If Mesar had arrived earlier and played more games, he probably would have been in the top five.