Spencer Bowes didn’t need much time to remind people why the Rangers spent a fourth-round pick on him.
The 2026 New York Rangers draft choice came out flying Sunday in the Ottawa 67’s preseason opener, scoring twice and setting up another in a 6-2 win over Kingston. It was August hockey, sure, but Bowes looked like a player who never really left his late-season groove.
The 18-year-old forward, who turns 19 in mid-September, has a habit of finishing strong. He tied for second on Ottawa with four goals in the OHL playoffs this past spring and finished third with eight points in nine postseason games.
He carried that into the final stretch of the regular season, too, piling up six goals and seven points over the last seven games. By the end of 2025-26, he had 23 goals and 42 points in 67 games.
For the Rangers, Bowes was the sixth of nine players taken in this year’s draft and one of just three forwards selected, alongside Tomas Chrenko and Darian Anderson.
“Very excited, it feels amazing,” a beaming Bowes told reporters right after being picked by the Rangers. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy about something in my entire life.”
At the draft, Bowes pointed to coach Dave Cameron as a major reason his season turned around in Ottawa after what he called a “slow start.” Cameron, the 2025-26 OHL coach of the year, also has NHL experience with the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames.
“He taught me some new things about myself, like my playing style and being able to play anywhere. He’s taught me almost everything I know today,” Bowes raved about the respected coach, who previously had NHL stints behind the benches of the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames.
Bowes also talked about how adding size and playing more physically changed his game. Listed at 6-foot-0 and 172 pounds, the Ottawa native said that part of his growth has helped unlock more effectiveness.
“I think I’m a smart player, and when I use my physicality I’m effective,” he explained.
That showed up again Sunday. Bowes had a hand in three straight Ottawa goals in the second period, helping turn a 2-1 game into a 5-1 cushion.
He finished plus-5 and was on the ice for all but one of Ottawa’s goals in the win. Last season, he was plus-30 on a strong defensive Ottawa team.
His first goal at 4:27 of the second period stood up as the game-winner. He then picked up the primary assist on Lucas Balanyk’s first goal of the night at 7:20, before scoring again at 16:49.
Bowes had three-point games twice last season, counting the playoffs, and scored two goals in a game once. After this kind of preseason start, Ottawa will be eager to see where he takes it next in 2026-27.
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