The Wayne Gretzky Trophy is finally coming home to Kitchener after an 18-year wait. In a thrilling comeback for the ages, the Rangers dispatched the Windsor Spitfires in Game 5 to punch their ticket to the OHL final.

It wasn't pretty early on. Windsor came out flying, scoring three times in a blistering first period that had the home crowd holding its breath. Anthony Cristoforo opened the scoring, Cole Davis doubled the lead just 15 seconds later, and Wyatt Kennedy made it 3-0 with his first postseason goal. A sweep seemed inevitable.

But hockey is a game of momentum shifts. Luke Ellinas, making his first appearance since November after recovering from injury, sparked the comeback with a goal late in the first period. The bench erupted, and the crowd found its voice again.

Christian Humphreys brought the Rangers within one on a power-play goal in the second, but A.J. Spellacy restored Windsor's two-goal cushion with under three minutes left in the period. Kitchener needed a hero.

Enter Sam O'Reilly. The postseason standout scored his 14th goal of the playoffs early in the third, bursting behind the Spitfires' defense and going five-hole on Joey Costanzo. Carson Campbell followed soon after, tying the game at 4-4. From there, it was all Kitchener pressure, with Windsor hanging on desperately to force overtime.

The extra frame was a back-and-forth thriller, with both goaltenders making key saves. Then, with just 2:27 remaining, Dylan Edwards found himself alone in the slot and buried the winner, sending the Rangers to the OHL final for the first time since 2008.

While Windsor pushed hard throughout the series, Kitchener's stars rose to the occasion when it mattered most. Now they await the winner of Brantford and Barrie, with their eyes set on the J. Ross Robertson Cup—a prize that has eluded them since 2008.