Kirsch has had an impressive first OHL season with Kitchener, going 27-9-3 with a 2.38 goals against averavge (GAA) and .901 save percentage (SV%) in 40 games on a Rangers team poised for a deep playoff run. The numbers are made more meaningful by the quality of competition – the OHL is a step up from the USHL, especially in the quality of shooter, and Kirsch has handled it comfortably. Good size and athleticism for a 20-year-old goalie, and his commitment to Quinnipiac in the fall is the right next step – the NCAA structure and time to fill out physically should benefit his continued development. With Yaroslav Askarov entrenched as the franchise goalie and Joshua Ravensbergen likely ahead of Kirsch in the pecking order, there is no urgency from San Jose’s perspective. A long-term project developing along exactly the right trajectory.

Kirsch has changed course and instead of heading back to the USHL, he will play in the Canadian Hockey League during the 2025-26 season with the Kitchener Rangers, who signed their first-round 2025 CHL Import Draft selection (44th overall) to an OHL Standard Player Agreement on July 24, 2025.

Kirsch is a fourth-round pick (114th overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. The 2025-26 season will be his second season in North America, during which he will play for the USHL’s Chicago Steel before heading to the NCAA in 2025-26 to attend the University of Massachusetts. Taking the NCAA route will benefit Kirsch’s development, as he will have the opportunity to experience different levels of hockey in the United States before deciding whether or not to turn pro with the San Jose Sharks organization in the future. Like many drafted goaltenders selected in mid-late rounds by NHL franchises, they are not fantasy-relevant until we see more of how they develop. The same goes for Kirsch at the moment.