Rangers in battle for highly rated blueliner

KITCHENER — Step one is drafting a player. Step two is actually getting him to show up.

That’s the challenge for any Ontario Hockey League general manager as they try to craft a championship roster.

And it’s no different in Kitchener.

The Rangers own the rights to several intriguing players that have yet to commit to the club, perhaps none more alluring than defenceman Michael Vukojevic.

The Blueshirts spent a secondround selection (33rd overall) on the six-foot-two, 192-pound Georgetown resident in this year’s draft, even though he had announced his intention of bypassing the OHL to play for the University of Michigan.

“I think if he had declared (to play in the OHL) he would have been a top-three pick for sure,” said agent Rob Hooper, who represents Vukojevic. “Michael is a premier player. He has a lot of teams looking at him.”

Four franchises are bidding for his services.

Kitchener owns his OHL rights, the Michigan Wolverines are expecting him at the NCAA level, the Green Bay Gamblers selected him in the first round of the United States Hockey League draft, and the Georgetown Raiders are hoping he’ll return for an encore performance after finishing this past season with the Tier 2 Jr. A squad.

“For a young kid he has a lot to think about, and navigating the waters for the next step is kind of where he is at now,” said Hooper. “Time is ticking, and before you know it next season is going to be upon us.”

Nothing is a guarantee. The Rangers know that all too well from recent drafts.

The team scooped up highly touted goalie Jack LaFontaine in the third round in 2014 but he never reported. The Carolina Hurricanes draft pick currently plays for the University of Michigan.

The same draft also saw fellow third-rounder Sean Allen leave Kitchener 15 games into his OHL career after asking for a trade due to a lack of playing time. The rearguard now plays for the Oshawa Generals.

In 2015, first-round pick Greg Meireles opted to remain in Ottawa for his 16-year-old season but has since joined the club.

Meanwhile, last year’s secondround selection, Merrick Rippon, who is already getting some buzz for next year’s NHL draft, has chosen Providence College over the Rangers.

“Kids have options now, and we understand that,” said Kitchener general manager Mike McKenzie. “You never want to lose out on any kid. The fact of the matter is that you’re not going to get all of them. Every team in the league can tell you that there are guys that have gotten away from them.”

The Rangers are hoping Vukojevic isn’t one of them.

That has McKenzie and his staff is in full pitch mode. The features? A regularly packed Aud, former NHL players behind the bench in coach Jay McKee and assistants Matthew Barnaby and Andreas Karlsson, and a rich history of sending players to the pro ranks are chief among them.

“It’s a place you know you can trust and it’s an elite organization in the CHL,” said McKenzie.

“A lot of the kids that we’re drafting and trying to recruit are high-end guys that are going to be NHL draft picks, and by coming to our league and team that can be fast-tracked a little bit,” McKenzie added.

The Rangers regularly bring prospects to the Aud to show off their digs.

“It’s good to show people what we have because we’re proud of it,” said McKenzie. “You need to talk to them and develop relationships. But it’s a fine line. The last thing you want to do is annoy people and be there too much.”

Vukojevic is a top student who has always dreamed of playing and studying at Michigan, according to his agent.

But things have changed behind the bench since the blueliner committed to the program, most notably the retirement of legendary skipper Red Berenson.

“We knew that Red Berenson was going to retire but we were kind of under the assumption that (assistants) Billy Powers or Brian Wiseman were going to become head coach, and that didn’t transpire,” said Hooper.

Longtime NCAA hockey coach Mel Pearson ended up getting the gig for the Wolverines, while Powers has parted ways with the team.

“Michigan is a great school and a great option, and so are the Kitchener Rangers,” said Hooper. “There is rich history in both programs.”

Vukojevic is only 16 years old and still has another year of high school to complete before making the leap to university and will need somewhere to play this season.

The Rangers are hoping it’s on East Avenue.