Second chance
Rangers’ rearguard invited to try out for Canada’s Under-18 team
Michael Vukojevic’s first chance to represent Canada on the ice was wiped out due to a high ankle sprain.
The Kitchener Rangers defenceman had his Under-17 World Hockey Challenge experience cut short after suffering the injury in a pre-tournament match last year.
Now, he’s getting another crack.
The Oakville native was one of 44 players from across the country invited to try out for Canada’s Under-18 squad Tuesday.
“As a kid I dreamed of playing for Canada,” said Vukojevic. “Getting another chance gives me extra motivation and I want to make it that much more.”
Former Rangers first round pick Grayson Ladd, who was traded to the Windsor Spitfires last season, is also among the 14 rearguards invited to camp, set for late July in Calgary.
Those who survive the cuts will represent Canada at the newlynamed Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which runs in Edmonton and Red Deer from Aug. 6-11.
Canada beat the host nation Czech Republic 4-1 in last year’s final. The Canucks have grabbed gold 21 times in the tournament’s 27 year history.
Vukojevic was feeling anxious as he waited for word on this year’s invitees. “I was getting worried and nervous,” he admitted.
“Camp is just about a month away and I was wondering if other people had got the call yet. There was a little bit of doubt going through my mind.”
The Rangers were confident in their young stud since he turned in a memorable rookie season that saw him finish as part of the team’s top playoff pairing, alongside NHL first round draft pick Logan Stanley.
“We’re really happy for him,” said Kitchener general manager Mike McKenzie.
“He had a really good second half for us and an exceptional playoffs. We kind of assumed he’d be there.”
It’s shaping up to be a big year for Vukojevic.
Besides the camp, the 17-yearold is gearing up for his first full season in the Ontario Hockey League, and is also eligible for next year’s NHL draft.
That means scouts will be paying extra attention. But the blueliner isn’t worried. “Obviously it’s at the back of your head that you want to get drafted as high as possible,” he said. “But I try not to think about it. At the end of the day, I’m a 17 year old kid that loves to play hockey. That’s how I started at the age of five … because I love the game and that hasn’t changed.”
NHL AUDITIONS: Eleven Rangers have been invited to NHL development camps, some of which are already underway.
They include: D Logan Stanley
(Winnipeg), D Giovanni Vallati
(Winnipeg), F Logan Brown
(Ottawa), F Riley Damiani
(Dallas), F Adam Mascherin
(Dallas), F Connor Bunnaman
(Philadelphia), F Givani Smith
(Detroit), F Kole Sherwood
(Columbus), D Joseph Garreffa
(Florida), G Luke Opilka
(St. Louis) and G Mario Culina
(Carolina).