Pavel Cajan commits to Rangers

The Rangers announced today that Czech goaltender Pavel Cajan, the 41st overall selection in this year's CHL import draft, has signed his with the club.

Cajan, 17, most recently played with Bili Tygri Liberec in the DHL Cup, a U20 circuit in the Czech Republic where he recorded a 3.13 GAA and 0.915 SV% over 29 games. He also suited up with the Czech Under-18 squad and appeared in three contests, posting a 1.55 GAA and 0.917 SV%.

The late 2002-born netminder, who is eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft, will join this year's 3rd round selection, Jackson Parsons, in what is shaping up to be the goaltending tandem for the next couple seasons on East Ave. Overage candidate Lucas Pfeil is also eligible to return for the 2020-21 season.

The Czech native is the first goalie the Rangers have ever drafted in the import draft and joins Radek Faksa and Jakub Kindl as the most recent Czech born players the Rangers have selected in annual event.

Rangers Select Pavel Cajan in CHL Import Draft

On Tuesday, the Rangers selected Czech goaltender Pavel Cajan with the 41st overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League's annual import draft. The yearly event allows for the 60 CHL clubs to select up to two import players to add to their roster for the season to come. 

The Rangers opted to only used one of their two selections with Finnish blueliner Ville Ottavainen slated to return for another season with the blueshirts. 

Cajan, a 6'2 and 176lb netminder suited up for the Bili Tygri Liberec U20 squad as a 17-year old last season and boasted a 3.13GAA and a 0.915SV% over 29 contests. He also posted a 1.55GAA and 0.917SV% over three games in U18 international play with Czech Republic.

The late 2002-born Cajan is eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft and will join overage candidate Lucas Pfeil and newly signed Jackson Parsons as the potential candidates to play between the pipes for the Rangers next season, if he reports. 

He is currently slated to be loaned to HC Benatky nad Jizerou in the Czech2 league next season. 

UPDATE: Per Josh Brown (@BrownRecord), the Rangers have talked to both Pavel Cajan and his agent and Cajan wants to join the team next season. 

The North Bay Battalion owned the top pick and used it to select Russian forward, Matvei Petrov. The full draft results can be found here.

Four Rangers Prospects Invited to Hockey Canada's Under-17 Development Camp

Today, Hockey Canada announced the rosters for their National Under-17 Virtual Development Camp. Among the 113 players invited, four Rangers draft picks were included in twins Andrew and Jacob LeBlanc, defenceman George Fegaras and goaltender Jackson Parsons. 

Former Waterloo Siskins bench boss, Chris Lazary, now at the helm of the Saginaw Spirit, was also announced as one of the head coaches for the camp. 

The yearly event, held virtually this year, is Hockey Canada's first look at the top Under-17 talent ahead of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will be co-hosted in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island from Oct. 31-Nov. 7 this year. 

In all, 49 Ontario Hockey League prospects were invited to take part along with a number of OHL club staff. 

The full roster, including players and staff can be found here.

Rangers Launch Community Initiative

On Tuesday, the Rangers announced the launch on Rangers Reach, a new non-profit organization working closely with the hockey club. The organization will take care of the community involvement that team has already establishing while also continuing to expand their reach.

Since 2002, the Rangers have put $15 million back into the community through a variety of methods, including sports scholarships, facility improvements, sport access for marginalized youth and supporting numerous community causes, among others. 

Rangers Reach begins with four staff members, Craig Campbell (Executive Director), Tim Jackson (Board Chair), Kelly McManus (Director) and Lynne Short (Director).

Some popular examples of what the Rangers are looking to accomplish with the separation of community involvement from team operations include the Toronto Blue Jays' Jays Care Foundation or Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment's MLSE Foundation.

You can visit the new Rangers Reach website here.

Mike McKenzie to Resume Role as Head Coach

On Wednesday, the Rangers announced that General Manager and Interim Head Coach Mike McKenzie will remove the Interim tag and assume to role as Head Coach for the 2020-21 season. 

Over 42 games at the helm last season after taking over for Jay McKee in November, McKenzie coached the blueshirts to a 33-6-0-3 record prior to the season getting cut short. 

The Rangers will return as a younger team next season and McKenzie will have the opportunity to develop the next young core of Rangers players. 

With the unknowing of what next season will look like, "Right now, this decision makes the most sense for our organization," said McKenzie in the Rangers news release.

According to the Ontario Hockey League's media guide, Mike McKenzie joins Guelph's George Burnett and Mississauga's James Richmond as the only team personnel to hold both the Head Coach and General Manager duties.

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In Canadian Hockey League news, the CHL also confirmed that the CHL Import Draft will take place on June 30th. The Rangers are expected to make one selection this season. 

Parsons invited to Hockey Canada Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp

Recent Rangers draftee Jackson Parsons has been invited to participate in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp, which will take place virtually this year from June 9th to 12th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Parsons, Cambridge native Tristan Lennox was also invited to take part in the camp.

The camp provides Hockey Canada the opportunity to see the netminders that could compete for spots on each of their national squads throughout the season at the U17, U18 and U20 levels. Invitees will take part in online sessions focusing on development, mental and physical performance, and more.

In all, 23 goaltenders across the country were invited to take part, including seven with OHL connections: Brett Brochu (London), Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay), Matteo Drobac (Hamilton), Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia), Nolan Lalonde (Erie), Tristan Lennox (Saginaw), Jackson Parsons (Kitchener) 

Bergkvist Signs in Sweden

Former Rangers blueliner Axel Bergkvist has signed a one-year pro deal with BIK Karlskoga, a member of the Allsvenskan in Sweden. Bergkvist, Arizona's 7th round pick in 2019, joined the blueshirts for one season after being selected in the second round of last year's CHL import draft.

After a slow start on East Ave., Bergkvist finished the season picking up 52 points (9G, 43A) in 62 contests with the Rangers, good enough for fifth in team scoring.

With Bergkvist's departure, it opens up an import slot for the Rangers to use in the upcoming CHL import draft, which is tentatively scheduled to take place June 30th. 

Finnish defenceman Ville Ottavainen signed with Karpat in Liiga back in April but is expected to return for another season with the Rangers, using up the team's second import selection. 

Checkin' In - Rangers Roster (June Edition)

With the OHL trade window opening today for the month of June, I figured I would take a look at what the Rangers look like going into it. One year ago, the Rangers used this June trade window to acquire what would arguably end up being the most important piece to their roster for the 2019-20 campaign, Jacob Ingham.

Currently, the Rangers have 12 forwards, 8 defenceman, and 2 goalies signed. Let's meet 'em:

Forwards: 
Graham Dickerson ('01)
Mike Petizian ('01)
Declan McDonnell ('02)
Reid Valade ('02)
Joseph Serpa ('02)
Isaac Langdon ('02)
Mitchell Martin ('03)
Matthew Sop ('03)
Jesse Fishman ('03)
Francesco Pinelli ('03)
Trent Swick ('04)
Andrew LeBlanc ('04)

Defencemen:
Holden Wale ('00)
Justin MacPherson ('00)
Arber Xhekaj ('01)
Michael Vukojevic ('01)
Donovan Sebrango ('02)
Ville Ottavainen ('02)
Simon Motew ('03)
Jacob LeBlanc ('04)

Goaltenders:
Lucas Pfeil ('00)
Jackson Parsons ('04)

Not included are signed 2000-born players Riley Damiani (DAL), Serron Noel (FLA) and Jacob Ingham (LAK), as they'll be graduating to the pro ranks with their respective NHL organizations in the 2020-21 season.

2001-born forward Carter Tresoor is still signed with the club but has not played since the 2018-19 season.

Ranger Recognized (rookies snubbed?)

The Ontario Hockey League announced the All-Star and All-Rookie teams for the 2019-20 campaign to conclude this seasons awards on Wednesday. 

The lone blueshirt to crack one of the squads was goaltender Jacob Ingham who was slotted in as the netminder on the 2nd Team All-Star squad after posting a 2.96 goals against average and 0.917 save percentage in 46 contests this season, while also posting a league leading 33 wins. 

Francesco Pinelli (C/LW) and Declan McDonnell (RW) were both potential candidates for the All-Rookie squads but were passed by the likes of Shane Wright (KGN), Mason McTavish (PBO), Chase Stillman (SBY) and Oliver Suni (OSH) in their respective positions. 

Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie highlighted both Francesco and Declan's rookie seasons in a thread on Twitter after the teams were announced.

Here's the list of all five squads:

First All-Star Team

C - Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's

LW - Nick Robertson. Peterborough Petes

RW - Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs

LD - Noel Hoefenmayer, Ottawa 67's

RD - Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters

G - Nico Daws, Guelph Storm

Coach: Andre Tourigny, Ottawa 67's

Second All-Star Team

C - Connor McMichael, London Knights

LW - Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit

RW - Joseph Garreffa, Ottawa 67's

LD - Thomas Harley, Mississauga Steelheads

RD - Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67's

G - Jacob Ingham, Kitchener Rangers

Coach - Dale Hunter, London Knights

Third All-Star Team

C - Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves

LW - Pavel Gogolev, Guelph Storm

RW - Sean Josling, Sarnia Sting

LD - Alec Regula, London Knights

RD - Ryan Merkley, London Knights

G - Cedrick Andree, Ottawa 67's

Coach - George Burnett, Guelph Storm

First All-Rookie Team

C - Shane Wright, Kingston Frontenacs

LW - Brennan Othmann, Flint Firebirds

RW - Chase Stillman, Sudbury Wolves

LD - Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts

RD - Ruben Rafkin, Windsor Spitfires

G - Brett Brochu, London Knights

Second All-Rookie Team

C - Mason McTavish, Peterborough Petes

LW - Martin Chromiak, Kingston Frontenacs

RW - Oliver Suni, Oshawa Generals

LD - Paul Christopoulos, North Bay Battalion

RD - Mitchell Smith, Saginaw Spirit

G - Joe Vrbetic, North Bay Battalion

4 for 4: Rangers ink Goalie Jackson Parsons

The Rangers have announced the signing of goaltender Jackson Parsons, the team's second third round pick from the 2020 OHL Draft. This signing marks the commitment from the Rangers top four selections from this year's draft to the club.

Parsons, a 6'0 goalie from Ottawa, suited up for the Cornwall Colts in the HEO Midget League this season where he held a 9-11 record over 23 regular season contests, posting a 2.23 goals against average and a 0.929 save percentage, along with three shutouts.

Jackson has been noted as being the top goalie in the Ottawa area and among the best in the 2004 draft class due to his athleticism, quickness and composure in the blue paint.

"He was a guy that was on our radar as one of the top goalies in the draft and we were extremely excited to draft him and even more excited to see him sign with our team," said GM Mike McKenzie.

This the earliest that the Rangers have selected a goaltender since picking Jack LaFontaine in 2014. Jack never signed with the club and is now starting between the pipes at the University of Minnesota.

Swick Signs, Completing Southern Tier Trifecta

On Tuesday, a week after commitments from Andrew and Jacob LeBlanc, the Rangers announced the signing of teammate Trent Swick to an OHL Standard Player Agreement. Swick, the Thorold, ON native played along side Andrew most of the season recording 55 points (26G, 29A) over 32 regular season games with the Admirals. The winger also tallied another 12 goals and 12 assists over 13 playoff games prior to the season being cut short.

Swick will add some immediate size up front being listed at just under 6'5 and 185lbs, something the Rangers had been lacking in earlier rounds of previous drafts. With his big frame, Swick projects as a player who can develop into a strong power forward in the years to come.

Rangers GM Mike McKenzie had this to say about Trent and his commitment to the Rangers, "He is a big kid that has great hands and can really score goals. We see him as a player with a very bright future and someone who will be a force in our league as he gets older."

"We look forward to seeing him develop in Kitchener and would like to welcome Trent and his family to the Rangers."

Mitchell Martin 2019-20 Highlights

Check out these highlights of recent Rangers signee and 2019 4th round pick Mitchell Martin. Mitchell suited up for the Rayside-Balfour Canadians, a member of the NOJHL, in 2019-20 and recorded 61 points (25G, 36A) over 52 regular season games. Those 61 points put him tied for first in both team scoring and league rookie scoring with Sudbury Wolves prospect Nicholas DeGrazia.

After being cut from Rangers camp last fall, Mitchell returned home with the message that his skating needed to improve. By bettering that, and more, he'll now have the opportunity to slot into a Rangers lineup that is potentially losing five of their top six forwards next season and build with the next young core the blueshirts have up front. 

Rangers Ink LeBlanc twins, Andrew and Jacob

On Tuesday the Rangers announced the signings of Andrew and Jacob Leblanc, their first and second selections in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. Both made it known to teams around the league of their intentions to want to stay together in the OHL, like they've been able to do throughout their entire hockey careers. The Rangers gave them that opportunity selecting Andrew, a forward, and Jacob, defenceman, with the 17th and 42nd picks respectively.

Both had strong statistical seasons with Southern Tier in the SCTA as Andrew led the league in scoring with his 68 points (25G, 43A) in 31 regular season games, and Jacob finishing tied for 1st in league scoring among defenceman tallying 27 points (5G, 22A) across 32 games.

Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie had this to say of the twins, "Andrew is an extremely gifted, skilled, and smart offensive player who also has some bite to his game" adding this about Jacob, "Jacob is a smart two-way defenceman who can be really hard to beat defensively while possessing great offensive abilities and sense too."

The best way to tell them apart? One shoots left (Andrew), the other, right (Jacob).

Roman Schmidt 2019-20 Highlights

Check out these highlights of Rangers 2019 2nd round pick Roman Schmidt. Roman was a member of the USNTDP U17 squad where we picked up 17 points (7G, 10A) over 48 games and is currently committed to Boston University for the 2021-22 season. He is also a teammate of 2019 8th round pick, Caden Brown. 

The 6'5 defenceman was a staple on the Don Mills Flyers minor midget squad in 2018-19 that defeated current Rangers forward Francesco Pinelli in the OHL Cup final.

Caden Brown 2019-20 Highlights

Check out these highlights of Rangers 2019 8th round pick Caden Brown. Caden was a member of the USNTDP U17 squad where he recorded 20 points (7G, 13A) over 40 contests and is currently committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2021-22 season. 

If his last name looks familiar, his older brother Logan was acquired by the Rangers in 2017-18 ahead of their run to the Western Conference Final. Caden's teammate, Roman Schmidt, is also a Rangers draft pick. 

Rangers Select 17 Players in 2020 OHL Priority Selection

The Rangers were on the clock a total of 17 times this year during the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, and with that, 17 new faces have joined the Rangers organization, including a pair that will look quite similar to fans in the years to come.

Here's a list of the newest East Ave Blue:

1st Round; 17th Overall: Andrew LeBlanc, C, Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
3rd Round; 42nd Overall: Jacob LeBlanc, RD, Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
3rd Round; 47th Overall: Trent Swick, LW, Southern Tier Admirals (SCTA)
3rd Round; 53rd Overall: Jackson Parsons, G, Cornwall Colts (HEO)
4th Round; 65th Overall: Cutter Gauthier, LW, Detroit Compuware 16U (HPHL)
4th Round; 67th Overall: George Fegaras, RD, Richmond Hill Coyotes (ETA)
6th Round; 117th Overall: Kai Dunits, C, Kemptville 73's (HEO)
7th Round; 137th Overall: Nathan Lewis, RW, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15U (HPHL)
8th Round; 147th Overall: Tucker Shedd, RD, Detroit Compuware 15U (HPHL)
9th Round; 177th Overall: Marcus Vandenberg, G, Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (Alliance)
10th Round; 182nd Overall: Brett Henderson, LW, Oakville Rangers (SCTA)
11th Round; 217th Overall: Kenny Connors, C, Mount St. Charles Academy (Midget)
12th Round; 232nd Overall: Devin Kaplan, C, North Jersey Avalanche 16U (AYHL)
12th Round; 237th Overall: Corbin Roach, RW, Quinte Red Devils (ETA)
13th Round; 257th Overall: Owen Mehlenbacher, LW, Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U (Midget)
14th Round; 277th Overall: Antonino Pugliese, LW, Hamilton Huskies (Alliance)
15th Round; 297th Overall: Mick Thompson, LW, North Jersey Avalanche 16U (AYHL)

The entire draft results can be found here.