Guys haven’t played hockey games in a long time, probably the longest they’ve ever gone in their life. Things will look different around the Aud with a series of new safety protocols, such as mandatory masks, in place. “It’s a younger group up front,” said McKenzie. We believe in fully disclosing the methods to which we collect and use your personal information. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, A look inside junior hockey during the pandemic. Goaltending could be a work in progress with newcomers Pavel Cajan and Jackson Parsons slated to captain the crease. Practice, school and workloads will also have to be monitored closely with an abbreviated 64-game schedule packed into five months. “Maybe pull the reins back a bit and not let guys get too excited. “It will probably look more like a week of practice than an actual training camp,” said McKenzie. McKenzie has been with the Rangers […] I believe that our current core foundation of young players, a replenished draft cupboard and multiple extra picks in the future provide us the ability to again compete for a league title.”. As general manager, McKenzie will be responsible for all elements of Rangers’ scouting, including the upcoming OHL Priority Selection, OHL Under-18 Priority Selection and 2017 CHL Import Draft. His move from the coaching ranks to the Management team as assistant general manager was another step in this progression. “We wish we could bring everyone in and take a look at them and get to know them,” he said. Republication or distribution of this content is The Rangers are in action tonight as they take on the Owen Sound Attack in Game 5 of their best-of-seven opening round playoff series at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre at 7:30pm. Ross Lynch fires pucks all over the place as he teaches Jay how to be a hockey goalie in the "Special Skills" season finale. – The Kitchener Rangers announced today that the team has signed Mike McKenzie to a contract extension as the club’s General Manager through the 2024-25 season. Those who make a big impression sometimes earn a contract at the end. To order In a press conference held by the Rangers on Friday, Rangers’ Chief Operating Officer Steve Bienkowski announced the changes to the front office in detail. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. “I want to specifically recognize the contributions Murray has made since becoming our general manager. McKenzie was hired as an assistant coach of the Rangers in 2012 under then head coach, … McKenzie was hired as an assistant coach of the Rangers in 2012 under then head coach, Steve Spott. Cindy is the older sister of John Goodwin, a former professional ice hockey player. To fix that it takes focus, commitment and time, but it’s a necessary part of building success. Instead, general manager and head coach Mike McKenzie says the Ontario Hockey League club will stick to signed players when training camp begins Nov. 15. “It’s one of those things where you almost want to be careful a little bit,” said McKenzie. Equally important is that Murray has been able to stockpile several additional 2nd and 3rd round picks in addition to our own selections in future years that gives the Rangers adequate tools to be among the most competitive of teams in the league in the coming seasons. Stepping in for Jay McKee, Mike McKenzie was added to Kitchener’s history as he promptly became the team’s fifth head coach, this dating back to 2013. “We wish we could bring everyone in … “In the fall of 2016 Murray informed me that it was his intention to retire following this season, as he thought it was time to take a step back from the workload required as a general manager in our league. Over the next number of months, various discussions led to him agreeing to postpone his retirement for another season, and in the meantime adopting this new role,” said Bienkowski. Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. 6,646 Meals Provided from Fill the Rangers Bus Event, Kitchener Rangers 2020 NHL Draft Headquarters, Kitchener Rangers launch Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) Program, Ingham and fellow Kings prospects to begin season with DEL's Berlin Polar Bears, Rangers Reach 50/50 Raffle Has Officially Launched. “There might be a little bit of an adjustment period with those guys but we think they’re both really good and once they get situated and settled they should be fine.”. Kitchener Rangers general manager and head coach Mike McKenzie says he seems some benefits to a later-than-usual start date. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution As Director of Hockey Operations, Hiebert will continue to play a major part in Rangers’ scouting at both the OHL and OHL Priority Selection levels. Further to those duties, McKenzie will oversee areas of player management, trades, and hockey operations staffing, as well as address any media obligations that arise. rights reserved. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5e539fd61c76ad3c These acquired selections have provided players such as Connor Bunnaman, Connor Hall, Elijah Roberts, Joseph Garreffa, Riley Damiani and Eric Guest to form a significant portion of our core team moving forward. McKenzie and his wife Cindy have three sons, all of whom played hockey. “But with the (COVID-19) situation, we’re going to focus on guys we know are part of our team this year and jump right into the start of the season.”. “We have a lot of young guys coming in,” said McKenzie. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. He spent three seasons in that role before being promoted to assistant coach/assistant general manager ahead of the 2015-16 season. We also invite you to ask us about our policies or feel free to let us know how we can better serve your privacy concerns. The 2017 OHL Priority Selection will also provide an additional two selections to what the Rangers originally held to further add quality players.