OFFICIAL ALUMNI NEWS OF THE KITCHENER RANGERS SPRING 2015 EDITION “IT FEELS GOOD NOW TO BE PART OF A GREAT ORGANIZATION AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE!” - ROBERTS Left image: Action from the 2015 OHL Cup in Toronto, ON March 17-23, 2015. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images Right Image: Kitchener Rangers General Manager Murray Hiebert, Second Round Pick: Elijah Roberts and Head Coach Troy Smith Priority Selection Brings New Faces to The Aud pick Greg Meireles (12th “He plays a complete 200-foot Overall). Meireles and McHugh game,” added Hiebert. “We went There was no missing the smile were teamed up again on the to see him in Prince George in the on Hugh Craig’s face on draft day. Hockey Eastern Ontario roster for Canada Winter Games, where he The Rangers’ top scout in Eastern the 2015 OHL Gold Cup in won a gold medal, and one of his Ontario even cracked a joke when Kitchener, confirming their most memorable games, he was asked about Nicholas McHugh, success of last season. making a play in the the team’s seventh round pick. offensive zone, and then right “The chemistry those two kids away he was saving a goal right “Well, for starters, I’ve been had together this year was unbe- in the blue paint in his own zone.” talking about him since the lievable to me,” explained Craig. second round!” he laughed when Rangers General Manager Murray The two Ottawa-area skaters asked for a scouting report, Hiebert gave Meireles, the Junior aren’t the only ones headed to adding that the young forward 67’s team captain, a rave review the OHL Gold Cup – in total, eight from the Ottawa Jr. 67’s is a after the club made its first round players picked by the Rangers creative player with a high selection, noting that his speed were selected to play in the compete level. McHugh record- and physical play were exactly Kitchener-based tournament, ed 40 points in 29 regular sea- what Kitchener was looking for. including GTHL standouts son games in 2014-15, lining up alongside Rangers’ first round “I’M SO EXCITED TO BE DRAFTED TO A GREAT TEAM – I’M HAVING A GREAT TIME!” - GARREFFA Left image: Action from the 2015 OHL Cup in Toronto, ON March 17-23, 2015. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images for a game and the fans were “Just get stronger, is the main amazing. It was something I thing – the guys are so much Elijah Roberts (second round, 31st want to be a part of.” bigger and stronger at the next overall) and Joseph Garreffa (third level,” revealed the smiling teen. round, 44th overall) who will lace Garreffa echoed that enthusiasm up together for Team Blue. on his arrival to The Aud, beaming “And I also want to get quicker, as he toured the facility with his because the game speed is faster.” A defenceman with the OHL clan. “I’m so excited to be draft- Cup-winning Toronto Marlboros, ed to a great team – I’m having a FOR FULL DETAILS ON Roberts is an offensively gifted great time!”, said the player who potted 10 goals and Toronto-based pivot, who was THE RANGERS’ 2015 added 23 assists in his minor part of Meireles’ gold medal PRIORITY SELECTION, midget campaign. The Brampton, winning team at the Canada INCLUDING ON native arrived with his Winter Games. INTERVIEWS WITH family in tow on draft day, pulling on his Rangers jersey in After the OHL Priority Selection, TEAM SCOUTS AND the team’s dressing room before the work continues for all 14 PLAYERS, VISIT settling in to talk to the media. players selected by the Rangers. KITCHENERRANGERS. Many attended the club’s Spring “I was really nervous going in Camp at Activa in April, with eyes COM/PAGE/2015- [to the draft], but it feels good towards a spot at the main DRAFT. now to be part of a great training camp in the fall. And most organization and I’m looking have plans to continue improving forward to the future!” the young their game through the summer rearguard said with a smile. “It months, including Garreffa. was my first choice: I came down Merli Finds His Calling in Kitchener direction he liked. He returned to hockey players, they welcome the Waterloo Region for school, teams from different sports and Brandon Merli has always loved and it wasn’t long before he was recently became the official The Aud. A lifelong fan of the back at The Aud. training partner of Kitchener Minor Rangers, the Kitchener native was Baseball. But you’ll still find him pursuing his own hockey dreams He heard rumblings that the team at The Aud most days, keeping a when the call came from the was looking to expand its training watchful eye over the players as hometown team OHL Draft Day. staff, and so he seized the oppor- he pushes them to get better. tunity to sit down with then-assis- “I don’t know if I ever thought tant GM Steve Spott. Little did he “It’s nice to draw back on about it – coming as a kid to the know that that meeting would be experiences that I had in the games, I always loved the game the start of something big. room and on the team, and and loved seeing the Rangers understand some of the players, the guys who came Two years after he rejoined the feelings that the boys have and to before me. And I definitely wanted Rangers, it was time for Brandon be able to relate to them. I know to play at that level.” to expand. He took over the small that there are times when they’re but functional gym in the down or things are tough and I He played his entire junior basement of The Aud, and opened can guide them through an career as a Blueshirt, appearing in Redline Conditioning. And over experience that tested me that I 167 regular season games the past six years, they’ve grown was able to get through.” between 1996 and 2000. And in leaps and bounds, moving into while the team plodded through a new, bigger facility off Queen It’s been more than a decade some rebuilding years (“we had Street in Kitchener and since the hometown kid laced up some tough years then!”, he welcoming teams and pros for for his final game with the laughs), he was always happy off-ice training. They even hosted Rangers. And though he hasn’t for the opportunity to play for his a visit from the Stanley Cup last strayed far, Brandon has built an childhood team. year, as long-time client Tanner impressive business doing what Pearson stopped by to say thanks. he loves, and shares that passion “I think my favourite memory of with the next generation my time here was just being a “It’s nice to get to the point where of Rangers. hometown kid who could play in the kids that you worked with front of his parents every night. when they were 13 or 14 are “I think it’s amazing. For me, it That was probably the starting to realize their dreams at was a great honour to play here coolest part.” the pro level,” says Brandon. and it’s probably the fondest four “To be able to have some years of hockey memories that I After four years on East Avenue, hand in their development is have. So I’m very passionate his career took him to the East very gratifying.” and loyal with the Rangers Coast Hockey League and stops in organization. I’m blessed to come Birmingham and Atlantic City. But Coming home to the Rangers here every day and do what I do the minor league grind took its dressing room has been with the great people that this toll, and eventually the winger overwhelmingly positive for Mer- team has. For me, it’s special and decided that his hockey career li, even as Redline Conditioning it’s something I’ll always have path wasn’t headed in a continues to grow. In addition to fond memories of. Lashoff’s Passion Extends Beyond the Rink Russia, so it was always an and I wouldn’t change it for experience that I had considered anything. I would never have You could hear the excitement in and kept in the back of my mind made a different decision,” defenceman Matt Lashoff’s voice as a potential bucket list item. I remembers Lashoff. over the phone from Bridgeport, didn’t know it would be this early Connecticut. Fresh off the ice in my career, but I really relished His return to North America from practice with the American the opportunity to go there and re-energized Matt, who moved Hockey League’s Sound Tigers, experience the culture.” from Bridgeport to Portland in a he was happy to be back on late season trade. But beyond his American soil after three His positive perspective was family, and the game, there’s one seasons overseas. influenced largely by his time more passion that drives him. In with the Rangers. Lashoff credits 2011, the New York state native “I still think that I have a lot former Head Coach and General released his first album, Living of good hockey left in me, and Manager Peter DeBoer with on Heart. Music is another outlet I wanted to take a few more preparing him for the grind of for the well-spoken blueliner, a swings at the NHL, which is professional hockey, and the heartbeat he’s always had.