Behind the Scenes: Rangers Prepare for Priority Selection
While the Rangers and their faithful fans are firmly focused on the present and their best-of-seven playoff series with the Plymouth Whalers, behind the scenes, preparations are well underway for future. The Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection is coming up on April 7 and Kitchener’s scouting staff has been hard at work.
“Basically as soon as the draft is over, you immediately start concentrating on the next year,” explains Murray Hiebert, Director of Scouting for the Rangers. “You need the early start because there are camps that begin right after the draft – USA Evaluation camp is in the middle of July, for example, so you get an early look there, and then as the Junior B and Tier II camps start opening up in August you go to look at the kids who are invited there.”
If that seems a little extreme, consider how many players there are to watch. As a guideline, the Canadian Hockey League divides up North American prospects by geographical area. The OHL is basically comprised of the vast province of Ontario, as well as American states east of the Mississippi River (excluding New England). That’s a lot of territory to cover and a lot of players to consider.
As a result, the Rangers employ a fairly large scouting staff. In addition to Hiebert and the club’s coaching staff, 11 other scouts report their findings from a number of hubs, including the Greater Toronto Area, Chicago, Northern Ontario and New Jersey. The scouts use software called RinkNet to keep track of the prospects they see. The program, which is used by clubs at both the junior and pro level, allows the observer to rate the player and estimate where they will go in the draft, while allowing space for comments and game reports. Then the collaboration begins. Click here to view scouting directory.
“From that, each scout creates a list,” explains Hiebert. “We come together two or three times a year and we’ll narrow that list down to players that the Rangers would be interested in drafting.”
He admits that the Priority Selection can be a bit of a gamble: at 16-years old, it can be difficult to predict how a player will develop. Still, there are certain key qualities that the scouting staff looks for when they evaluate young prospects.
“In order to play for our coaches and in our system, the number one thing a player has to be able to do is skate. They also have to have good hockey sense,” Hiebert states. “Players will have different elements to their game, but that’s what we look for as the key indicators. Also the compete level – they have to battle and be willing to work hard every night. It’s what the Kitchener Rangers are known for, being a hard-working team, so we’re always looking for that.”
Of course, those are not the only elements that will make a good junior player – scout notes will include comments on indicators such as size, defensive and checking ability or scoring touch. And while there is no guarantee that a player will grow into their potential, Hiebert and the scouting staff approach the draft as a calculated risk.
“I always compare it to the economy,” he says. “You’re going to pick 15 stocks and you’re going to hope that five make you money and five break even, and you know you’re going to lose money on the other five. If five guys can come in and play out of every draft, over a four-year cycle, you’re always going to have a 20-man roster and you’ll do okay. That’s what you’re always looking for, those five guys. And when you can get more than that, well, you’ve had an exceptional draft.”
Countless man hours go into preparing the draft. Hiebert has already seen more than 450 games this season, taking in different prospects nearly every night of the week. As April 7th draws closer, Head Coach and General Manager Steve Spott and the rest of the coaching staff are also becoming more involved. And, of course, the work doesn’t end when the names are called.
“Immediately after the draft we start making plans to bring the players in for Spring Camp,” explains Hiebert. Some players will sign during that time, while all of the draftees will undergo baseline testing and physical exams. The newly drafted Rangers will also learn what it takes to make it in the OHL.
“It gives them an indication of what we’re all about and to let them know how hard they have to work and how strong they have to be. Camp exposes them to that and then we’ll monitor them for the following year.”
A scout’s work is never done. After the 2012 Priority Selection ends, they’ll immediately begin work for next season, while simultaneously keeping an eye on this year’s picks and watching for potential free agent prospects. It’s a lot of work, but for the players who receive a call from the Rangers, it can also be the start of something big.
Sophomore forward Zach Lorentz remembers the nerve-wracking wait of the draft well. Selected in the 12th round of the 2009 Selection, he had a breakout season this year, recording 19 goals and 33 points. But it all started with a phone call.
“It was getting to the late rounds and I’ll admit I was getting a little worried. I didn’t know what to think. I was following it on my computer and just before I was picked, my computer froze! So all of a sudden, I got a phone call from the team letting me know they’d selected me. It was definitely a great honour to be drafted here.”
Stay tuned to kitchenerrangers.com on April 7, 2012 for information on the OHL Priority Selection and the Rangers draft picks.
CLICK HERE to view previous Rangers Priority Selections.
