Napanee Raiders

Last updated
Napanee Raiders
Napanee Raiders.png
City Napanee, Ontario
League Provincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceEast
DivisionTod
Founded1989 (1989)
Home arena Strathcona Paper Centre
Colours Black, Silver, and White
General managerAdam Bramburger
Head coachBen Hagerman
Previous franchise history
1960–63Napanee Red Wings
1964–65Napanee Legion
1966–80Napanee Kelly Tiremen
1980–86Napanee Warriors
1989–nowNapanee Raiders

The Napanee Raiders are a Junior ice hockey team based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Contents

History

The current Napanee Junior C hockey team found its genesis in the 1960s as a member of the Eastern Junior C Hockey League when the team was known as the Napanee Red Wings and later the Napanee Legion. In 1966 the team changed its name to the Napanee Kelly Tiremen, a name that remained with the team through to the 1980 season. Napanee made several appearances in the Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs during this era advancing to the cup final in 1963, semi-finals in 1966 and 1967 and the quarter-finals in 1968. In 1980 the Kelly Tiremen became the Napanee Warriors. By this time the Eastern League became the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey league. The league was floundering and in 1986 merged with the more western Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League. It left the Napanee Warriors without a local league and forced them to go on hiatus.

Alumni: Blair Jarmin, Jason Hoagle, Aaron Uens, Mike Cassleman, Dylan Bliss, Jon Hull, Scott Bradley, Todd Demerah, John Cranston, Brian Marisson, Andrew Box, Paul Butler, Ben White, Ben Carter, Isaac Brown, Scott Myers, Andrew Hamilton, Jesse Wansborough, Brian Lyman,

Raiders era

After three seasons with no junior hockey, the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League was re-formed. The Napanee Raiders were its first regular-season and playoff champions in 1990.

In 1993, the Napanee Raiders forced[ citation needed ] the Ontario Hockey Association to take the far-east upstart league seriously. The Raiders finished first in the regular season with thirty-two wins in thirty-five games played. They won the league playoffs and entered the Clarence Schmalz Cup provincial playdowns. They made it to the provincial final where they faced the Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League's Hanover Barons for Ontario's crown. The Raiders came out on top with a 4-games-to-2 series win. This marked both the Raiders' and the new league's first provincial championship.

The Raiders won the Eastern Ontario Junior C League title again in 1994 and 1995. After the 1995 championship, the league announced that they were changing their name from the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League to the Empire B Junior C Hockey League. The name change was to end confusion between the league and the neighbouring Ottawa District Hockey Association's long-running Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

In 1995–96, the Napanee Raiders won their fourth straight league championship. Unlike the previous two years, the Raiders made it through to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final. Their opponents were the Paris Mounties of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. However unlike the 1993 finals, the Raiders fell short of their bid for a second provincial crown, losing in the championship series, 4-games-to-1.

In the 2000-01 season, the Raiders won their sixth Empire B Junior C Hockey League championship.

In 2005-06, the Raiders finished the regular season in first place overall. They received a bye through the league quarter-finals and ended up against the second year Colborne Cobras in the league semi-final. The Raiders proved too much for the Cobras and crushed them 4-games-to-none. In the league final, the Raiders met up with the Amherstview Jets. In a long and tough series, the Raiders prevailed in game 7, winning the series 4-games-to-3. In the provincial semi-final, the Raiders ran into the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League's Port Perry Mojacks. The Mojacks swept the Empire B champions 4-games-to-none.

The 2006-07 season saw the Napanee Raiders slip to third place overall in the regular season standings. The Raiders met the Amherstview Jets in the league semi-final. The Jets were set on avenging the 2006 Finals loss to the Raiders and defeated them 4-games-to-2 to move on to the league final. During the 2006-07 season, the Raiders invited the local Canada World Youth branch along with a large contingent of Peruvians from "La Brigada de Voluntarios Bolivarianos del Peru" to attend the game. The Raiders defeated the Picton Pirates 6-3 in front of their guests.

The 2007-08 season saw the Raiders win the Empire B Championship and for the first time since 1996 they defeated the Central Ontario League Champion (Georgina Ice) in the CSC QF. The Raiders would fall to the Alliston Hornets (eventual CSC Champs) in five games in the CSC SF

The Raiders finished the 2008-09 season with a 20-0 home record.

The Raiders regained their league championship in 2009-10 but had similar results in the CSC playdowns. They defeated the Little Britain Merchants (Central Ontario League) in 7 games but fell again to the Alliston Hornets (Georgian Mid Ontario) this time pushing them to six games.

After failing to make the playoffs for the first time in 2012-2013, the Raiders have been showing signs of improvement over the past three seasons under head coach Michael Hartwick. The team missed the playoffs by one point in 2013–2014, then reached the Empire B Junior C Hockey League final in each of the past two seasons, ultimately losing to Port Hope both years. The team has improved its wins and points records both seasons also.

After the 2015/16 season the Empire B Junior C Hockey League merged with seven other leagues from Southern Ontario to form the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The former league became the Tod Division of the East conference.

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1989-90302541-255100511st EOJCHLWon League
1990-91302271-191123451st EOJCHL
1991-92302703-19278571st EOJCHL
1992-93353221-28297671st EOJCHLWon League, won CSC
1993-94362493-212166511st EOJCHLWon League
1994-9540297-4264147621st EOJCHLWon League
1995-9642281220249164581st EBJCHLWon League, lost CSC Final
1996-97423192-207134641st EBJCHL
1997-983617181-144157354th EBJCHL
1998-9936131832142155313rd EBJCHLLost semi-final 1-4 (Pirates)
1999-0036171711136152362nd EBJCHLLost semi-final 3-4 (Rebels)
2000-013421832176126471st EBJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Flyers)
Won League 4-3 (Rebels)
Lost CSC quarter-final 2-4 (Bruins)
2001-0236201402150149421st EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-2 (Rebels)
Lost final 3-4 (Flyers)
2002-0334111913150191263rd EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-1 (Jets)
Lost final 0-4 (Rebels)
2003-0434191221172147412nd EBJCHLLost semi-final 2-4 (Jets)
2004-053423812149127491st EBJCHLLost semi-final 2-4 (Rebels)
2005-063424640206112521st EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Cobras)
Won League 4-3 (Jets)
Lost CSC quarter-final 0-4 (Mojacks)
2006-0740221621192146473rd EBJCHLLost semi-final 2-4 (Jets)
2007-0840288-4253156602nd EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Rebels)
Won League 4-0 (Jets)
Won CSC quarter-final 4-3 (Ice)
Lost CSC semi-final 1-4 (Hornets)
2008-0940373-0276113741st EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Pirates)
Lost finals 1-4 (Jets)
2009-1040297-4218130621st EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Pirates)
Won League 4-1 (Panthers)
Won CSC quarter-final 4-3 (Merchants)
Lost CSC semi-final 2-4 (Hornets)
2010-11402216-2171149461st EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Panthers)
Lost final 2-4 (Pirates)
2011-12401618-6156173384th EBJCHLLost quarter-final 2-3 (Panthers)
2012-13401027-3121197235th EBJCHLDNQ
2013-14402017-3182148435th EBJCHLDNQ
2014-154022171-182117452nd EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-1 (Rebels)
Lost final 0-4 (Panthers)
2015-164024124-163129522nd of 6 EBJCHLWon semi-final 4-1 (Jets)
Lost final 0-4 (Panthers)
2016-173926121-19994532nd of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Won semi-final 4-1 (Islanders)
Lost final 0-4 (Panthers)
2017-18403721-30270751st of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Lost semi-final 3-4 (Jets)
2018-19443841126471781st of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Won semi-final 4-0 (Panthers)
Won League 4-0 (Pirates)
Won East Conference 4-0 (Bruins)
Won CSC semi-final 4-0 (Hornets)
Won CSC final 4-1 (Peach Kings)
PJHL CHAMPIONS
2019-20443651224092781st of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Won semi-final 4-0 (Islanders)
incomplete final 2-0 (Pirates)
Playoffs cancelled due to covid
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22302240412557482nd of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Won semi-final 4-1 (Pirates)
Won final 4-3 (Jets)
Lost CSC quarter-final 1-4 (Eagles)
2022-234135510218113711st of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
quarter-final, bye
Lost semi-final 2-4 (Panthers)
2023-2442251502192123524th of 6
Tod Div-PJHL
Won quarter-final 4-2 (Pirates)
Won semi-final 4-2 (Huskies)
Won League 4-0 (Panthers)
Lost East Conference 2-4 (Eagles)
2024-25423281122094662nd of 8
Tod Div-PJHL
Won quarter-final 4-2 (Thunder)
Won semi-final 4-2 (Jets)
Won League 4-2 (Huskies)
tbd East Conference final 0-0 (Eagles)

Schmalz Cup Finals appearances

1963: New Hamburg Hahns defeated Napanee Red Wings 4-games-to-0
1993: Napanee Raiders defeated Hanover Barons 4-games-to-2
1996: Paris Mounties defeated Napanee Raiders 4-games-to-1
2019: Napanee Raiders defeated Grimsby Peach Kings 4-games-to-1