Ontario Hockey Association

For the ninth time in 21 seasons, the Napanee Raiders are Empire B playoff champions after a 4-1 win in Game 5 over the Port Hope Panthers Saturday night.  The Raiders advance to face the Central Ontario champion Little Britain Merchants in the Schmalz Cup quarterfinals.

After a dramatic goal in overtime in Game 4, Adam Ruffolo notched his second game-winning goal in as many contests to make his mark on the series.  

Having set  up that extra period tally on Thursday, Dan Long and Paul Fortin continued to contribute also adding goals.  Jeremy Burley finished off the Napanee scoring with the team's second power-play goal of the night.  Adam Vandertoorn scored for Port Hope.

The Raiders had 19 opportunities on the man advantage as the Panthers took a steady parade to the penalty box throughout the night.

Zak Vandenburg won his eighth of nine playoff starts in goal.

Following the game as the Raiders claimed the Tod Trophy as champions, Long was presented the Sgt. Jason Boyes Trophy as the league's most outstanding playoff player. He led all scorers with 12 points.

Napanee's executive and management would like to thank our coaching and hockey staff, players, families, sponsors, and fans for another successful Empire B season.

The Raiders won the flip for home-ice advantage with the Little Britain Merchants and will be working with the Merchants and the OHA to schedule the next series. Stay tuned for further details.

The Napanee Raiders are pleased to learn that defenceman Paul Fortin was named the league's player of the month for December.

While December is a busy month for Queen's University students, the Ottawa native still gave the Raiders everything he had.  Fortin had a goal and 11 assists in seven games last month.

The 19 year old has been a tower of strength for Napanee's blue line since joining the club after playing last year with the Kingston Voyageurs.  As 2009 drew to an end, he led the Empire league in points by a defenceman.

The Napanee Raiders are committed to putting an entertaining team that commits to compete hard every night.  The team has acquired some talented players for the 2009-2010 season and is always scouting for skilled future prospects.  Please contact Raiders management about playing, sponsorship, and community inquiries.

Head coach Mike Casselman (pictured) takes the helm of the Raiders this year, succeeding outgoing coach Jacques Tremblay (the former coach of French and Swiss men's national teams and Royal Military College) who hand-picked Casselman to be his assistant coach prior to last year's record-breaking season.

Casselman brings an extensive background that includes five years playing OHA junior hockey and several seasons as a head coach at the midget and bantam levels of minor hockey. 

A Napanee native and former Raiders captain, he is a strong communicator with his players and is a well-prepared and passionate coach. He has a team-first attitude and believes in developing players as hockey players and as people.

Assistant coaches Aaron Lee, a Norwood University NCAA Div. III alumnus, and Keith George, a longtime coach in the Empire League and in local minor hockey ably support Casselman.

Trainers Kai Degen and Roddy Todd and equipment manager George Magold each bring more than 20 years experience to their roles.

They are supported by an extensive network of executives, scouts, and management committed to putting players first and achieving success on the ice. Support includes supplied equipment and a stick budget, team off-ice functions, educational advising,  program and media exposure and community events involvement.

The Strathcona Paper Centre was completed and officially opened in the Town of Greater Napanee in the fall of 2004. It features two 200x85 NHL-sized ice pads.  The Goodyear Rink, where the Raiders play has seating room for more than 1,000 spectators.

Other features of the facility include a pro shop and gym on site, a banquet centre, and a lounge overlooking the main ice pad.  The Raiders have their own fully-furnished dressing room and office in the building.

The Strathcona Paper Centre hosted the 2008 Canadian National Women's Under-18 Hockey Championships and  2010 Ontario Men's Curling Tankard Finals.  Officials are considering bidding for an upcoming Telus Cup national midget championship.

Located just off Highway 401 at exit 579, the Strathcona Paper Centre is conveniently located within a half-hour of Belleville and Kingston and post-secondary educational institutions like Queen's University, Royal Military College, Loyalist College, and St. Lawrence College.

The Napanee Raiders have built a legacy of success including...

• Clarence Schmalz Cup OHA Junior C Champions (1992-1993), the only time an Empire B team has claimed this honour.
• Clarence Schmalz Cup OHA Finalists (1995-1996) and two more berths in the OHA semifinals, the most in the region.
• A league-leading nine league playoff championships in 21 years, and 14 regular season championships.
• More cumulative regular season points than any team in the league.
• 21 years without missing the playoffs.
• Players regularly advancing to the Jr. A and college opportunities. Most recently, centre Chris Brown to Oswego State University via Wellington.