Nepean Raiders


The Nepean Raiders are a Junior ice hockey team from Nepean, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. The town of Nepean was granted expansion after the Cornwall Royals and the Hull Hawks left the CJHL for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Raiders started their operations in the Valley division of the Junior "B" League in 1966, switching over to the Central Junior Hockey League in 1972.

History

Nepean made the finals multiple times between 1972 and 1981. In the 1980s. Steve Yzerman and Darren Pang are still known for being the most-outstanding Raiders in the early era. The Raiders struggled in the 1980s and 1990s missing the playoffs multiple times, and set a season-record for the most-penalized CJHL team in 1995-96.
The Nepean Raiders came under new ownership with Gord Black in 1998. Black had previously attempted to purchase the Ottawa 67's. Black introduced a new logo, similar to the one used by the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League, that was discontinued in 2014, with minor alterations. This logo was discontinued in 2009 when new ownership took over the Raiders organization, but still used as an alternate logo as the previous logo was revived.
In 2002-03, the Nepean Raiders broke a 22-year old championship appearance drought by winning the semi-finals against the Gloucester Rangers in 7 games. The Art Bogart Cup final was an easy task for the Raiders winning the series in 5 games against the Ottawa Junior Senators. At the Fred Page Cup in Cornwall, the Raiders finished 3rd and knocked off the hosts Cornwall Colts in the semi-finals, and lost the final to the Lennoxville Cougars.
The 2003-04 season saw 13 returning players poised to defend their championship season from before. The Raiders won a hard-fought series with the Gloucester Rangers, where game 7 was a nervous showdown where Nepean held on for a 1-0 win sending them to the Fred Page Cup in Valleyfield, Quebec. Nepean dropped the first 2 games to the Valleyfield Braves and the Saint-Eustache Gladiateurs. Nepean and the Campbellton Tigers went into the final game winless, and Nepean won 3-1 to go to the semi-finals where they defeated Saint-Eustache 3-2 in double overtime. Nepean won the finals 4-0 against Valleyfield to earn a trip to the Royal Bank Cup in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Nepean won their first game 5-4 against the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL, where they rallied back from a 4-0 deficit to win in overtime. Nepean improved their record to 2-0 after winning 2-0 against the Kindersley Klippers of the SJHL. However, the Raiders dropped to 2-1 after losing to the hosts Grande Prairie Storm 4-2. Their final round robin contest came against the top-ranked Aurora Tigers of the OPJHL, losing 3-1. The same teams met in the semi-final, and Aurora won 7-2 thus making the Raiders the 5th different CCHL team to fail to make the national championship.
The 2004-05 season saw the Nepean Raiders finish strong, but the Art Bogart Cup finals saw an intense series against the Hawkesbury Hawks, who finished three spots behind the Raiders. Game 7 was played in a neutral venue, because the ice was removed from the Nepean Sportsplex, so game 7 was held at the Kanata Recreation Centre instead. A record was broke in this game for the fastest five goals in a playoff game as Hawkesbury won 6-1.
Nepean returned from a devastating finish from the 2004-05 season and used the 2005-06 season to rebuild. Although, the Raiders finished 3rd overall, they had to deal with the Brockville Braves, who were up 3-1 in the series and Nepean came back to force game 7. With the game tied 2-2, Raiders forward Matt Valois scored the winner with 5 seconds left in regulation to avoid sudden death overtime. The Pembroke Lumber Kings, who were ranked #1 nationally awaited to the Raiders, and this series saw the Lumber Kings up 3-1, and Nepean coming back to win in seven games. However, the Raiders re-matched against the Hawkesbury Hawks, but lost the series in 6 games.
The summer of 2006 saw head coach and general manager Chris Byrne leave the team to accept a coaching position with the Ottawa 67's. Afterwards, this led to Gord Black putting the team up for sale. A replacement was found with Archie Mulligan, who was once the coach for the Kanata Valley Lasers, who had an impressive resume with a 15-year stint with the Valley Lasers, and an appearance in two national championships. In the end, Nepean finished 4th overall and lose to the Pembroke Lumber Kings in the finals.
The 2007-08 season started off strangely, as Archie Mulligan left the team early in the season and scrambling for a replacement. The Raiders went through three coaches and lost the first quarter-finals series for the first time since 2000. Nepean came under new ownership over the summer with Arnie Vered and Brian Altshuller. CBC commentator Garry Galley was hired as head coach. Nepean finished 1st overall, and lost the finals to Pembroke in 5 games.
In December 2009, Garry Galley left the team abruptly over disagreements with upper management, leaving players demanding trades and wanting to be released.
The 2011-12 was a breakthrough for Nepean, as they finished 1st overall. However, they almost let the semi-final series slip out of their hands against the Pembroke Lumber Kings, who were up 3-1 and Nepean ultimately won the series in 7 games.
Nepean ended its nearly 20-year playoff streak in 2016 when the Raiders failed to make the playoffs since 1994-95. Goaltender Francois Marotte broke a league record for the most minutes played in one season.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1972-735522321-214268455th CJHL
1973-745026186-287236582nd CJHL
1974-7550231710-254216544th CJHL
1975-765016277-186240395th CJHL
1976-775028139-263193651st CJHL
1977-784824204-258205523rd CJHL
1978-794836102-305187741st CJHLLost final 4-3 to Hawkesbury
1979-805025223-312260533rd CJHL
1980-815029138-281206661st CJHL
1981-825021227-253260514th CJHL
1982-835012317-194258317th CJHL
1983-845428179-278251651st CJHL
1984-8554203022226286445th CJHL
1985-8660362121302251753rd CJHL
1986-8752302110266207612nd CJHL
1987-8856291755249246684th CJHL
1988-8955253000216262507th CJHL
1989-9055193321228274417th CJHL
1990-9155252334242236575th CJHL
1991-9257262316274261596th CJHL
1992-9357321933285258704th CJHL
1993-9457312123306290674th CJHL
1994-95541038422143262610th CJHLOut of Playoffs
1995-9654143550220315335th in YzermanOut of Playoffs
1996-9753272330232223574th in YzermanLost quarter-finals 4-1 to Smiths Falls
1997-985620231310180180634th in YzermanLost quarter-finals 4-1 to Brockville
1998-9954312120202194643rd in YzermanLost semi-final 4-1 to Hawkesbury
1999-0056332030245239692nd in YzermanLost quarter-final 4-1 to Kanata
2000-01552619100222186633rd in YzermanLost semi-final 4-0 to Cornwall
2001-02553411100263174782ndLost semi-final 4-2 to Ottawa
2002-0355321762227185721st in YzermanWon league 4-1 over Ottawa
2003-0455371431229144781stWon league 4-3 over Gloucester
2004-055742933225131901stLost final 4-3 to Hawkesbury
2005-0659371633231174802nd in YzermanLost final 4-2 to Hawkesbury
2006-0755262162178165603rd in YzermanLost final 4-1 to Pembroke
2007-0860322332233203695th CJHLLost quarter-final 4-2 to Brockville
2008-09604212-6261145901st CJHLLost final 4-2 to Pembroke
2009-10623326-3250217696th CJHLLost Quarter-final 4-2 to Cornwall
2010-11622725-10207227646th CCHLLost Quarter-final 4-3 to Brockville
2011-12624611-5269159971st CCHLWon League 4-3 over Cornwall
2012-13623820-4235182804th CCHLLost Final 4-2 to Colts
2013-14622724-11189225657th CCHLLost Quarter-final 0-4 Bears
2014-15622335-4169215504th of 6 Yzerman
10th of 12 CCHL		Won Prelim. Round 2-1
Lost Quarter-final 0-4
2015-1662233351156198504th of 6 Yzerman
10th of 12 CCHL		DNQ
2016-1762243350171222532nd of 6 Yzerman
8th of 12 CCHL		Lost Quarter-final 1-4
2017-1862243224169196545th of 6 Yzerman
9th of 12 CCHL		Did Not Qualify for Playoffs

Fred Page Cup

Eastern Canada Championships
MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the finals.
YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemiFinalGold Medal Game
2003L, Lennoxville Cougars 2-5
W, Charlottetown Abbies 3-1
L, Campbellton Tigers 3-2		1-2-03rd of 4W, Cornwall Colts 3-2L, Lennoxville Cougars 0-4
2004L, Valleyfield Braves 0-4
L, St. Eustace Gladiators 4-6
W, Cornwall Colts 1-2		1-2-03rd of 4W, St. Eustace Gladiators 3-2W, Valleyfield Braves 4-0
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
2012W, Princeville Titans 4-0
OTL, Kanata Stallions 1-2
L, Woodstock Slammers 2-3		1-1-13rd of 4W, Kanata Stallions 6-1L, Woodstock Slammers 2-3

Royal Bank Cup

CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dudley Hewitt Champions - Central, Fred Page Champions - Eastern, Western Canada Cup Champions - Western, Western Canada Cup - Runners Up and Host
Round robin play with top 4 in semi-final and winners to finals.
YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemifinalGold Medal Game
20042OTW, Nanaimo Clippers 4-3
W, Kindersley Klippers 2-1
L, Grande Prairie Storm 2-7
L, Aurora Tigers 1-3		2-24th of 5L, Aurora Tigers 2-7n/a

Championships

Notable alumni