Beaver Sports
The Napanee Raiders swung a trade on Thursday, acquiring Cameron Krupa from the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League for a player development fee.
The London, Ont. native, born in 2002, had 10 goals and12 assists in 45 games during his rookie season with the Nationals last year. Prior to that, he captained the Elgin Middlesex Chiefs to an Alliance Major Midget AAA championship and a berth at the 2019 Telus Cup regional qualifier.
“Cameron has a developed a reputation as high-character individual and a key contributor to winning teams,” said Raiders general manager Adam Bramburger. “We’re excited that his educational path is bringing him in our direction. We expect he’ll be a vital cog on our roster for several years.” Krupa describes himself as a “hard two-way player” who loves creating chances offensively and battling in the corners as part of a fast-paced physical game. He has decided to attend Queen’s University to major in computer science this fall. Surveying teams in the Kingston area, Krupa found himself attracted to the Raiders’ record.
“They’ve carried a good reputation over the past couple years,” he said. “I’m very competitive and I wanted to play for a team that’s a Schmalz Cup contender while getting a degree. I felt it would be the best fit for me as I can excel athletically and help bring a championship home.”
Krupa says he hopes to show his teammates his leadership skills and willingness immediately and to be a threat in all aspects of the game once Napanee is permitted o return to regular action. Over the long term, he’s hopeful he can contribute to sustained success.
“My goals for my career here are to help the team be as successful as we can be. I want to have lots of fun and make a big impact on the organization.” Coach Ben Hagerman is looking forward to slotting Krupa into his line up. “The acquisition of Cam gives us another offensive player that is very reliable defensively,” Hagerman said. “We look forward to working with Cam in his development during the next stage of his life as a Queen’s University student and will be committed to working with him in all facets of his game.”
The PJHL is yet to announce a start date for the upcoming season.