Adam Prudhomme
Editor
The Napanee Raiders added some firepower to their offense this week, picking up Aiden Johnson and Matt Poole from the Gananoque Islanders in exchange for development fees.
Though the local Junior C team was unable to get a season going this year due to COVID-19, they’ve continued to add players to their roster as they hope to return to the ice next fall.
“These proven veteran leaders and scorers are a nice complement to the team we’ve assembled and we anticipate they will be key contributors moving forward in 2021-2022,” reads a statement on the Raiders’ social media page.
Johnson played 45 games for the Islanders in 2019-20, recording 17 goals while adding 20 assists. The 6-1’ left-handed shooting forward was third on the team in points. The offensive output marked a huge jump from his previous year, when he had 10 goals and eight assists for 18 total points in 32 games. He’ll turn 20 next Friday.
Poole had five goals and 15 assists in 25 games played in 2019-20. The Belleville native, who will play the next season as a 21-year-old, spent two seasons with the Picton Pirates before spending one year with Gananoque. His best season was his rookie year with the Pirates, when he had 21 goals with nine assists, though he did so in 43 games. He’s listed as 6-2’ and shoots left-handed.
-Former Napanee Raider Brodie Butt has signed with the Deseronto Bulldogs of the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League.
The 23-year-old Trenton native spent parts of three seasons with the Raiders ranging from 2013-16. He got his start with the Quinte Red Devils and went on to play for the Trenton Golden Hawks and the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
His most recent club was the Yarmouth Mariners of the Junior A Maritime Junior Hockey League where he had three goals and five assists in 25 games played in 2016-17.
His best offensive output came in 2014-15 with the Raiders when he had 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 games. He added four more points in nine playoff games that year. With the Dukes he had four goals and six assists in 23 games played in 2015-16.