Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
The Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t the only hockey team to make a major upgrade to its offensive line this weekend as the Junior C Napanee Raiders announced they had acquired Cameron Harris, Dayton Kent, and Evan Foley from the Port Hope Panthers for cash considerations.
The Port Hope trio brings a considerable amount of firepower with them as Harris (29 goals, 36 assists), Kent (21 goals, 38 assists) and Foley (20 goals, 33 assists) ranked fifth, sixth and eighth in points in the PJHL’s Tod Division last year. They could conceivably team with the likes of reigning league scorer Ryan Casselman, who is eligible to return to Napanee, to form one of the greatest scoring combinations in franchise history. Last year the Raiders scored a team record 302 goals in 40 games.
“We’re real excited,” said Raiders head coach Mike Hartwick. “We’re losing some key players from last year, some overagers, Iggy (Tyler Ignazzitto, who was acquired by the Trenton Golden Hawks over the weekend) and (Jake) Campbell, so we do have some holes on our roster. When the opportunity presented itself to get these three guys it was fantastic for us as a team and an organization to bring in three players who have all played Junior A and are impact players at Junior A and also as our level.”
Hartwick says they’ll also bring plenty of leadership and playoff experience they hope will help the Raiders get over the hump in February. The Panthers have long been a thorn in the side of the Raiders come playoff time, ending their season in three of the last four season in the league finals while reaching the Schmalz Cup finals in two of the last three years.
Cameron Harris (right) was the Panthers’ leading scorer last year with 29 goals. File photo.
Harris, a native of Port Hope, describes himself as a power forward who can be an asset in both the offensive and defensive zones. He says the allure of playing for a Schmalz Cup in one of his final years in junior hockey was what drew him to Napanee.
Kent, who hails from Peterborough, sees himself as a complete player who can contribute offensively. He says a familiarity with players on the team, the strong reputation of the organization and the team’s potential brought him to Napanee. Last year, he won the Sgt. Jason Boyes Memorial Trophy as the division’s playoff most valuable player.
Foley is a Belleville native who rejoined the Panthers last season after skating with the Wellington Dukes in 2016-2017. In 2015-2016, he was named the Tod Division’s rookie of the year after a 61-point campaign.
“We’re not done yet,” Hartwick said on assembling the 2018-2019 team roster. “We still need to add pieces. We’re still looking and we’ve been working quite hard over the last few months. We’re optimistic that we’ll fill those holes.”