Captain of the Paper Kings
Strong, steady defenseman Liam McDonald has been named the new captain of the Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Hockey News North has confirmed.
Experienced at the NOJHL level with both Espanola and the Hearst Lumberjacks, McDonald played in 34 games, playoffs included, for the Paper Kings in 2022-2023 and recorded four assists.
Jason Rapcewicz, who is the president and head coach of the Paper Kings, relayed his reasoning to Hockey News North relative to naming McDonald as Espanola’s team captain for the 2023-2024 season.
“First of all, we are excited to have Liam returning for this coming season,” Rapcewicz began. “Liam is a workhorse who plays the game with a high level of intensity. He stepped up last year and has shown us to be a proven leader. And with former captain Josh Rumolo leaving for the (Ontario Jr. Hockey League by way of a recent trade) Liam was the perfect fit to take over. The qualities and the way Liam plays the game are what it means to lead by example.”