New moniker in Espanola
Out with the Express. In with the Paper Kings. Espanola’s Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League team has a new name.
Formerly the Espanola Express, it is now the Espanola Paper Kings.
Espanola president and head coach Jason Rapcewicz noted that the franchise will move in a direction that provides a better depiction of its paper town history and industry with the new moniker.
“We as an organization felt that it is time to represent more of what Espanola is. It has a rich history of being a town of paper makers, with multiple generations of families that have been employed to make paper for over 100 years. We feel that our name change to the Espanola Paper Kings is a more relatable and a greater representation of the Town of Espanola and its residents,” relayed Rapcewicz.
Sporting a new look, the team colours will now consist of white, blue, green and gold. And as the sole owner of the franchise, Rapcewicz, who resides in Espanola, wants the Paper Kings to become more community oriented.
“We as a team would like to become more integrated in the community and spend more time giving back to organizations, such as the local food bank, seniors centres, schools and any local organization that can use some help,” said Rapcewicz.
Love the change! Great move Jason!