Paper Kings in pursuit
They are a true north team with 13 players from across the region. They are also one of the youngest teams in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League with 15 players who were born in either 2008, 2007 or 2006. And with all of that youth, the Espanola Paper Kings are in a multiple team chase for the eighth and final playoff spot in the NOJHL.
Espanola’s leading scorer, Kaden Wicklander, has a 2008 birth date and is among the youngest players in the NOJHL. An 11th round pick by the Brantford Bulldogs from the Sudbury U16 Wolves of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League at the 2024 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft, Wicklander is averaging a point per game as a productive forward for head coach Jason Rapcewicz and the Paper Kings.
And Wicklander is not the only youthful member of the Paper Kings who is putting points on the board with regularity for Espanola. 2007 birth year forward Grant Booth, who is an OHL draft pick of the Sudbury Wolves, is tied for second on the Paper Kings scoring chart. Also among the top scorers for Espanola are two more forwards with hockey youth on their side — Ashton Pitawanakwat and Carter Drigo. An OHL draft pick of the Barrie Colts, Pitawanakwat has a 2008 birth date while Drigo was born in 2007.
Notably, Wicklander, Booth, Pitawanakwat and Drigo are all northern lads from the Greater Sudbury Area. Among the many other Paper Kings with northern roots is 2007 birth year forward Lucas Dubois, who has a 2007 birth date as a homegrown Espanola product with pride and potential.
The Paper Kings have also been hanging in with pretty goaltending from a trio that includes time tested Connor Hatfield and younger tenders Jack Helkie and James Meredith. While Hatfield, with a 2004 birth date, is in his final season of junior eligibility, Helkie and Meredith both have time on their side. Helkie was born in 2006 and Meredith — who recently made 34 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Soo Thunderbirds — has a 2007 birth date.
Espanola has venerable NOJHL goalie coach Bill Vanderleest on board to tutor the net minders. Vanderleest, who formerly spent a decade in the NOJHL with the Soo Eagles, is in his second season with the Paper Kings. And he sees promise in the two younger goalies, Helkie and Meredith.
“They both have had their moments with us this season,” Vanderleest relayed to Hockey News North. “It is not easy being a younger goalie in the NOJHL. But both kids are showing improvement and along with Hatfield, our goalies are giving us a chance to win games and hopefully do their part to try to get us into the playoffs.”
Having my “Bunkie” tutoring the goaltenders is a real bonus to the goalies and the team overall. Bill is dedicated to these boys and the team.