Paper Kings from the region
Espanola Paper Kings of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League have a repute for staying true to players from the northeast region of the province. And signed by the Paper Kings ahead of the looming ’26-27 regular season are eight skaters from northeastern Ontario.
The list includes returning forwards Carter Drigo, Cain Savage, Colton Loiselle and holdover defenseman Carter Makasoff. Incoming players with northeast roots are forwards Carter Mullen, Gillis O’Daiskey and Sam Piette and defenseman Tayden Smith.
Drigo, Savage, O’Daiskey, Piette and Smith are all from the Greater Sudbury area. Loiselle hails from North Bay, Makasoff is originally from Sault Ste. Marie and Mullen is a local Espanola product.
Drigo Can Light It Up. Having led the Paper Kings in goals in ’25-26 with 34 — playoffs included — Carter Drigo returns to Espanola for another season in ’26-27. A 2007 birth year skater, Drigo is back with the Paper Kings after recently attending the Ontario Hockey League training camp of the Windsor Spitfires as a free agent invitee. Drigo made it through to the intra-squad game in Windsor before being sent back to Espanola.
Dandy Duo. Among others, president/head coach Jason Rapcewicz and venerable goalie coach Bill Vanderleest are back with the Paper Kings. With Rapcewicz at the helm, the Paper Kings are coming off of a ’25-26 season in which they placed sixth among the 11 teams of the NOJHL with 58 points from a record of 27-21-4. As for Vanderleest, this is a committed individual who regularly commutes to Espanola from his Sault Ste. Marie home.
2026 OHL Draft Picks. The Paper Kings have signed two 2010 birth year skaters who were picked by the North Bay Battalion at the 2026 OHL priority selections draft. They are defenseman Tayden Smith (11th round from the Sudbury Jr. Wolves) and forward Carter Trudell (12th round from the Windsor Jr. Spitfires.)
