Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee Raiders founding member and former president Morris Hart was recognized for his contributions to junior hockey on June 15, earning the Ontario Hockey Association’s Gold Stick.
The prestigious award is an honour of merit, presented to someone who has demonstrated outstanding service to the game for a minimum of 10 years.
Hart fit that description in spades, having spent more than 35 years with the Raiders, first helping to establish the Jr. C club in 1989 and then serving on the executive, more than two decades as president. He continues to assist the club in a number of capacities, whether its through washing jerseys or raising critical funds for the club.
Those efforts were rewarded at the OHA’s annual general meeting, which was held in Kincardine.
Hart, though grateful for the award, says these type of accolades are not what got him into the game.
“I look at it a little differently maybe,” Hart told the Beaver. “It’s not an individual award, it’s an award that is won by many different people that have helped out the Raiders over the years. All of the members we’ve had past and present on the executive, they’ve all done a remarkable job of keeping players in the position each and every year to really contend in our own division and quite often able to get out of our division, all thanks to those people and our sponsors. In Napanee we’re so fortunate that our sponsors, they never say no. We’ve got sponsors that have got their names on the back of our sweaters that have been there for 35 years. It’s amazing.”
Hart says the volunteers, players and coaching staff have made it easy for him to stick around all these years. He also noted the fact the team’s coaching staff is made up of three alumni players (Ben Hagerman, Chris Brown and Evan Brown), is the perfect example of how the franchise is able to retain talent. He estimates they are probably the only junior team in the province that has a bench staff made up of alumni.
“Over those years we’ve had numerous not just ordinary hockey players, but great hockey players,” said Hart. “They could have easily played at another level but they decided ‘no I’m going to go to school or whatever and stay home. I don’t want to go 150 or 200 miles from home and pay room and board to somebody I don’t know’. They’d just stay here and go to Queen’s, or St. Lawrence or go to Loyalist. That’s the decision that a lot of guys have made and it’s worked out well for us.”
Hart was nominated for the Gold Stick by the team’s current GM, Adam Bramburger.
“Morris in so many ways he’s been a leader for our staff. Our volunteers, players, look to him for that experience,” said Bramburger. “He’s been the guy that’s been here for when the team has struggled and pulled it through, and he’s been here for two Schmalz Cups, which his leadership definitely contributed to. He’s someone that you can count on that really put a lot into this organization to make it as success as it is.”
Bramburger added that Hart has not only served the Raiders, but has always done his part to grow the entire division and league as a whole. That was clear by the amount of his peers who reached out to congratulate him on his well-deserved award.
The Gold Stick Award can trace its roots back to 1947 when it was first presented to Capt. James T. Sutherland of Kingston-the man often referred to as the Father of Hockey.
Hart’s award was a nice kick-off to the off-season for the Raiders as they already begin to lay the ground work for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Bramburger says they are in the final stages of working out some deals and will have some signing announcements in the coming weeks.
The Tod Division will feature a bit of a different look this coming fall. Along with the relocation of Campbellford to Trent Hills, the division will also welcome the North Kawartha Knights and Lakefield Chiefs.
A schedule is yet to be released, though the regular season is expected to get underway in late September.