The Hanover Barons are back in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) final four, and this time, they’re facing a team they haven’t met in over three decades.
The Barons will open their Clarence Schmalz Cup semifinal series at the P and H Centre on Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 8 p.m. against the Napanee Raiders, with Game 2 set for Friday in Napanee at 7:30 p.m. The matchup marks the first time the two teams have met since the 1993 Schmalz Cup final, when Napanee captured the first of its two provincial championships, the other coming in 2019.
"It’s been a long time," said Barons President Peter Irwin. "I got married in 1993 and was still playing for the Durham Thundercats. I didn’t think I’d be back involved at this level with the same two teams facing off again."
Both teams come into the semifinal with impressive playoff resumes. Hanover boasts a 16-2 record this postseason, cruising through the Pollock Division and North Conference. After sweeping the Goderich Flyers and Kincardine Bulldogs, the Barons defeated the Fergus Whalers and then knocked off the Orillia Terriers in five games to claim their second straight North Conference title.
The Barons closed out Orillia with a 2-1 win at home, getting power-play goals from Sam Barrett and Eliott McCarey and a 38-save performance from goaltender Derek Hartley.
"Our special teams and goaltending were huge," Irwin said. "They outshot us in three of five games and didn’t score a single power play goal in the series. That tells you everything about how committed our guys were defensively."
Meanwhile, Napanee has gone 16-4 in the playoffs, eliminating Trent Hills, Amherstview, Frankford, and then sweeping the Clarington Eagles in the East Conference final. That sweep caught the attention of Irwin and the rest of the Barons' staff.
"We knew Napanee had a good team through our contacts," Irwin said. "But I think what shocked us more was that they beat Clarington four straight. That was the moment we knew we were in for a battle."
Despite facing a number of unexpected matchups during the playoffs, such as Fergus instead of Mount Forest, and Orillia instead of Alliston, Irwin said the Barons are focused on adapting to whoever is in front of them.
"We’re not underestimating Napanee by any means," he added. "They’re fast, they move the puck well, and they just beat one of the best teams in the province in four games. We’re ready."
Hanover’s offense has been electric, with six players averaging at least a point per game. Alex McGillivray and Mark McIntosh lead the charge with 39 points apiece, while Ryan Colquhoun, Kyle Maloney, Aaron Dukeshire, and defenceman Danny Scott have all contributed key scoring.
Hartley continues to backstop the Barons with poise, boasting a 14-2 record, 2.31 goals-against average, and .928 save percentage through 16 playoff games.
Napanee, however, is no slouch. On the offensive side, the Raiders are led by defenceman Erik MacNiel (5 goals, 22 assists) and forward Ben White (11 goals, 10 assists). Andrew Carr and Trent Williams have also combined for 30 playoff goals between them. Goalie Logan Vale has started 19 of the Raiders’ 20 playoff games and holds a 15-3 record with a 2.01 GAA and .925 save percentage. Raiders GM Adam Bramburger pointed to Vale’s goaltending as a potential equalizer.
"The goal tending was there with Logan Vale in our defense. He kept (Clarington) pretty much at bay and good things happened for us."
The winner of the series will move on to the Clarence Schmalz Cup Final against the survivor of the other semi-final matchup between the Essex 73’s (16-3) and New Hamburg Firebirds (16-8).
For Irwin and the Barons, the focus remains squarely on the task ahead, even if the ghosts of 1993 linger in the background.
"We’re proud of what we’ve done to get here," Irwin said. "But the job’s not done. We want to take that next step, and we know Napanee won’t make it easy."