Hawkins to offer experience, offensive punch

With a need to replace over 100 goals from 2024-2025, the Napanee Raiders are seeking players who have scoring experience.

They believe 19-year-old Kingston centre Tanner Hawkins fits the bill.

In his final year of Under-18 AAA hockey with Greater Kingston, Hawkins lit the lamp 16 times. Last year, with the Athens Aeros in the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League, he added seven goals and six assists in the regular season, followed by a point-per-game effort in the playoffs.

With open movement between levels of junior hockey this year, and some familiar faces already inked in Napanee, Hawkins saw an opportunity to jump to the Raiders.

“I chose to come to Napanee because I heard so many good things about the team and the community and, as well, it’s closer to home,” he said.

While he’s excited about the opportunity to be an offensive leader, he is also committed to competing in his own end of the ice. Asked about who he models his game after, Aleksander Barkov, the captain of the two-time Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers comes to mind.

“I see myself kind of like (him) as an all-around player who can play offensively and defensively —being a 200-foot player.” 

Looking to the season ahead, Hawkins said his focus is team success.

“My goal is to help Napanee go as far as we can and be consistent every game. Being a leader will be another goal of mine,” he said.

Raiders general manager Adam Bramburger expressed excitement that Hawkins signed.

“Tanner is a player I’ve watched for a few seasons now and he’s someone we coveted last year before he signed in Athens. He has a good shot, he skates well, and he’s not afraid to go into high-traffic areas to make plays,” he said. “When (head coach) Ben Hagerman told me he was receptive to our recruiting, I felt very confident he’d be a good fit on our roster.”

Hawkins recently graduated from Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and he’s considering options for post-secondary education. This summer, he’s been working in landscaping and playing competitive soccer in Kingston.