Modern History
Nepean sought new ownership in 1998, and were bought buy Gord Black, who gave the Nepean Raiders a much-needed facelift, giving the team a new logo (used from 1998–2008), and a new reputation. The new ownership named Fred Parker head coach for 1998-99, but was released after the season. Nepean went with former Nepean Raiders grad Chris Byrne and named him head coach for 1999-00, and was later named general manager along with head coach in 2002. Chris Byrne's coaching tactics and player development helped turn the Nepean Raiders into one of most-successful franchises in the CJHL leading the team to their first championship in 2003, and another in 2004. Nepean won the Fred Page Cup later on. Despite, the dramatic comeback in the Fred Page Cup, it wasn't enough for to make the Royal Bank Cup finals, despite a 2-0 record at the start of the tournament.
In 2004-05, the Raiders set a season-low of 9 losses and finishing 1st overall for the second-consecutive year. However, the Raiders found themselves losing a controversial finals against the Hawkesbury Hawks when game 7 was played at a neutral venue.
After the 2005-06, the Nepean Raiders lost Chris Byrne to the OHL's Ottawa 67's as an assistant coach, and Archie Mulligan was hired. Mulligan, who had a strong reputation with Kanata from 1978-2002 was expected to help revive Nepean. The efforts were not enough, and Nepean finished 4th, but made the finals, losing to Pembroke. In the fall of 2007, Archie Mulligan resigned from the team after differences between management. Soon after, players desired to be traded. At the end, the Nepean Raiders had 3 different head coaches.
In 2008, after 10 years of ownership, Gord Black sold the franchise to Bryan Altshuller and Arnie Vered. The new owners, revived the team to its original era, but also commemorated the pirate logo as a symbol of success in the past. Hockey Night in Canada commentator Gary Galley was hired as head coach. The changes paid off, as the Raiders finished 1st overall in 2008-09. In the end, Nepean lost the finals to Pembroke.
In December 2009, the organization dealt with a devastating blow as management and coaching staff parted ways over differences. Players wanted to be traded afterwards, and new coach Peter Goulet encouraged players to stay, as he tried to resolve the issues.
Nepean adopted the original logo for 2010-11, and discontinued the pirate logo.
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“Though collecting quotations could be considered as merely an ironic mimetism—victimless collecting, as it were ... in a world that is well on its way to becoming one vast quarry, the collector becomes someone engaged in a pious work of salvage. The course of modern history having already sapped the traditions and shattered the living wholes in which precious objects once found their place, the collector may now in good conscience go about excavating the choicer, more emblematic fragments.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)