Paul Flindall, General Manager and Head Coach
Jonathan Zion, Assistant Coach
Jonathan Zion, a Nepean native and former Raider, joins the Raiders as Assistant Coach for the 2025–26 season. Jon spent his 15-year-old year in the Black and Red before moving on to the Ottawa 67’s, where he played all five of his junior seasons and was part of their 1999 Memorial Cup championship team.
Drafted in the 4th round of the 1999 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jon went on to play in the AHL and ECHL before heading overseas. His pro career took him through Finland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, England, Poland, and the Netherlands before wrapping up in 2013 with the Allen Americans. Jon now brings that wealth of playing experience back home to help guide the next generation of Raiders.
Zachary Cross, Assistant Coach
Zach Cross, a native of Nepean, Ontario, grew up immersed in the game of hockey and went on to play junior hockey in the CCHL. His deep-rooted love for the sport naturally led him into coaching, where he has contributed at both the Junior B and Junior A levels with the Cornwall Colts. With his strong passion for coaching, Zach is dedicated to fostering player development and helping athletes reach the next level of their careers, both on and off the ice.
Max Piquette, Assistant Coach
Max brings 5 years of junior hockey experience, splitting time between the Jr. A and Jr. B levels. Following his playing career, Maxime has been working as a player development coach at SHIFT Performance, helping improve athletes both on and off the ice. He spent last season as an Assistant Coach with the Eastern Ontario Wild U16AAA.
Blake Hatt, Strength and Conditioning Coach
Blake Hatt is a certified Strength and a Conditioning coach who has spent the past three seasons coaching the uOttawa Men’s and Women’s Varsity Hockey Teams. Blake started his career at St. Francis Xavier University while he was a student and continued his career and studies at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas before coming to Ottawa. Blake will both challenge and support you through the season and is eager to get started with the team and bring a winning culture to Nepean.
Mike Murphy, Goaltending Coach
Mike is an NHL draft pick with playing experience in the NHL, KHL, AHL and OHL. In his junior hockey career, Mike received CHL goalie of the year honours as well as back to back OHL goalie of the years awards. He currently shares the record for best regular season save percentage in OHL history (.941%).
Transitioning from player to coach, Mike has coaching experience at NCAA, OUA, and Junior hockey levels. He has enjoyed watching multiple goalies he’s coached receive goalie of the year and all-star honours of their own. Mike continues to inspire athletes to reach their full potential on and off the ice, embodying the essence of dedication, passion and mentorship.
Corey Crilly, Equipment Manager
Corey brings over a decade of experience to the Raiders, and previously worked with the Carleton University Ravens men’s hockey team from 2018 to 2020. Corey is the recipient of Nepean’s Best Staff Person Award for the 2024-2025 season.
