Peterborough Petes Release Development Camp Schedule

The Peterborough Petes annual Development Camp will encompass three days and starts this Friday, wrapping up on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Roughly 50 players are expected to attend camp. They will be split into three teams for the on-ice scrimmage portion of the weekend.

On Friday, the camp will begin with off-ice fitness testing at Hybrid FHP (not open to the public) before transitioning to on-ice scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday morning.

All scrimmages will occur at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) and are open to the public. Scrimmages will also be streamed on the Petes Facebook page with commentary.

Full scrimmage Schedule:

Saturday, April 27

• 9:00 a.m.  - Team East Side Mario’s (White) vs Team Sign-A-Fied (Black) 

• 9:50 a.m. - Team Sign-A-Fied (Black) vs Team Hybrid (Maroon)

• 10:40 a.m. - Team Hybrid (Maroon) vs Team East Side Mario’s (White)

• 2:30 p.m. - Team East Side Mario’s (White) vs Team Sign-A-Fied (Black)

• 3:20 p.m. - Team East Side Mario’s (White) vs Team Hybrid (Maroon)

• 4:10 p.m. - Team Hybrid (Maroon) vs Team Sign-A-Fied (Black)

Sunday, April 28

• 8:30 a.m. - Team Sign-A-Fied (Black) vs Team Hybrid (Maroon)

• 9:20 a.m. - Team East Side Mario’s (White) vs Team Sign-A-Fied (Black)

• 10:10 a.m. - Team East Side Mario’s (White) vs Team Hybrid (Maroon)

A full camp roster will be released on Friday afternoon. Print out rosters will be available at the PMC during the scrimmages.

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Peterborough Petes Draft 15 Players From OHL Priority Selection; Take Hometown Prospect In First Round

After a weekend in the war room, the Peterborough Petes have drafted 15 players in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection including hometown top prospect Colin Fitzgerald in the first round over the weekend.

Colin Fitzgerald (pictured) was selected third overall by the Peterborough Petes. Photo courtesy of Dan Hickling and the Peterborough Petes.

Fitzgerald was taken with the third overall pick.

“Colin is a big centreman who plays a great two-way game, knows how to score and is good on faceoffs,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations. “We’ve been monitoring him all season and were really impressed with his play, especially in the OHL Cup. It’s very exciting to be able to add a local player with a skillset like Colin’s.”

Fitzgerald played 34 games last season with the Peterborough Petes U16s, scoring 39 goals and adding 25 assists for 64 points. In eight playoff games, he scored 13 times and added eight assists, helping the Petes to the OMHA Championships and the 2024 OHL Cup. In six OHL Cup games, the 6.01, 174 lbs centre finished tied for the tournament lead in scoring with eight goals and five assists for 13 points, leading the Petes to a semi-final finish and being named to the All-Star team.

In the second round, Peterborough selected defenceman Blake Gowan with the 32nd overall pick.

“Blake is a very big, solid defenceman who plays a hard-hitting game,” said Oke. “He was a big part of a very good Barrie Colts team and is somebody who will physically be able to step in to the OHL.”

Gowan, a defenceman from Kingston, played in 33 games with the Barrie Colts U16 last season, scoring two goals and adding 25 assists for 27 points. In 10 playoff games this season, Gowan scored three times and added eight assists for 11 points, helping the Colts to an OMHA Championship and an OHL Cup berth.

The following is a list of the Petes draft picks:

• 1st round, 3rd overall: Colin Fitzgerald, F, Peterborough Petes U16

• 2nd round, 32nd overall: Blake Gowan, D, Barrie Colts U16

• 5th round, 85th overall: Adam Levac, F, Eastern Ontario Wild U16

• 5th round, 99th overall: Genc Ula, D, North Jersey Avalanche U15

• 6th round, 105th overall: Alexander Hage, F, Vaughan Kings U16

• 7th round, 125th overall: Raiden Doxtator, F, London Jr. Knights U16

• 8th round, 145th overall: Elijah Chavez, F, Vaughan Kings U16

• 9th round, 165th overall: Luka Gelinas, G, Eastern Ontario Wild U16

• 10th round, 185th overall: Marcus Sulug, D, Niagara North Stars U16

• 11th round, 205th overall: Luis Sturgeon, D, Lambton Jr. Sting U16

• 12th round, 225th overall: Jonny Brooks, F, Oakville Rangers U16

• 13th round, 245th overall: Alexander Smyth, F, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes U15

• 14th round, 265th overall: Kasra Fathi, F, Kitchener Jr. Rangers U16

• 15th round, 283rd overall: Matthew McKenna, F, Central Ontario Wolves U16

• 15th round, 285th overall: Matthew Crawford, F, Sun County Panthers U16

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Former Peterborough Pete Nick Lardis Signs a Three-Year Entry Level Contract With the Chicago Blackhawks

Former Peterborough Pete forward Nick Lardis has agreed with the Chicago Blackhawks on a three-year, entry-level contract that runs through the 2026-27 season ($896,667 salary cap hit), signed on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Lardis spent a full season with the Petes in 2021-22, playing 63 games for 18 goals and 19 assists. He played another 36 with the Petes before being traded to the then-Hamilton Bulldogs on Jan. 7 last year with Sahil Panwar, a 2023 third-round pick (obtained from the Flint Firebirds), and a 2026 conditional sixth-round pick for Avery Hayes and Gavin White.

The 18-year-old appeared in 37 regular-season games with the Bulldogs this season, posting 29 goals and 21 assists.

The 5-foot-11, 171-pound Oakville native was originally drafted by the Blackhawks in the third round (67th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

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Peterborough Petes Forward Brennan Faulkner Named Westland Insurance Community Player of the Month

Peterborough Petes forward Brennan Faulker is the recipient of the Westland Insurance Community Player of the Month for March.

Photo by dAVID tUAN bUI.

The London native participated in three ball hockey visits to local schools and attended the Volt Hockey launch event at the YMCA of Central East Ontario which is designed to create a team environment for players with disabilities.

“I think it’s very important to be active members of the community,” said Faulkner. “We’re role models for these kids and it’s important to be a positive influence.”

The Petes Ball Hockey Program launched last year and has provided free ball hockey to over 2,000 local students and counting.

The Petes, in collaboration with educator ambassadors in each school, provide each participating school with all necessary equipment, training and support to play ball hockey at no cost.

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History Repeats Itself As Peterborough U16 AAA Petes Get Eliminated In OHL Cup Semifinals For a Second Consecutive Year

For the second straight year, the Peterborough U16 AAA Petes were eliminated in the semifinals of the OHL Cup by the same opponent, the Vaughan Kings, in a 3-0 loss at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto on Thursday night.

The Petes lost to the Vaughan Kings in last year’s OHL Cup, 4-2, on April Fools Day. pHOTO courtesy of Peterborough U16 AAA Petes.

It was a battle of the undefeated as both teams boasted a 5-0 record heading into the semifinal. The winner would take on the Oakville Rangers, who narrowly defeated the North York Rangers, 6-5, earlier that day.

Peterborough struggled to muster any offense in the first period as they registered three shots on net. The Kings had 13 shots, one of which was courtesy of Cole Emerton. With just over four minutes left in the stanza, the Petes turned the puck over in the defensive zone; Emerton intercepted the pass and was uncontested in his shot to make it 1-0 Kings.

Vaughan extended their lead with a one-timer at point-blank range from Caleb Malhotra, was seemingly stopped by Petes Morgan Hyndman but the puck was sitting at the line. Peterborough tried to clear the puck but the referee deemed the puck had crossed and it was 2-0, Kings over Petes.

Things would not improve for the Petes as one of their top prospects, Colin Fitzgerald, took a tripping penalty, putting the Kings on the powerplay. It only took 10 seconds for Vaughan to capitalize, as Alessandro Di Iorio took a shot from just outside the faceoff circle and ripped it through traffic for a 3-0 lead.

It was all or nothing for the Petes in the period to try and erase a three-goal deficit. Fitzgerald had an opportunity to get Peterborough on the board with a breakaway. He tried the five-hold of Kings goaltender Justin Young but he closed the door on any chance of a comeback and made the save. The Petes outshot the Kings for the first time in any period with 6-4 but none found the back of the net. Peterborough was eliminated from the OHL Cup by a 3-0 score.

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Local Online Radio Station to Stream Throwback Peterborough Petes Broadcasts

Following last season’s run to an OHL Championship for the Peterborough Petes, the Kawartha Time Machine online radio station makes up for the Petes’ absence in the post-season by streaming several full throwback games beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Kawartha Time Machine was founded in 2015 by retired broadcaster Gordon Gibb to curate and preserve regional broadcast archives through a music-based, online nostalgia station. Gibb has served as the in-house public address announcer for the Peterborough Petes since the 1996-1997 season. Photo courtesy of Kawartha Time Machine.

Running each Thursday for seven straight weeks, several games streamed include a reprise of the 1974 exhibition game between The Peterborough Petes representing the Canadian entry in The World Junior Invitational Hockey Championship. This non-sanctioned tournament served as the precursor to the annual tournament enjoyed in the modern day.

The pivotal game for the Petes was played on Jan. 6th, 1974, against Russia. The game—as well as the tournament and the events leading up to it—is the subject of ‘The First Ones,’ a book by Ed Arnold released in the fall.

The game between the Petes and Team Russia was originally broadcast live from Leningrad on 1420 CKPT with Bill Bennett on the morning of Jan. 6th.

With a copy of the broadcast loaned to us from Pete Pearson, The Kawartha Time Machine originally streamed the broadcast archive on the morning of Jan. on the exact 50th anniversary of the game. The Petes vs. Russia game will be the first game of a multi-week series.

The full schedule is as follows:

• March 28: Petes @ Russia Jan. 6 1974 (1420 CKPT, Bill Bennett)

• April 4: Petes @ Niagara Falls Flyers, Game 2 of the OMJHL Finals (Cable, 1979. The Petes would go on to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup that year and later, bring home The Memorial Cup for the first, and only time in franchise history).

• April 11: Petes v Marlies Jan. 2, 1986 (Gary Hahn, Kevin Varrin, Cable 6)

• April 18: Petes @ Oshawa Dec. 1, 2002.

• April 25: Petes v Plymouth Whalers, Dec. 15, 2005 (Bob Eakins Your TV)

• May 6: Petes v London Knights (Game 2) May 7, 2006

• May 13: Petes @ Kingston March 13, 2013

Several games will feature several NHL alumni and current players such as Eric and Jordan Staal, Dallas Eakins, Ron Tugnutt, Doug Jarvis, Stan Jonathan and John Druce, the latter also serving as colour commentator in later games. Neilson served as a coach for the 1974 Russia game.

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Peterborough Petes Draw Third Overall Pick In 2024 OHL Priority Selection

Following the OHL Priority Selection Lottery, the Peterborough Petes have drawn the third-overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection on Wednesday evening.

Screenshot.

Full Lottery Results:

1. Windsor Spitfires

2. Sarnia Sting

3. Peterborough Petes

4. Niagara IceDogs

The Petes entered the evening with a 20 per cent chance of receiving the first overall pick. The Niagara IceDogs had the odds of 40 per cent, followed by the Windsor Spitfires at 30 per cent and the Sarnia Sting at 10 per cent.

The 2024 OHL Priority Selection will begin on April 12th at 7 p.m. with the first three rounds. Picks four to 15 are selected on the 13th.

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Peterborough Petes Commemorate Staff and Players in Annual Year-End Ceremony; Head Coach Rob Wilson Signs Eight-Year Extension

To mark the end of the regular season, Peterborough Petes staff, family and friends attended the team’s annual year-end awards ceremony at The Venue on Tuesday.

In addition to winning the Petes Executive Trophy, Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska (left) was a recipient of the Molson Cup (most three-star selections voted by media). pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

Michael Oke, Petes general manager, made a surprise announcement that the organization has signed head coach Rob Wilson to an eight-year contract extension through the 2031-32 season.

“I’m very privileged to be head coach of the Peterborough Petes and I do feel that,” said Wilson.

Wilson was the teams’s 23rd Head Coach in May 2018. Wilson has amassed 154 wins, clinching a playoff spot in four of his five seasons in his tenure with the Petes. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Following speeches from Wilson and team president Dave Lorentz, captain Johnathan Melee gave a public address in which he recognized his teammates, staff, and several others for supporting the organization throughout the season.

After the speeches, the following awards were presented:

• Mark Teevens Memorial Award (most assists) – Tommy Purdeller (34 assists)

• Ed Redmond Memorial Trophy (scholastics and hockey) – Brody Partridge

• Outboard Marine Veterans Award (sportsmanship and ability) – Jonathan Melee

• Black’s Family Trophy (rookie of the year) – Carson Cameron

• Vince and Lottie Garvey Award (off-ice contribution) – Tracy and Chip Adamo

• Molson Cup (most three-star selections voted by media) – Liam Sztuska

• Donnie Marsh Memorial Trophy (most dedication to team) – Cam Gauvreau

• Ed Rowe Memorial Award (most goals) – Braydon McCallum (18 goals)

• Norm Bryan Award (most improved player) – Braydon McCallum

• Ushers Trophy (best defenceman) – Carson Cameron

• Bill Bennett/CKPT Memorial Award (leading scorer) – Tommy Purdeller (47 points)

• Gary Dalliday Award (community service) – Tommy Purdeller

• Petes Executive Trophy (most valuable player voted by teammates) – Liam Sztuska

The Board of Directors and Alumni Association presented gifts to the graduating and overage players:

• Liam Sztuska

• Quinn Binnie

• Chase Lefebvre

• Jonathan Melee

• Ryder McIntyre

• Tommy Purdeller

• Cam Gauvreau

Oke ended the night with a speech, acknowledging the players, hockey and business staff, billets, parents and fans. He then continued by marking on- and off-ice achievements this season.

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Peterborough Petes Looking For Bright Future After Transitional Season

The Peterborough Petes' player lockers were emptied after a down season of trying to defend their OHL Championship on Tuesday afternoon.

Cam Gauvreau, Peterborough Petes defenceman signs autographs as finishes his Ontario Hockey League career with the team. pHOTO BY dAVID tUAN bUI.

Peterborough finished with a 20-40-8 record, trailing by 12 points of the last playoff spot behind the Barrie Colts with 60 points.

The Petes had an electric start to the season, being named the league's second-best team in the OHL Power Rankings during Week 8 (Nov. 20). They held a record of 12-3-4 during that time. Peterborough fell to Earth as they wound up with a 2-16 record before the Jan. 10 trade deadline.

Michael Oke, Petes general manager, traded away several players to rebuild the team for the future after the team’s slump.

He said he was willing to move in either direction at the deadline, depending on whether another title run was viable or whether it was time to rebuild the team based on their record.

“We felt it was in the best interest of ourselves and of the players that were absolutely unbelievable during last year's magical run to put them in a position to have some success and further along their OHL careers as they were coming to an end,” explained Oke in a prior interview. “At the same time, allow us to acquire some new players to come and retool for another championship run on our end.”

The following were the transactions Peterborough made before the trade deadline:

• Nico Addy (forward), Martin Matejicek (defenceman) and 2026 third-round pick from the Owen Sound Attack for Konnor Smith (defenceman) and Sam McCue (forward)

• A second-round pick in 2024, Soo’s third-round pick in 2027 and Ottawa’s fifth-round pick in 2027 from the Ottawa 67’s for Samuel Mayer (defenceman)

• Flint’s second-round pick in 2025, Guelph’s third-round pick in 2026 and Windsor’s fifth-round pick in 2027 from the Kingston Frontenacs for Jax Dubois (forward)

• Aiden Young (forward), Ottawa’s second-round pick in 2025, Saginaw’s second-round pick in 2027, and Mississauga’s third-round pick in 2026 from the Saginaw Spirit for Owen Beck (forward)

• Caden Taylor (forward) and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2027 from the Sudbury Wolves for Donovan McCoy (defenceman)

• Grayden Strohack (defenceman) from the Flint Firebirds for London’s third-round pick in 2025, a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick both in 2027

• William Haley (defenceman) from the Mississauga Steelheads for a conditional 15th-round pick in 2027

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) NICO ADDY, MARTIN MATEJICEK, AIDEN YOUNG, CADEN TAYLOR AND WILLIAM HALEY. (absent) GRAYDEN STROHACK. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

Addy was acquired by the Petes on Jan. 2, eight days before the trade deadline. He made an immediate impact, scoring in his home debut.

“Just getting that point and getting more regularly on the stat sheet feels amazing,” he explained. “It gives you a bit more confidence, that little bit of confidence, that you need to make certain plays happen.”

Addy was one of several young acquisitions to help rebuild the team's future. Coming off an OHL Championship last year, the former Owen Sound Attack said the team can be primed to win another title.

“The championship last year shows us how good and effective this team and organization is so I really trust the hands of them right now,” he said. “I know that if we do the right things, that every single one of us will have a really good shot at getting another championship.”

MELEE (LEFT) is the team’s 63RD CAPTAIN IN FRANCHISE HISTORY. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

When the team introduced its newest players to the public, they also introduced its new team leaders. Jonathan Melee was named the new team captain after his predecessor Donovan McCoy was traded.

Melee was obtained from the then-Hamilton Bulldogs with Alex Pharand and six draft picks for Mason McTavish on Jan. 9, 2022.

After three months of being the team’s newest leader, Melee has learned quickly and is ready to guide the Petes into the next season.

“Before this season, I wasn't the biggest talker in the room but being an older guy on the team, I kind of learned to have a voice in the room and all the young guys listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth,” he explained. “That's one of my goals is just be more talkative in the room and help out as much as I can. When I was their age, I was looking up to my captain and I was listening to every word that they would say so I'm just trying to be that guy for them and being a positive role model.”

PHOTO BY Samantha Bianco.

One player not returning to the team is overage defenceman Cam Gauvreau who played his last game as a Pete on Sunday. He was honoured at the team’s last home game on Thursday.

“It was very emotional for me, doing that last lap around the ice after the game,” he explained. “I'm definitely going to miss this place and it's kind of tough to swallow that was my last time I'll ever be on this ice for the Petes.”

On Jan. 10 last year, he was traded to the Petes from the Saginaw Spirit. In addition to Gauvreau, the Petes received Saginaw’s fourth-round pick and Windsor’s third-round pick in 2025 while trading defenceman James Guo and their last year’s sixth-round pick.

He was part of the OHL Championship team last year, with three assists in 19 playoff games. This memory will last forever for Gauvreau during his Peterborough tenure.

“There's nothing better to celebrate with the boys and have the city behind you too,” he said. “It was really awesome to see the City of Peterborough. We filled this arena every game and it was really special to see.”

The Hamilton-born defenceman is attending the University of Ottawa in the fall and will play for their hockey team, the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

The Petes are honouring its players and staff at their year-end banquet and awards at The Venue on Tuesday night.

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Peterborough Petes Round Out Regular Season With Pair of Road Losses

The defending OHL-champion Peterborough Petes closed out their regular season with a pair of road losses to the Barrie Colts and North Bay Battalion over the weekend.

pHOTO courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes finished their final home game with a 9-0 loss to the Ottawa 67’s on Thursday night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre before hitting the road for finish their last two games.

They lost to the Colts on Saturday night, 4-1. Aiden Young score Peterborough’s lone goal before allowing four unanswered from Barrie.

They travelled to North Bay the next day and kept it close after the first period, trailing 3-2. The Petes could not find the back of the net again for awhile and allowed five straight goals. Peterborough mustered a last-minute goal on the power play but it was too little, too late as they fell 8-3 to the Battalion.

With the pair of losses, Peterborough finished with a 20-40-8 record. They were 12 points out of a playoff spot behind the Colts, who snagged the last playoff spot in the East Division with 60 points.

The team ended off as the third-worst team in the league, ahead of only the Windsor Spitfires and Niagara IceDogs, with 44 and 42 points, respectively.

The Petes are having their year-end banquet and awards at The Venue on Tuesday night. The team will bid farewell to Cam Gauvreau, overage defenceman and assistant captain who played his last game with the team on Sunday.

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