Peterborough Lakers' Back-End Locked and Loaded For 2026 Season
/The Peterborough Lakers have locked down their defensive core and goaltending for the 2026 season.
Robert Hope has won four Mann Cups for the Peterborough Lakers and is also the head coach for the Peterborough Jr. A Lakers. Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.
Over the last week, a number of veteran defenders have returned for another run at the Mann Cup national championship.
Fourteen-year veteran and captain, Robert Hope, returns this year. A Peterborough native and Jr. A Laker graduate, Hope was named captain in 2017 and has led the team to four Mann Cup championships.
He is joined by fellow Peterborough natives Dustyn Birkhof and Dylan Hutchison. Assistant captain Matt Gilray also returns for his 10th season.
The Lakers expect sophomore Chris Harland to play a bigger role this season after gaining experience with the Arena Lacrosse League’s Toronto Monarchs.
Brenden Boyle was drafted by the Lakers in 2024 and has committed to the team for the season after playing in Nanaimo for the last two summers.
All three Lakers’ goaltenders are back, with Nick Rose and Drew Hutchison returning to the team after the NLL season’s conclusion. The two face off against each other in the NLL Cup championship with Rose’s Toronto Rock taking on Hutchison’s Halifax Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series.
Curve Lake’s Deacan Knott is between the pipes until their return.
The Lakers schedule is as follows:
May 21 vs. Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.
May 28 vs. Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.
May 30 at Owen Sound North Stars at 4 p.m.
June 1 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.
June 4 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.
June 10 at Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.
June 18 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.
June 21 at Cobourg Kodiaks at 6 p.m.
June 25 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.
June 29 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.
July 7 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.
July 9 vs. Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.
July 16 vs. Oakville Rock at 8 p.m.
July 23 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.
July 24 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.
July 28 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.
July 30 vs Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.
