The Toronto Blue Jays Winter Tour Hits Peterborough January 12th

Members of the Toronto Blue Jays—including Steve Delabar, Adam Lind and Colby Rasmus—will be at an autograph session at Lansdowne Place mall Sunday, January 12th, in the Centre Court near Sportchek. The session will take place from noon until 1:30 p.m.

This is the fourth annual Toronto Blue Jays Winter Tour presented by TD, and the tour will be also be making stops in Oshawa, Kingston, St. Catharines, London and Mississauga during the month of January.

[via @AndrewStoeten]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Here's Pictures Of Backyard Rinks In Peterborough & Area

[UPDATE #2: CBC's Strombo plugs our post.]

[UPDATE: Deadspin picks up the story.]

We asked for pictures of your backyard rinks from the area and they're starting to roll in—including the best homemade Zamboni we've seen yet. Send us your rink pictures—email us here or tweet us here—and we'll add to this post.

via Mike Garside

via Jen Bell

via Ken Elrick II (good effort)

via Jen Pinarski in Bobcaygeon

via Jason McMahon, a rink in Cavan

via Jason McMahon, another from a rink in Cavan (great Zamboni!)

via Jeff Mills, Lakefield

via Tom and Melanie Main, farm near Norwood

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Peterborough's Brent Tully Named To TSN's All-Time, All World Junior Hockey Championship Team

Tully back in the day anchoring D for the Petes

Former Petes captain and Peterborough native Brent Tully was named to TSN's All Time, All World Junior Hockey Championship Team. Others on the list include Russia's Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Bure, as well as fellow Canadians Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky—the greatest player in the history of hockey, .

Tully won two gold medals with Canada at the 1993 and 1994 World Junior Championships, serving as team captain during the '94 title run. Tully played for the Petes from 1990 to 1994. He was drafted in 1992 by the Vancouver Canucks, 93rd overall, but never played a game in the NHL.

In 1997, after several years in the AHL, he went to Germany where he played five pro seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga before retiring from hockey in 2002. Tully is currently the Assistant General Manager with the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior (A) Hockey League, and resides in Peterborough.

—PTBOCanada's sports reporter Scott Arnold

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Local Gift Under $25 For The Cyclist

Stumped as to what to buy this year? Here are two local gifts under $25 for the Cyclist. Stop in at Wild Rock (located at 169 Charlotte Street) and pick up the Torch Bright Flex LED Light, which is easy to attach to the front and back of your bike to make sure others around you are aware of your presence. Be sure to pick up a container of Sports Balm, which will make for a much more comfortable ride for those that spend a fair bit of time in the saddle.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Watch Peterborough's Mitch Gillam Become The 8th Goalie In NCAA History To Score Goal

Peterborough native and Cornell Big Red freshman Mitch Gillam had a great debut in net last night as he became just the 8th goalie in NCAA hockey history to score a goal. Cornell was leading 3-2 when Gillam caught the puck in his trapper before setting it down and launching it the length of the ice for the empty net goal, giving his team the 4-2 victory. Although there has been eight NCAA goalies credited with goals, Gillam is just the third to score by shooting the puck into the net himself. The goal has been getting lots of buzz and has been featured on the ESPN, TSN and FOX Sports 1 highlight reels.

Talent runs in the Gillam family: Mitch is the younger brother of Peterborough Lakers sniper Josh Gillam, who also played in the NCAA for Dartmouth College.

Watch the awesome goal for yourself...

—PTBOCanada's Scott Arnold

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

PTBOCanada Featured Post: Nationwide Lacrosse

The names Self and Evans are synonymous with sports in our great city that is known for producing some of the greatest athletes to ever step foot or skate inside of an arena. As current Senior Peterborough Lakers, both Brad Self and Shawn Evans are the epitome of what it is to be tremendous athletes both on and off of the floor.

Between the two of them, they have won almost too many medals and honours to count. Both Brad and Shawn are multiple time MLS Mann Cup Champions with the Senior Lakers. They have also both won National Lacrosse League Championships with their respective teams at different times. Individual awards abound as well with MVPs, Scoring Championships, Rookie of the Years, and Transition Player of the Years between them. Lacrosse aside, both Brad and Shawn were excellent hockey players with Brad suiting up in the OHL for the hometown Peterborough Petes as well as having the honour of being drafted to the NHL and playing pro hockey in Europe for years.

Shawn Evans instructing kids

In October of 2012, the two came together with the idea of providing the opportunity that both were afforded as youngsters in teaching kids the game they both love. This is when Nationwide Lacrosse was born. With the straightforward goal of introducing and growing our country’s national sport to kids in and around our sports mad community, they set off and haven’t looked back.

Happy campers at Nationwide Lacrosse

Over the past year, the two have done some extraordinary work. Along with a few volunteers when necessary, they have been able to bring the game of lacrosse to over 35 schools in and around our region. They have also created day camps of various lengths that have run in Cobourg, Curve Lake, at Trent University and at the Spiplex to name a few.

In school settings, Brad and Shawn have been bringing grassroots lacrosse to boys and girls of various ages and skill sets. Teaching up to 6 classes a day, they focus on fundamentals and always aim to bring a fun learning environment that all participate in regardless of skill. From trapping and scooping to passing and shooting, they emphasize on honing skills necessary to learn in order to grow and play. Using sticks and balls provided to the students by Under Armour, they always finish with a controlled scrimmage to allow the kids to try techniques in a game setting.

Brad and Shawn at one of their school visits

In their camps, the setting is the same but in a longer format that allows for more specific skills to be practiced in groups that are split up to have kids playing with others of the same skill level. As the days are longer, they are split up with time to focus on lacrosse but also other time set aside to play other games, swim if possible and also use the rock wall and row when at Trent University.

The guys want to make a difference to the kids they teach. On the floor, Shawn plays offense, while Brad plays defense and transition so between the two of them they cover pretty much everything there is to know. As current professionals, they know that teaching kids hands on at a younger age can be invaluable in building their love for the game and succeeding in the sport down the line.

Brad and Shawn are extremely dedicated to their Nationwide Lacrosse venture and aim to continue growing the business and run it year-round. They know that as lacrosse is only played in certain seasons, they can help prepare and keep players sharp during the downtimes and lead them into seasons being as fresh as possible.

Brad instructing at a course

They are looking to expand their school visits across the region, open up more camp opportunities—which are already filling up fast—with repeat camps happening, and bring more kids and associations in to learn about the game.

Their motto with Nationwide Lacrosse: Dream. Believe. Achieve.

Here is a list of their exciting upcoming camps—and winter league which is new this year:
WinterCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Jan 2nd-4th
WinterLeague: Trent University, Peterborough Jan 9th-Mar 6th
MarchBreak: Spiplex, Peterborough Mar 10th-14th
SummerCamp: Cobourg July 7th-10th
SummerCamp: Six Nations July 21st-24th
SummerCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Aug 5th-8th
SummerCamp: Trent University, Peterborough Aug 11th-14th
SummerCamp: Sundridge, Aug 24th-30th

Nationwide Co-Founders Brad Self (far left) and Shawn Evans (far right)

If you’re interested in signing up your boy or girl for any of these camps or the winter league, don’t hesitate to contact Brad and Shawn for more details!

For more info on Nationwide Lacrosse, go to:

Website: Nationwidelacrosse.ca
Facebook page: Nationwide Lacrosse
Twitter: @NationWideLax
YouTube channel
Email: nationwidelacrosse@gmail.com
Phone: Brad Self – 705-868-1811; Shawn Evans – 705-768-8828

For more info on PTBOCanada Featured Posts, email here.

Peterborough's Brad Sinopoli In Contention For TSN CFL Play Of The Year

The Catch  

Peterborough's Brad Sinopoli is up for TSN's CFL Play of The Year in his first year at wide receiver for Calgary Stampeders. The former quarterback and Hec Crighton Award winner (for most oustanding Canadian college football player) is nominated for his amazing one handed grab on July 12th in Montreal against the Alouettes. That play earned him a bye directly into the POY quarter final round where he's up against Marc Beswick of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. If Sinopoli gets through this round—he's currently in the lead—voting for the semi-final round begins November 14th. Vote here for Sinopoli. Watch the catch below...

—PTBOCanada's Sports Guy Scott Arnold

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Sports Guy Goes One On One With Peterborough Boxer Mark Cleary

image via Mark's Facebook page

Our Sports Guy Scott Arnold caught up with local boxer Mark Cleary while he was training at the Scrap Yard in downtown Peterborough.

Mark has been fighting as an amateur for over a decade but thanks to Fund a Fighter he has raised enough money to cover the medical testing required to turn pro for the first time in his career; he will make that jump in 2014.

Mark is fighting in the main event fight this Saturday (November 16th) in Vengeance VII, which will take place inside The Venue at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Watch the video interview below... 

—PTBOCanada's Sports Guy Scott Arnold 

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Lend A Hand With The Trails At Harold Town Conservation

Peterborough has a fantastic network of Mountain Biking trails at 2611 Old Norwood Road hosted by the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority. Announced early last year, Harold Town offers trails for all skill levels, and thanks to the wonderful help of the riders, it is constantly evolving. Today (November 9th), IMBA Canada will be dropping by to teach a course on trail building, offering both an in-class tutorial and a hands-on workshop. You have to register to attend, so be sure to sign up as space is limited.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

Bid On These Petes Commemorative Remembrance Day Jerseys

Look at these amazing commemorative Remembrance Day jerseys the Petes wore Thursday in a 7-0 victory over Kitchener. You can now bid on them by going here. The jerseys feature grey, red and black colours, a Petes logo with cross and poppy, and the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment crest. All proceeds support the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment directly.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.