Peterborough's Nolan Burke Signs Three-Year Entry-Level Contract to Nashville Predators

Peterborough’s Nolan Burke is headed to the Music City as he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators on Monday.

Burke spent 2016-2018 with the U15 AAA and U16 AAA Peterborough Petes. Photo courtesy of the Nashville Predators.

“Dream come true to announce I have signed my first NHL contract with the Nashville Predators,” Tweeted Burke. “Big thanks to my family, friends, coaches and trainers for helping me get to this point!”

Burke is in his fourth season with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Sarnia Sting. During that time, he’s scored 55 goals and 41 assists in 137 games.

Prior to the OHL, Burke native spent two seasons in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with Pickering Panthers and Trenton Golden Hawks from 2017-19.

During 2016-18, Burke played for the U15 AAA and U16 AAA Peterborough Petes.

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Peterborough Petes Allow Three Third-Period Goals in 4-2 Loss to Saginaw Spirit; Connor Lockhardt Records 100th Career OHL Point

It’s been two years since the Peterborough Petes played hockey in the United States but their return was forgettable as they lost to the Saginaw Spirit 4-2 on Sunday.

The Petes are 1-3-1 in their last five games. Photo courtesy of Natalie Shaver.

Petes’s Connor Lockhart wasted little time in recording his 100th career Ontario Hockey League point by forcing a turnover while shorthanded to feed Jonathan Melee a one-timer goal past Saginaw goalie Tristan Lennox for a 1-0 lead, his first of the season, and Lockhart would finally hit his milestone with 100 career points.

The Petes looked like they were able to keep the game under control in the second period until Saginaw pressed later in the period and scored with 59 seconds remaining. Roberto Mancini tied the game, putting it past Petes’s goaltender Michael Simpson. Tucker Robertson had a breakaway at the end of the period but could not get the shot off before the buzzer and the game remained tied into the third.

Saginaw took control of the game as they scored 3:50 into the third off a deflection from the Spirit’s Lincoln Moore for a 2-1 lead. The Petes countered at the 12:05 mark when J.R. Avon tied things at two apiece. Tommy Purdeller recorded his first career OHL assist with that goal. Two minutes later, Olivier Savard gave Saginaw the 3-2 lead and eventually tacked on an empty netter for a 4-2 win.

During the Petes three-game road trip that began Thursday, they lost to the West Division-leading Windsor Spitfires 3-2, beat the Flint Firebirds 3-2 and acquired Brennan Othmann (from the Firebirds) in exchange for defenceman Artem Guryev and three draft picks.

The Petes play on Thursday in support of Special Olympics Ontario as they host the rival Oshawa Generals.

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Peterborough's Lisa Butler Named Special Olympics Athlete of the Year

COVID-19 may have stopped the 2022 Special Olympics but not Peterborough’s Lisa Butler as she received Ontario Athlete of the Year honours at a ceremony at the Toronto Don Valley Hotel on Nov. 3.

Butler has not missed recording a workout or art project for 50 consecutive weeks according to Special Olympics Canada. Facebook Photo.

Butler competes in cross-country skiing, five-pin bowling, track and field, basketball and swimming. The 48-year-old qualified for the basketball Provincial Games in basketball and cross-country skiing in the World Games. The latter is something she has looked forward to all her life.

“It means a lot,” said Butler. “It shows that all my hard work has paid off. It is what I have wanted more than anything.”

She has been involved in the Special Olympics since 1998. The 24-year Special Olympics veteran trains roughly six times a week. Butler was named to the Special Olympics Team Canada 2022 and is a member of their training squad.

Butler is expected to receive a similar award from Special Olympics Canada at the LIMITLESS: The Special Olympics Canada Gala at Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto on Nov. 18.

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Peterborough Petes Fall On the Road to First-Place Windsor Spitfires, 3-2

It was two years since the Peterborough Petes visited Windsor. They kept it close but lost out to the first-place West Division Spitfires on the road, 3-2 on Friday night.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

J.R. Avon gave the Petes a quick strike only 87 seconds into the game on a breakaway to give them a 1-0 lead. Windsor’s Alex Christopoulos snuck one past Petes goalie Michael Simpson to tie it up with 1:09 left in the first.

Peterborough did the only scoring in the second period as Nick Lardis used the backhand to beat Spitfire goaltender Mathias Onuska for a 2-1 lead into the third.

The Spitfires took over the third period as Ryan Abraham tied the game with 8:23 left in regulation. Windsor didn’t stop there as Matthew Maggio hit a one-timer for the team’s first lead of the game at 3-2 with just over three minutes left in the game. Peterborough pulled Simpson for the extra attacked but were unable to tie the game.

The Petes travel to the United States for the first time since 2019 to battle the Flint Firebirds on Saturday.

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Peterborough Petes Fall to Hamilton Bulldogs 2-1 in Shootout After Stout Goaltender Battle

It was a battle of the goaltenders but the defending champion Hamilton Bulldogs squeezed out a 2-1 shootout win over the Peterborough Petes at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on a rare Tuesday night.

The Peterborough Petes had won the last two meetings against the Bulldogs this season. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

Goaltenders Matteo Drobac and Michael Simpson were heavily tested, facing a combined 71 shots for Hamilton and Peterborough respectively.

Shawn Spearing, Brian Zanetti, Konnor Smith, and Michael Simpson all returned to Petes lineup after being absent from the weekend games.

Peterborough only took five minutes to score when Tommy Purdeller tapped in a one-timer in front of Drobac to lead the Petes 1-0. The play was under review for an offside call but was deemed onside and the goal stood. Hamilton answered seven minutes later on the power play as Gavin White sunck a point shot past Simpson to tie the game at 1-1 into the third.

The second period became a goaltender battle as both Drobac and Simpson stood tall in net, stopping all 26 shots that came their way (12 shots from Hamilton and 14 from Peterborough). The game remained tied heading into the third period.

Both goalies proved reliable to their teams again as they stopped everything coming their way in the third. Drobac stopped 10 shots while Simpson turned away all eight as the game went into overtime.

Three-on-three overtime play was reminiscent of the prior two periods as the tie could not be broken despite good scoring chances from both teams. The game would go to a shootout, the second time in two weeks for Peterborough.

Shootout results:

PBO

• Tucker Robertson – No goal

• Justin DeZoete – No goal

• Connor Lockhart – Goal

• Tommy Purdeller – Goal

• Sahil Panwar – No goal

• James Guo – No goal

• Sam McCue – No goal

HAM

• Avery Hayes – No goal

• Logan Morrison – Goal

• Gavin White – No goal

• Cole Brown – Goal

• Braeden O’Keefe – No goal

• Ryan Humphrey – No goal

• Lucas Moore – Goal

Peterborough-born Lucas Moore buried home the game-winner for Hamilton, beating Simpson top shelf to escape with a 2-1 win.

The Petes hit the road for Windsor to take on the Western Conference-leading Spitfires for the first time since 2020 this Thursday.

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Trent Excalibur Men's Lacrosse Team Win First Baggataway Cup Title

The hosting Trent Excalibur men’s lacrosse team has earned their first Baggataway Cup Championship in front of 1,200 fans, defeating the Brock Badgers 12-3 at the Justin Chiu Stadium on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Trent University.

Trent came close in 2016 and 2019, reaching the finals but lost both times to the Western Mustangs. This was the second time Trent had hosted the championship weekend since 2012.

"This team wanted to win badly. What the 12-3 scoreboard does not show in the finals is the blood, sweat and tears it took from the guys all year to make that happen,” said Mark Farthing, Excalibur men’s head coach. “The support from both Trent, as well as the community, has been outstanding. It was a special atmosphere on Justin Chiu Stadium all season and especially this weekend. Winning a national championship on the banks of the Otonabee River is a dream come true for all involved."

“We are so proud of our men’s lacrosse team and their performance not only this weekend but throughout the season,” said Leslie Spooner, Trent interim director of Athletics and Recreation. “They’ve represented Trent University so well. Their dedication and championship win is monumental and well-deserved.”

Trent earned a first-round bye since they were the top team in the East division and did not play on Friday, the opening day. The Excalibur defeated McGill 12-5 on Saturday in order to compete for the Baggataway Cup championship.

Trent’s Tyler Hendricks was named the team’s Player of the Game and ttack on the All Baggataway Cup Team.

Colton Armstrong and Taite Cattoni were named midfield players for the All Baggataway Cup Team, Curtis Conley for defense and Curtis Romanchych for long-stick midfielder and Aidan McLaughlin for face-off.

Trent’s Jackson Brown was named goaltender for the All Baggataway Cup Team, allowing only eight goals during the tournament.

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Peterborough Petes Fall to Barrie Colts, 4-3 In Shootout

The Peterborough Petes lost by the slimmest of margins to the Barrie Colts in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

The Petes blanked the Colts 5-0 in their last meeting on Oct. 8. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

Barrie had a strong start, scoring the game’s first two goals at 3:07 and 6:37 from Beau Akey and Tai York (powerplay). Peterborough responded with one of their own as Connor Luckhart ripped a point shot past Colts goaltender Ben West to cut the lead in half going into the second.

Peterborough evened things up as Nick Lardis was able to bury his one-timer goal off an odd-man rush with Nick Robertson for his seventh goal of the season. The scored remained tied 2-2 into the third.

After just over five minutes into the period, Barrie’s Chris Grisolia snuck a wrap-around by Petes goaltender Michael Simpson to give Barrie the 3-2 lead. Lockhart tied the game, scoring his second of the game and sixth of the season on the powerplay to tie the game at 3-3 and send it to OT.

Overtime became a stalemate and the game would head to a shootout.

Shootout results:

Petes

• Tucker Robertson – No goal

• Nick Lardis – No goal

• Connor Lockhart – No goal

Colts

• Jacob Frasca – Goal

• Evan Vierling – No goal

Frasca scored the only goal in the shootout for Barrie and escaped Peterborough with a 4-3 win.

The Petes are beginning another chapter in their rivalry with the Oshawa Generals as they head to the Durham area on Friday for the teams’ first meeting.

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Peterborough Petes Finalize Leadership Group For 2022-23 Season

The Peterborough Petes have announced their team captains for 2022-23 season with defenceman Shawn Spearing wearing the “C” for a second straight season.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Petes.

Spearing is the franchise’s 61st Captain in Petes history. He is the ninth captain to wear the “C” for multiple seasons.

“It’s a great honour,” said Spearing. “We have a locker room with a lot of leaders in it so it makes my job a lot easier but obviously I’m still really excited.”

Alternate captains include Seattle Kraken prospect Tucker Robertson, Philadelphia Flyers prospect, J.R. Avon and New Jersey Devils first-round pick, Chase Stillman. Vancouver Canucks prospect Connor Lockhart will wear an “A” if one captain cannot play.

“We’re really excited about our leadership group this year,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “Shawn, Tucker and J.R. have been with us for a few years now, we brought in Chase last year and he’s a good voice in the room and can lead by example. The same goes for Connor Lockhart: Connor has come in and is very determined and very demanding of himself and has shown a lot of leadership qualities early on.”

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Peterborough Petes To Host Diabetes Awareness Night For Nov. 24 Game

The Peterborough Petes are hosting a Diabetes Night to raise funds and awareness of the disease for their Nov. 24 game against the Sudbury Wolves announced at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

Peterborough Petes goaltender Michael Simpson (left); Travis Vaughan, Tandem Diabetes Care territory manager and Morgan Blaind, Petes coordinator, marketing and community engagement (right). Simpson was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes since h was three years old. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The game is in partnership with Tandem Diabetes Care that will aid affected children and send them to D-camp, a two-week overnight camp for children with diabetes. The initiate was introduced by Petes goalie, Michael Simpson, who was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes since he was three years old.

When Simpson was growing up, he looked up to NHL player Max Domi during his stint with the London Knights and also was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes. The Petes goaltender wants to be a role model for local communities with his story.

“Seeing him thrive, get drafted to the NHL, now he's playing in the NHL, see how he had diabetes and that it didn't stop him, seeing it motivated and that's something I want to bring to the Peterborough area,” said Simpson. “They might not want be a goalie in hockey, they may want to be a soccer player or something that they're dreaming of being. I want them to be able to look at my story say, 'I can do this.’”

Anyone can donate in-person at the game or online. The game will feature a silent auction for a game-worn Simpson jersey and a chuck-a-puck, with all proceeds going towards D-Camp registration fees.

“We’re very excited for Michael,” said Morgan Blaind, Petes coordinator, marketing and community engagement. “When he approached me to help him with this initiative, I knew we had to make his vision a reality.”

“Michael has led the way on this the whole way through,” Travis Vaughan, Tandem Diabetes Care territory manager. “It’s for a great cause in Diabetes Canada and D-camp and we’re really happy to support that. We’re really excited about the game.”

Fans are encouraged to wear blue on game night — as it’s the official colour of Diabetes Month — where the arena will be lit in the same colour in honour of the cause.

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Peterborough Petes Mourn the Loss of Alumnus Brent Pope

The Peterborough Petes are mourning the loss of alumnus Brent Pope, who after battling with cancer, has passed away at 49 on Tuesday.

Pope debuted with the Petes that had NHLer Mike Ricci and Petes assistant coach Andrew Verner on hte same roster. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Pope spent parts of two seasons with the Petes from 1989-'91. He has been with the Hamilton Dukes, Guelph Storm and Ottawa 67’s over a four year Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career. In UK Ice Hockey from 1996-2017, he sever as a as a player, coach, managing director and broadcaster in the United Kingdom.

Pope was drafted by the Petes in the third round of the 1989 OHL Priority Selection from the Grimsby Peach Kings Jr. C Hockey Club. He debuted with the Petes during the 1989-90 season for 31 games.

The defenceman had seven assists in his rookie season in the OHL. He had three goals and 11 assists in just 29 games the following year before moving on to his hometown Hamilton Dukes. Pope played in 213 games, scoring 29 goals and 84 assists for 113 points in his OHL career.

Pope spent time in the AHL and ECHL before moving to England after his OHL career. Most of his English career was spent with the Cardiff Devils, where he played and served as head coach and managing director. 

He turned to broadcasting afterwards, serving as one for BBC Sport at the 2006 Turin, 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, covering hockey. He also worked for the Olympic Broadcast Service, covering multiple sports at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Following that, he served as Head of English Commentary for the Champions Hockey League from 2014-17.

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