Local Leafs Fan Mike Davy, 65, Passes Away From Cardiac Arrest After Returning From First Live Toronto NHL Game

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Peterborough’s Mike Davy passed away overnight from cardiac arrest at 65, after coming back from his first live Toronto Leafs Game on Wednesday night.

Davy at his first Leafs game with Toronto winning 3-2 in overtime. Photo courtesy of Craig Meridith.

Davy was diagnosed with ‘global development delay’ that significantly hinders his physical and cognitive development. He also had several heart complications throughout his life, undergoing several surgeries including his heart valves. He was supposed to get x-rays of his heart the following morning.

He spent ten years under social worker Craig Meridith through Fleming College’s Blue Box program. He passed away peacefully overnight on Meridith’s couch after returning home from the Leafs game. Meridith said there weren’t any telltale signs of his death when he stayed overnight.

“He had a cough, like a hack. You didn't really think anything of it because he's had heart surgeries over the year,” explained Meridith.

Davy often would accompany Meridith and his partner to their trailer. Photo courtesy of Craig Meridith.

Davy attended his first Maple Leafs game in Toronto on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. Forward Mitch Marner scored the walk-off game-winning goal in overtime for a Maple Leafs 3-2 win.

It was the perfect first and last game for Davy to watch before his passing said Meridith.

“When they announced Mitch's name, his arms went up in the air and he almost jumped out of the wheelchair” he explained. “I had to pin him down so he didn't fall over out of sheer joy.”

Davy had done volunteer work with Trent University with their Blue Box program, Bata Library and bussing tables. He was a Special Olympics athlete in bowling.

“He's funny and outgoing but he also knew how to push your buttons at the same time when he was seeking attention,” said Meridith. “At the end of the day, he was a great guy.” 

Davy was also an avid fan of the Peterborough Petes and Toronto Blue Jays.

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Photos: Peterborough Lakers Present Retirement Jersey to The Pizza Factory Owner Peter Bouzinelos

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The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers presented the Pizza Factory owner Peter Bouzinelos with his own jersey and Lakers season tickets in celebration of 43 years of business. Bouzinelos has been a team sponsor for several years. He is closing down The Pizza Factory for retirement with the last day on Jan. 29.

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Peterborough Petes Blank London Knights 3-0; Head Trainer Brian Miller Works 2,000th Hockey Game

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The Peterborough Petes celebrated their head trainer Brian ‘Bman’ Miller’s 2,000th career game in fashion, with a 3-0 shutout win over the London Knights at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Thursday night.

The Knights dropped four of their last six games while the Petes three of their last four prior to this game. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

Miller was honoured prior to the puck drop at centre ice and was presented with a framed collage of his career highlights.

“It’s surreal,” exclaimed Miller in a Tuesday interview. “I've been doing this for 30 years and 2,000 games but it is real and it's kind of neat because I'm told that a lot of trainers hold in this long and do this many games so it's a special game.”

After Thursday night, Miller has worked 1520 Ontario Hockey League and 480 American Hockey League games. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

Only one goal was scored in the first period, occurring almost in the 16th minute by Petes’s Brennan Othmann on a breakaway. He deked past Knights goalie Brett Brochu for a backhand goal for a Petes’ 1-0 lead after one.

The second period saw the score remain unchanged as both teams totalled 20 shots apiece. Avery Hayes had a shorthanded breakaway chance but was denied by Brochu.

Hayes got redemption and took over the game in the third, sniping a shot from the faceoff circle past Brochu for a 2-0 lead. London pulled their goaltender and had a powerplay late in the game but Hayes scored the shorthanded empty-netter goal from his defensive zone to seal up the Petes’ 3-0 win.

The Petes host the OHL defending champion Hamilton Bulldogs at the PMC for Billet Appreciation Day.

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Peterborough Lakers Auctioning Mann Cup Jerseys For Kawartha Food Share and Parkinson's Society

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The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers are auctioning off their 2022 Mann Cup championship jerseys with proceeds being donated to Kawartha Food Share and the Parkinson’s Society announced on Wednesday night.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers.

The auction is being hosted online beginning on Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. and closing on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.

It currently has 18 lots up for bid including jerseys from Robert Hope, Shawn Evans, Joe Resetarits, Thomas Hoggarth and more.

The Lakers beat the Langley Thunder in seven games to win their fourth-straight Mann Cup.

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Limited Tickets Available For PWHPA Game For Feb. 10

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A limited number of tickets are now available for sale for the Peterborough Petes’ first-ever school day game featuring the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Feb. 10.

File Photo.

Puck drop is at 11 a.m. for a regular season Secret® Dream Gap Tour game between Team Scotiabank and Team Harvey’s, the first of four games in the PWHPA Showcase.

“The Petes are excited to open up tickets to the general public, who have the opportunity to join thousands of local school children, educators, and Season Ticket Members on February 10 to cheer on some of the best hockey players in the world,” said Burton Lee, Petes executive director of business operations.

Tickets are available in Gibson’s Finest Club Sections C6, C8 and C21, as well as The Sandbar and start at $24.99 (plus tax and fees).

The game features the top professional and Olympic women's hockey players such as Olympic and World champions Marie-Philip Poulin, Rebecca Johnston, Blayre Turnbull, Jessie Eldridge and more.

To purchase tickets, visit the PMC Grant Thornton Box Office online, in person, or call (705) 743-3561. 

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City of Peterborough Honours Two Petes For World Juniors Gold Medal Performance

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Peterborough Petes’ Owen Beck and Brennan Othmann were honoured by Council at City Hall for their gold-medal performances during the World Juniors Championships at the beginning of Monday’s General Committee meeting.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Mayor Jeff Leal made a presentation on behalf of City Council recognizing their efforts for the Petes and Peterborough.

Othmann was obtained from the Flint Firebirds on Nov. 12, several months prior to the deadline. The Petes dealt Artem Guryev, two second-round and one third-round pick for Othmann. He was drafted 16th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Beck was acquired from the Mississauga Steelheads in exchange for Jack Van Volsen, Justin DeZoete, Peterborough’s second and third-round picks in 2025, Erie’s second-round pick in 2025 and Peterborough’s fourth-round pick in 2026 on Jan. 7.

He was a late call-up to Team Canada for the World Juniors on New Year’s Day after an injury to Colton Dach. He had 17 goals and 23 assists in 30 games with the Steelheads this season prior to being traded to the Petes on Jan. 7.

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Peterborough Century Lakers Draft Two Defenseman and Transition In 2023 MSL Draft

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The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers drafted Matt Wright, Caleb Commandant and Tyler Grandel during the 2023 Major Series Lacrosse draft held on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics.

Peterborough held three picks during the six-round draft; a first, fourth and fifth-round pick. The Lakers protected graduating Jr. A Lakers Carter Page, Tyler Hendrycks, Nick Webb and Owen Hiltz prior to the draft.

Wright was their first-round pick, third overall from the Mimico Mountaineers. The 6’1, 210 lb. right-handed defenceman from Oakville is an immediate fit for the team according to Paul Day, Lakers general manager.

“We are very excited to draft Wright,” said Day. “We feel he has a great motor and is someone that can play and make an impact right away. We need righty defencemen and he is big and fast.”

Wright is in his fourth year at the University of North Carolina. He recently won a silver medal with Team Canada at the U21 World Championships in Limerick and was on Team Canada for the inaugural World Lacrosse Super Sixes event in 2021.

The Lakers’ next pick in the fourth round was lefty transition player Commandant, drafted 21st overall. The 5’9 and 170 lbs., is an Oakville Buzz Jr. A/Guelph Regals Jr. B graduate. He is in his third year at RIT as a long-stick midfielder.

Lindsay native and Jr. A Lakers righty defenceman Grandel was the fifth-round and final pick at 27th overall for Peterborough. Standing at 6’0 and 165 lbs, Grandel was a call-up for the Sr. Lakers in a game versus Cobourg last season. He was a primary face-off man for the Jr. A Lakers.

Grandel previously won the Meredith Cup with the Jr. C Lakers and is playing for the Oshawa Outlaws of the Arena Lacrosse League.

Jr. A Laker grad Holden Lowes was selected by Cobourg in the fourth round, 13th overall while Mimico’s Justin Sykes was taken first overall by Cobourg.

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Peterborough AAA U16 Minor Petes Fall In Steve Richey Tournament Hockey Championship In 1-0 Loss

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The AAA U16 Peterborough Petes came up one goal short in the finals of the Steve Richey Tournament, losing to the AAA U16 Central Ontario Wolves 1-0 at the Healthy Planet Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Both teams were undefeated heading into the finals. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Petes and Wolves were the only undefeated teams left in the contest, winning their respective divisions and prior playoff games for the championship.

Both teams exchanged sustained pressure in opposing offensive zones throughout the opening 15 minutes. The Petes had some last-minute chances in the final few minutes in the Wolves zone, applying heavy forechecking, forcing turnovers and a potential goal from a baseball swing but the score remained scoreless throughout the first period. Both teams displayed excellent discipline early as either team had a penalty in the opening stanza.

The Wolves began the period aggressively with several high-scoring chances, testing Petes’ goaltender Mason Johnston. They caused defensive zone turnovers, had several tip-ins that barely went wide but could not find the back of the net. Peterborough got the first penalty of the game just under 10 minutes into the period from an interference call in front of the Wolves’ net. The Petes penalty kill blocked several shots to keep the game tied. Peterborough capitalized on a loose puck as Wil McFadden had a partial breakaway that translated into a Wolves penalty while being shorthanded. Peterborough tried to get on the board on their abridged man advantage but failed to score on their first powerplay as the score remained a 0-0 tie into the third period.

Peterborough was the aggressor starting the final stanza as they had mounted pressure against the Wolves goaltender. The Petes had a wide-open net but the shot went wide as the game remained continued in a 0-0 deadlock. The Wolves finally got on the board as forward Van Pereira, 15, was able to capitalize on a blocked shot that came back to him and sniped it past Johnston for a 1-0 lead, halfway through the third period.

“I took a second chance at the puck and banged it in,” said Pereira. “(It's) a big goal for the boys.”

Peterborough made late charges in the game, creating several chances to crash the net and score but failed to get it past the goal line. The Petes pulled their goalie during the final few minutes of the game but to no avail as the Wolves stood tall for the 1-0 win.

Pereira’s goal stood as the tournament-winning goal, with the Wolves remaining as the only undefeated team.

“That's the best feeling in hockey right there,” said Pereira. “There's nothing like that and that's why we put on the gear and play.”

The Petes U18 team failed to qualify for the playoffs with a 3-1 record.

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Local Angler Six Months Pregnant With Twins Catches Two 50-Plus-Inch Muskies

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Angler Megan Patterson met and surpassed her fishing goal this season, catching two muskies over 50 inches long while six months pregnant with twins.

Photo courtesy of Megan Patterson.

Her two muskies measured 52 in. (4.33 ft.) and 54 in. (4.5 feet) and were caught on the St. Lawrence River.

Joining the 50-inch club is a feat that all muskie anglers pursue. Patterson has been muskie fishing for the past six years and has netted over five of her husband’s 50-inch catches. She made it her goal to catch her own.

“Every season I have come up short,” she laughs. “In my first season, I caught a 49-inch muskie. I was so close to that 50-inch mark.”

Her social media following has tagged along for fishing trips ever since she started in the sport. Muskie season runs from June to mid-December in the Kawarthas.

Her first catch of the season was an impressive 46-incher from Chemong Lake. Photo courtesy of Megan Patterson.

“My goal was to be a big momma catching a big momma,” Patterson said. “I really wanted to go out with a bang by catching a big fish this year.”

Not only did she reach her goal of snagging a 50-plus-inch muskie but she also reeled a second, all while being pregnant with twins. Patterson recalls her surprise when her husband netted the catch and saw how big it was.

“It comes up onto the bump board and it lays so much past the 50-inch mark,” she said. “To this day that was still one of my best days on the water of my whole life.”

@meganpattterson Legal size musky for my last musky before doctors told me to rack up the rods. Pretty epic! #livebeyondland #muskyfishing #54 @Shimano Fishing @Mustang Survival ♬ Vegas (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ELVIS) - Doja Cat

Patterson thanks the ‘two little good luck charms’ in her belly.

“It’s such a fun story that we’ll be able to tell our babies,” she said. “That all four of us were on the boat when we caught this 54-inch muskie.”

Although the couple may have to retire the 12-hour fishing trips to take care of the babies, Patterson says she’s excited to take Charlotte and Carter out on Chemong Lake and share her passion for the sport of muskie fishing.

“I’m really excited to be raising my babies fishing, having the twins out on the boat with us and catching their first muskies,” she says. “We’re so lucky to live in the Kawarthas where we have such amazing class fish even right in our backyard.”

Carter and Charlotte, born Nov. 17, 2022. Photo courtesy of Megan Patterson.

Patterson is a member/ambassador of various fishing organizations such as Shimano, Mustang Survival, Musky Maniacs, Muskies Canada and the Ontario Women's Anglers Association.

She operates under a catch-and-release method through her muskie fishing, ensuring the fish is out of the water for no more than two minutes before reviving and releasing the catch. Paterson urges anglers catching any species or class of fish to be prepared with the proper release tools in their boat.

“Conservation is such a big part of this sport. We use incredible releasing tools to make sure that we are putting these fish back into the water almost the same way they came into the boat,” Patterson said.

Those wishing to follow along with Patterson’s muskie fishing adventures can find her at @meganpattterson on all social media applications.

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Peterborough Petes Win In the Last-Minute Against Rival Oshawa Generals, 3-2

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Add another win for Peterborough in their historic rivalry with Oshawa as the Petes won in last-minute fashion, 3-2 against the Generals at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Peterborough earned a power play 1:55 into the game but turned sour fast. Generals’ Luke Torrance chipped the puck for himself after a seemingly won faceoff by the Petes for a shorthanded breakaway. Michael Simpson saved the first shot but Ryan Gagnier cleaned up the rebound for a 1-0 Oshawa lead. Roughly 13-and-a-half minutes later, Brennan Othmann got Peterborough on the board from Samuel Mayer’s point shot to tie it up into the second.

13:13 into the second period saw Tucker Robertson take on a solo mission, speeding by three Generals and beating goaltender Jacob Oster for a 2-1 lead going into the third. During that period, Othmann took a puck to the face but would eventually return.

Oshawa wasted no time in the third period, scoring 47 seconds in as Calum Ritchie shot at the net from outside the faceoff circle that went in through traffic for a 2-2 tie. With 52 seconds remaining, Othmann took the game into his own hands, rifling a shot from a drop pass that Oster could not corral into his glove for a 3-2 lead and win. The goal was Othmann’s 16th of the season and second of the game.

The Petes hit the road for two back-to-back road games beginning Friday against the Guelph Storm. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and is being televised on TSN as part of the CHL on TSN series.

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