Three Curve Lake Players Selected to Represent Team Ontario In 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships

Mikayla Williams, Emerson Taylor and Sidney Wakely of Curve Lake are headed to Winnipeg to represent Team Ontario in the 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships held from Sunday to May 13.

Williams (left), Taylor (middle) and Wakely (right) are all from the same bloodline from Curve Lake. Photos courtesy of Mike Williams.

Williams is the lone Curve Lake representative for the Ontario female roster as a defenseman. She played 30 games and three playoff games with the U18 Okanagan Hockey Academy Female Prep of the U18 Canadian Sport School Hockey League. She logged one assist and two penalty minutes for the season.

Taylor played left wing for the Mississauga Reps U16 AAA in 26 games this season in the U16 AAA Greater Toronto Hockey League. He had one assist and four penalty minutes during that span. He makes the team as an alternate.

Wakely played 43 games for the Port Hope Panthers of the Provincial Junior Hockey League this season. He had six goals and 13 assists, tying the team for fourth in the latter category. He had two goals and six assists in 19 playoff games. He also played for the U15 AAA Peterborough Petes in the 2019-20 season.

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Local Girl Earns Gold Medal In U16 Female Judo Tournament in Brampton; Ninja Academy Brings Home Seven Medals

Avery Fam of Peterborough’s Ninja Academy captured gold at the Tora Judo Tournament in Brampton in the Gold in U16 Female Division on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Ninja Academy.

“Our athletes have been training up to five days every week over the past several months and the results can be seen in their accomplishments,” said Paul Teleki, Ninja Academy instructor. “Avery’s successful results are owing to her dedication, commitment and perseverance, we are all proud and inspired by her achievements.”

Fam’s teammates Alexa Hendriks, Orion Teleki, and Liam Brown brought home silver while Benjamin O’Bomsawin and Hunter Lawson earned bronze medals in the tournament. Teleki joined the club with a bronze medal in the 73 kg. Masters division.

Photo courtesy of Ninja Academy.

“When we all focus on the success of our athletes as our end goal, the results become evident,” said Teleki.

Ninja Academy has launched its adult Judo programs on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre.

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Peterborough Petes Sign First-Round Pick to Standard Player Agreement

The Peterborough Petes have signed 2023 first-round OHL Priority Selection pick Carson Cameron to a standard player agreement, announced on Thursday.

Cameron was introduced to the public at a press conference at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on April 22. Photo by David Bui.

Cameron was selected 13th overall in the first round by the Petes. The 6’0”, 171 lbs defenceman captained the Central Ontario Wolves U16 AAA last season, where he recorded 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points in 29 games played. His team defeated the AAA U16 Peterborough Petes in the Steve Richey Tournament final in January. Cameron also played a big role as a member of the gold medal-winning Team Ontario in the Canada Winter Games, picking up five points in six games played.

“It’s all pretty surreal,” said Cameron. “It really is a dream come true. I can’t wait to put on the jersey and get to work.”

“We’re really excited to welcome Carson to our team," said Michael Oke, Petes general manager Michael Oke. "He is a talented young defenceman who has a bright future ahead of him. We know Petes’ fans are going to really enjoy watching him play.”

The Petes play Game Five on the road in North Bay on Friday as the series has turned into a best-of-three. Tickets for Game Six go on sale starting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

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Peterborough Petes Take First Home Playoff Loss From North Bay Battalion in 5-2 Loss; Series Tied at 2-2

The Peterborough Petes get their first home playoff loss in a 5-2 defeat against the North Bay Battalion to even the series at 2-2, at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Wednesday night.

Peterborough had led in faceoffs, penalties drawn and shots on net in Wednesday’s game. Photo courtesy Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

North Bay wasted no time opening up the scoring as they forced a turnover in the offensive zone. This resulted in Owen Van Steensel putting home the opening goal, beating Michael Simpsons for a 1-0 Battalion lead. The Petes drew a roughing penalty from North Bay but were unable to score on the man advantage. Fresh off the penalty kill, Josh Bloom forced a turnover in the neutral zone for North Bay. He passed it to Kyle Jackson after crossing the blue line and the latter sniped it past Simpson to give North Bay a 2-0 lead not halfway through the first period. Peterborough started to find their groove as Brennan Othmann carried the puck into the offensive zone with patience as he waited for help to arrive off a line change. Tommy Purdeller came to aid on the play, almost scored on his first shot but got his own rebound and buried it to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. That score would carry into the second period with the shots at 12-11 in favour of the Battalion.

Peterborough had a power play 3:41 into the period and seemingly had a wide-open net for a one-timer but the Petes could not get it at the net as the game remained 2-1. Four minutes later, North Bay had an outnumbered attack on Peterborough as Ty Nelson was able to rifle it past Simpson through the five-hole and the Battalion extended their lead, 3-1. The Petes would not go down quietly as just over five and a half minutes left in the period, J.R. Avon got a nice pass from Purdeller and sniped it past Dom DiVincentiis to make it a one-goal game, 3-2. That was Purdeller’s second point of the night as Shawn Spearing had the secondary assist. Peterborough drew a tripping minor penalty with 2:07 left to go but that was a blessing in disguise for North Bay. The Petes fumbled the puck at the blue line and resulting in a Van Steensel breakaway. Simpsons was up to the task and made the save. Shortly after the Battalion possessed the puck in their own zone, they had a two-on-two situation as Van Steensel got redemption and scored on a  sharp-angle shot for a 4-2 lead going into the third.

The Petes pushed hard to get on the board in the third period. The Petes were given their first penalty under eight minutes into the period but it eventually led to a shorthanded breakaway from Brennan Othmann. He chipped it just wide and the score remained the same. The Petes pulled the goalie in the final few minutes of the game, desperate to close the gap. Battalion captain Liam Arnsby was able to force a turnover while Peterborough had the extra attacker and added the dagger for a 5-2 lead. Peterborough registered 18 shots on net to North Bay’s seven but couldn’t solve DiVincentiis and the Battalion was able to split their road trip for a 2-2 series tie.

Van Steensel, Nelson and Purdeller were the three stars of the game.

The Petes play Game Five on the road in North Bay on Friday as the series has turned into a best-of-three. Tickets for Game Six go on sale starting at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

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City of Peterborough Asking Residents to Stay Off Wet Sports Fields

As the weather has become warmer, the City of Peterborough has asked users to stay off natural sports fields until further notice.

A SOCCER FIELD IN BEAVERMEAD PARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PETERBOROUGH.

Several sports fields are extremely wet as reported by the City.

Using the wet fields can cause damage to it and its users. If fields require repairs, their opening could be delayed this season or they may have to be taken out of play while work is completed.

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Petes Tack On Late Goal To Take Game Three With a 3-2 Win Over North Bay Battalion; Peterborough Leads Series 2-1

The Peterborough Petes continue their playoff home undefeated streak with a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion and take game three with a late third-period goal and have a 2-1 series lead at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Tuesday night.

The Petes have yet to lose a home playoff game this postseason.. Photo courtesy Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

Both teams were evenly matched during the first half of the period. Petes goaltender Michael Simpson was tested early, making several glove saves in high-scoring areas to keep it scoreless. On the other end, Donovan McCoy and Tucker Robertson had one-timer chances but could not get it by North Bay goaltender Dom DiVincentiis.

Peterborough was able to draw first blood on the powerplay as Gavin White got it to Robertson. He fed it Brennan Othmann was able to power the puck through the five-hole of DiVincentiis as it inched across the goal line for a 1-0 lead, his sixth goal of the playoffs. It remained that way into the second period. Shots were 17-13 in favour of the Petes.

Peterborough had begun the second with a five-minute major as Chase Stillman had a match penalty for slew-footing (served by McCoy) in the final seconds of the first. North Bay mustered four shots on the Petes but Peterborough was able to kill off the penalty and keep it a 1-0 game.

Peterborough had a powerplay from a checking from-behind penalty and had some sustained pressure in the offensive zone. North Bay got aggressive during a clear attempt and a mix-up from in front of Simpson allowed Pasquale Zito to bury a shorthanded goal for a 1-1 tie in the dying seconds of the power play.

The Petes crashed the net with an offensive chance but offsetting penalties were called on both teams resulting in both being down a man. During the four-on-four, The Battalion had an odd-man rush and capitalized as Kyle Jackson fed Matvey Petrov for a one-timer goal and a 2-1 North Bay lead going into the third.

Peterborough started the period aggressively, taking several shots at DiVincentiis, trying to get the tie. Othmann was able to intercept a clearing attempt from North Bay in the Battalion’s defensive zone and dished a pass to Avery Hayes for a one-timer goal to tie it at 2-2.

Peterborough went back on the attack as J.R. Avon knocked a puck out of mid-air to seemingly score despite the net being knocked off. After review, the referees deemed it was no goal, despite the Petes arguing that North Bay had forced the net off.

The Petes kept the pressure on as DiVincentiis initially stopped a shot but the puck trickled behind him and Peterborough pounced on it for a goal. The refs waived it off after a lengthy review since the whistle had already been blown and the game remained tied.

With just over two minutes left in the period, Dubois got it to Samuel Mayer in the offensive zone as he picked a crucial moment to score his first goal of the playoffs. He was able to wrist one from just outside the faceoff circle and beat the goaltender clean for a 3-2 lead.

“I just kept saying to them over and over and over, just keep up the pressure,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “We felt it was coming You have those feelings as a coach on the bench whether you were going to get one and I had that feeling so I just said stick to the game plan, don’t change a thing, the process is working and I felt a goal was coming.”

North Bay had to pull their goalie and tried to tie it up but Simpson and the Petes stood tall and held on for the win and a 2-1 series lead.

Mayer, Othmann and DiVincentiis were the three stars of the game.

The Petes play game four at the PMC on Wednesday to continue the Eastern Conference Final best-of-seven series against North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Connor Lockhart Named OHL Player of the Week

Petes forward Connor Lockhart has been named the OHL Player of the Week after his three-game performance, helping Peterborough advance to the third round of the playoffs, announced on Monday.

Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Petes.

Lockhart posted four goals, one assist and five points during the three-game span along with a plus/minus rating of +1.

He scored a hat trick for the Petes in Game Six to help eliminate the regular-season champion Ottawa 67’s last Monday. The Vancouver Canucks prospect scored a goal and an assist against North Bay for a Game One win on Friday.

The 20-year-old Kanata native recorded 29 goals, 50 assists and 79 points in 66 games this season.

The Petes forward has a career 154 points with 61 goals and 93 assists over 187 OHL regular-season games between Peterborough and Erie. Lockhart was the Erie Otters third overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. He has 10 points this postseason with six goals and four assists over 12 games. Lockhart was selected in the sixth round, 178th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021 NHL Draft.

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Peterborough Petes Split Series With North Bay Battalion After 3-1 Loss In Game Two

The Peterborough Petes will return home with an evened series at one apiece after a 3-1 loss to the North Bay Battalion in game two at the North Bay Memorial Gardens on Sunday afternoon.

The Petes took game one with a score of 3-2 on Friday night. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough PEtes.

The first period was evenly matched defensively as both goalies Michael Simpson and Dom DiVincentiis stood tall for Peterborough and North Bay respectively. Stopping all shots that came their way for a 0-0 tie. Shots were 12-11 in favour of North Bay.

The ice was broken in the second period as the home team struck first. Tnias Mathurin got a shot off from just outside the faceoff circle in the high slot. Simpson made the save but left a rebound for Kyle Jackson to cash in for a 1-0 North Bay lead. Peterborough tied it up just over seven minutes later. DiVincentiis had just robbed Owen Beck’s one-timer shot but the rebound got to Brennan Othmann for a 1-1 tie after two periods.

The third period saw no goals until just under five minutes left in the period. Liam Arnsby was able to quickly snap a shot with traffic in front of Simpson for a late go-ahead goal. Peterborough pulled their goalie but Gavin White was unable to control the puck at the offensive blue line, turned it over and Owen Van Steensel deposited an empty-net goal and the insurance marker for a 3-1 North Bay victory.

The Petes return to the Peterborough Memorial Centre for game three on Tuesday to continue the Eastern Conference Final best-of-seven series against North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough's Jared Wayne Signs With NFL's Houston Texans

Peterborough’s Jared Wayne did not get his named called but his NFL dream is far from over as he signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Houston Texans on Saturday.

Jared Wayne is the son of former CFL linebacker Patrick Wayne. The latter spent nine years in the league mostly with the Ottawa Roughriders but also had stints with the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

It would have been the first person from Peterborough to be drafted to the NFL if his name was called.

Wayne played four seasons of his collegiate football career all with the Pittsburgh Panthers, totalling 13 touchdowns during that span.

He finished with career-highs of 60 receptions for 1,062 yards — his first 1,000-yard season — and five touchdowns; one short of last year’s total.

Locally, Wayne has played in the Kinsmen Minor Football League, Peterborough Wolverines and Adam Scott Lions.

In his final collegiate game, he helped the Panthers win the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 30 with five receptions for 50 yards for a 37-35 win over the UCLA Bruins. His performance earned him an invite to play in the Hula Bowl.

He had another year of eligibility with Pittsburgh but decided to enter the NFL draft according to his father and former CFL linebacker, Patrick Wayne.

“I’m very proud, the whole family is proud of how he’s grown on the field and as a person,” he said in a prior interview with PTBOCanada.

Wayne impressed NFL scouts with his speed, posting a 4.53 second 40-yard dash at the combine.

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10-Year Old-Boy Catches "Walter" One Year After Stepfather Snags Fish At OFAH Fishing Derby

Like father, like son, as 10-year-old Ben Bumstead has caught the top prize ‘Walter,’ at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Under the Lock Fishing Derby one year after his stepfather Justin Desbarbieux did it on a gloomy Saturday morning at the Peterborough Lift Lock.

Bumstead (left) caught Walter after his third cast not a half-an-hour into the derby. His stepfather Justin Desbarbieux (right) did it last year, five days into the event. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Bumstead caught Walter, the prized rainbow trout that weighs roughly eight to 10 lbs. at a length of 20-24 inches. He caught it after his third cast less than 30 minutes into the event. He snagged Walter with worm bait near the train turn bridge just beside the barrier netting. Bumstead was overjoyed when he found out it was Walter.

“I felt like I could do a backflip,” he exclaimed.

“ I couldn't wait for him to run up to the stage and tell everyone how he just caught Walter,” said Desbarbieux.

The father-son duo was present at Wednesday’s fish release where all the rainbow trout were put into the canal in preparation for the event.

Bumstead gave himself an ‘extra advantage’ prior to Walter being tossed into the water.

“I touched his tail for good luck and I said to the guy, ‘I'm catching Walter this year,’” explained Bumstead. 

Desbarbieux caught Walter last year and has participated in the fishing derby since he was a child. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The two have bonded well over the years as Desbarbieux came into Bumstead’s life at an early age. The two often go hunting and fishing together and call each other father and son. Desbarbieux says he had a ‘proud father’ moment, seeing Bumstead catch Walter.

“You got to love it, especially so early in the derby like that,” he said. “It’s a very proud moment for the kids for sure, you got to love it.”

The Norwood District Public School student is walking away with the grand prize of $1,000 cash and gets to keep Walter. Bumstead said he was splitting some of the money with his early childhood friend but has no plans with the remainder of the cash as of yet.

The derby began Saturday with the youth event — for children 15 and under — at 9 a.m. and the all-ages kicking off Sunday at 9 a.m. and runs until May 7. It includes 25 tagged fish, each with a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses.

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