Peterborough Lakers Tailgate Party Cancelled Due to Air Quality Conditions; Home Opener Still A Go

The Peterborough Lakers tailgate party for Thursday’s home opener has been cancelled due to the air quality conditions according to their Facebook post made on Wednesday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

The game against the Brampton Excelsiors is still scheduled to happen with a banner-raising of the team’s fourth-straight Mann Cup. The opening faceoff is set for 8 p.m.

The tailgate party was scheduled in the PMC parking lot for two hours prior to the home opener. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable goods as the Lakers are collecting in support of Kawartha Food Share.

Peterborough’s air quality reached a high of nine on the Air Quality Health Index Readings from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday which is considered a high risk according to Air Quality Ontario. Conditions have peaked at seven from 6 to 8 a.m. Wednesday morning but have declined to four which is a low-end moderate risk by mid-afternoon.

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New Partnership From Peterborough Lakers Provides Free Game Tickets to Five Counties Children

The Peterborough Lakers have partnered with Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) to provide kids who receive treatment within the organization free tickets to each home game this season, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

The initiative is part of the Five Counties Ticket Assist Program according to a press release.

There is also the first-ever Little Lakers Night planned for the team’s final regular season home game on July 27. Five Counties staff, volunteers and families will be present at the game, holding a raffle, organizing face painting and other activities and taking part in the ceremonial pre-game ball drop.

“The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers and Five Counties Children’s Centre are a winning combination, and we’re very pleased to be partnering with the team on some wonderful initiatives for our kids and families,” said Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “Five Counties is honoured to be part of the Lakers’ ‘drive for five’ this season.”

“The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers believe in giving back to the community – on and off the floor – so we are thrilled to work with Five Counties to spotlight its services and welcome kids and families who use the Centre’s services to enjoy thrilling lacrosse action live and in person,” said Jordan Winch, Lakers’ coordinator.

The Lakers kick off their home opener against the Brampton Excelsiors at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday. Peterborough opened their season on the road and beat Brampton 11-8 last Friday.

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Saints Edge Griffins In Fifth-Place Match 7-6 In OFSAA Boys Field Lacrosse Championships

The St. Peter’s Saints (SPSS) led once all game but it was enough for a comeback 7-6 win and fifth place over the host Thomas A. Stewart Griffins (TASSS) in the OFSAA Boys Field Lacrosse Championships on Tuesday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The Griffins came out to a 3-0 start in the first quarter, getting an early lead over the COSSA Champion Saints. They battled back to cut the deficit by one to make it a Griffins 3-2 lead but TASSS pulled away with a goal to make it 4-2 into the first half. Jeff Ralph, Griffins’ head coach knew that any lead against the Saints having played them before is never safe.

“We’ve been up against them before. We knew it was going to be a full 60 minutes to get the win against these guys,” he explained.

The Griffins kept their foot on the gas pedal, quickly scoring in the third quarter to restore their three-goal lead, 5-2. At this point, TASSS had dominated in time of possession and shots on goal.

St. Peter’s displayed their resilience and battled back with three goals to make it a 5-5 game.

“Lacrosse is a game of runs, “ explained Rod Willis, Saints head coach. “You might go on a three or four-goal run so we had to be patient, wait until it came and really take advantage of the situation.”

Both teams had traded goals halfway through the fourth quarter with a 6-6 tie, including a game-tying score from Hayden Addison for the Saints.

With just 6:30 left, Addison scored again to give St. Peter’s the first lead of the game. TASSS pressured hard to try and tie the game. With under a minute left in the game, they had a chance to tie it from a high-scoring chance but Saints goaltender Geordy Addison made a clutch save and St. Peter’s was able to run out the clock for a 7-6 win.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Both coaches had respect for their respective Peterborough school counterparts.

“All the credit to them, they have a great team,” said Ralph. “They're very well-coached with Rod McGillis in his last high school game.”

“They're very well-coached,” said McGillis. “They have a couple very, very good players and on offense, a good offense. It's hard to stop. It takes a lot of character and a lot of patience and skill to get back into that game.”

McGills has announced his retirement from coaching following the game.

Both teams had won their first game on championship day in order to play each other for fifth place. The Saints beat the Denis Morris Reds based out of St. Catherines 11-9. The Griffins took down the Neil McNeil Maroons from Scarborough, 8-6.

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Peterborough Legion Branch 52 Finishes Second In Provincial Darts Tournament

Members of Peterborough Legion Branch 52 hit the mark and took home silver in mixed darts at Branch 498 in Grand Bend, Ont. held on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Legion.

Teams from all over the province were invited to attend and compete in the annual The Royal Canadian Legion Darts tournament.

Peterborough’s Terry Ainsworth, Holly Lucy, Melody Nauta and Shane Scanlan were representing Branch 52.

June 1 is the next scheduled for next year’s event.

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Peterborough Teams Split Games In OFSAA Field Lacrosse Championship, Teams Aim for Consolation Championship Tuesday

St. Peter’s Secondary School Saints (SPSS) and Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School Griffins (TASSS) will have to compete for the consolation championship as both teams had a split record of 1-1 during the round-robin portion of the OFSAA Field Lacrosse AAA Championship on Monday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Both teams had great starts to the championship.

COSSA champions SPSS defeated the Mayfield Mavericks 14-2 in the tournament’s opening contest at TASSS’s field.

“We came lights-out ready and we were a stronger team,” said Rod McGillis, Saints head coach. “We played well, it was a good game for us to work on our plays and get ready for game two.”

Host school TASSS had coasted their way to a win in this first game against Sacred Heart Crusaders with a 14-7 win. The Griffins had let in the first two goals before going on a six-point streak to run away with the contest.

Roughly over 250 students were in attendance at this game during school time to watch and cheer on the Griffins.

“We had the school community out here, the vibes were good and our big dogs stepped up today,” said Jeff Ralph, Griffins head coach. “That's what you need to do in a big tournament like this, you have to rely on your best players.”

Both teams ran into snags in their second and final round-robin games. Wins would propel them into the semifinals but losses would send them down to the consolation championships.

The Saints had lost a close game to the Wellington Falcons after failing to find the back of the net despite multiple scoring chances in the fourth quarter. SPSS fell 11-8 and would have to compete for fifth place on Tuesday.

“You have to give them credit, they're very well-coached, they're disciplined, they play the way we do,” said Gillis. “They did all the things right, they were a really tough opponent and you have to give them credit.”

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

TASSS was the last game of Monday but they fell to the Brooklin Bears 12-9 after falling behind early with a five-goal deficit. They attempted to mount a comeback in the second half getting as close with a three-goal deficit but just fell short.

“I was proud of the boys,” said Ralph. “We played Brooklin earlier in the season in the Trent tournament. We lost by a goal and it was a battle. We knew what were getting into today, the boys looked a little down early, we called a timeout, regrouped, picked their heads back up and we bounced back in the second half.”

Both teams have won their day-two games and will compete against each other for fifth place at TASSS at 2 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Reflect On Historic Championship Season As Off-Season Begins

After winning the OHL Championship and finishing third at the Memorial Cup, the Peterborough Petes head into the offseason preparing for a title defence while looking back on their historic year.

Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The Petes won the OHL Championship in six games against the London Knights on May 21. The team won their first J. Ross Robertson Cup since 2006 when they ironically swept the Knights.

“That meant the world to me,” explained Shawn Spearing, Petes’ captain. “Five years with this team, it's been unbelievable and I've loved every second of it. There's no better way to cap it off, I can't even explain that feeling, it's surreal.”

“Nobody gave us a shot except for us,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “We felt about three-four weeks before the end of the season, we were starting to come together. We made a lot of changes and it was quite the battle. The way worked for each other, (I’m) just super proud of them.”

Petes goaltender Michael Simpson was named OHL Playoff MVP for his efforts.

The following was the Petes playoff run:

• Eastern Conference quarterfinals: Peterborough Petes def. Sudbury Wolves, 4-0 series

• Eastern Conference semifinals: Peterborough Petes def. Ottawa 67’s, 4-2

• Eastern Conference finals: Peterborough Petes def. North Bay Battalion, 4-2

• OHL Championship: Peterborough Petes def. London Knights

The OHL Championship win qualified the Petes for Memorial Cup in Kamloops B.C. They were joined by Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

The Petes had a rough start, losing their first two games to Seattle and Kamloops but rebounded with a much-needed win against the Remparts to force a tiebreaker game for a semifinal spot.

Peterborough won two straight, defeating Kamloops in a revenge game to advance to the semifinals but lost out to the Thunderbirds and be eliminated from the tournament.

“A wonderful effort by the boys,” said Dave Pogue, Petes president. “Some lows and some highs but they definitely showed the resilience that they showed time and time again during the playoffs and we couldn't ask any more of them.”

The following were the Memorial Cup results for the Petes:

• Round Robin: Seattle Thunderbirds def. Peterborough Petes, 6-3

• Round Robin: Kamloops Blazers def. Peterborough Petes 10-2

• Round Robin: Peterborough Petes def. Quebec Remparts, 4-2

• Tiebreaker game: Peterborough Petes def. Kamloops Blazers, 5-4 OT

• Semifinals: Seattle Thunderbirds def. Peterborough Petes, 4-1

The Petes roster will need retooling as 10 players are graduating from the team with only three overage (OA) spots available for next season. Gavin White, Avery Hayes and Spearing were the team’s OAs this year and will move on from the Petes. White signed an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars of the NHL on Mar. 2.

The following are the team’s graduating players becoming or are already OAs and their NHL prospect teams if applicable:

• Samuel Mayer

• Michael Simpson

• J.R. Avon (Philadelphia Flyers)

• Cam Gauvreau

• Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers)

• Connor Lockhart

• Chase Stillman (New Jersey Devils)

• Jax Dubois

• Tucker Robertson (Seattle Kraken)

• Gavin White* (Dallas Stars)

• Avery Hayes*

• Shawn Spearing*

*denotes an overage prior to the season’s start

The Petes added some hometown talent during this year’s OHL Priority Selection in first-round pick defenseman Carson Cameron (Bobcaygeon) and sixth-round pick, goaltender and hometown boy Masen Johnston. The team added 13 players including eight forwards, four defencemen and a goaltender.

The following are the Petes draft results:

• First round, 13th overall: Carson Cameron, D, Central Ontario Wolves

• Fourth round, 76th overall: Joseph Cadorin, F, Toronto Marlboros

• Fifth round, 88th overall: Liam Ladds, D, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks

• Sixth round, 112th overall: Masen Johnston, G, Peterborough Petes

• Seventh round, 133rd overall: Chase Del Colombo, F, Toronto Nationals

• Eighth round, 153rd overall: Gavin Lock, F, Detroit Little Caesars

• Ninth round, 173rd overall: Easton Lynds, F, Mississauga Senators

• 10th round, 193rd overall: Calum Hartnell, D, Ottawa Jr. Senators

• 10th round, 196th overall: Thanasi Marentette, D, Toronto Nationals

• 11th round, 213th overall: Francis Parish, F, Central Ontario Wolves

• 12th round, 234th overall: Aiden Lee, F, Markham Majors

• 13th round, 253rd overall: Brody Leet, F, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs

• 14th round, 273rd overall: Joshua Kaufman, F, Kitchener Jr. Rangers

• 15th round, 293rd overall: Kaiden Thatcher, D, Ajax-Pickering Raiders

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Photos: Peterborough Petes Welcomed Home By Fans After Returning From Memorial Cup In Kamloops

Captain Shawn Spearing signing an autograph on a young fan's t-shirt. All photos by Samantha Bianco.

The Peterborough Petes were welcomed home by fans after finishing their Memorial Cup run, returning home from Kamloops after placing third place in the tournament.

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Fans Invited to Peterborough Airport to Welcome Peterborough Petes Home After Memorial Cup Run

It was a little sooner than wanted but the Peterborough Petes are inviting fans and community members to welcome the team at the Peterborough Airport as they arrive home from the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, B.C.

The team is expected to arrive just before 4:00 p.m. announced by the team on Saturday morning.

The Petes had an overall record of 2-3 in the Memorial Cup, finishing in third place. Photo by Samantha Bianco

The team requests fans to park in the main terminal at the Peterborough Airport and enter the terminal building to welcome the team home. The team fell short of reaching the finals after taking a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday night in the semis and finished third.

Dave Pogue, Petes president wrote a letter to Peterborough to thank the fans for the historic season the team had that includes winning an OHL Championship.

To the Petes Fans in Peterborough, across Canada and around the world,

The 2022-23 season was one of historic highs for the Mighty Maroon and White, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, players, and every member of the Peterborough Petes organization, I want to personally thank you for your passionate support during this championship season.

At our annual Season Ticket Member BBQ before the season started, I stood in front of hundreds of our biggest fans and said that we would be satisfied with nothing less than an Ontario Hockey League championship, and I cannot be more proud of our team for delivering that for our community.

Lifting the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions on home ice on Sunday, May 28 was something that many in our community, myself included, will never forget. To share that moment with our fans and families in our own barn, and then to celebrate with thousands of fans at Quaker Square the next day, was a perfect way to showcase just how much this championship belongs to the entire Petes community. 

In Kamloops, BC, at the Memorial Cup, the team did not disappoint. Our players, coaches, and staff represented our historic franchise, and the Peterborough community, in exemplary fashion, with many in Kamloops embracing Peterborough as their own. Although we fell just short of winning the most elusive trophy in sports, a standard of excellence in Peterborough has been re-established by the performance of the 2022-23 Petes. 

To the hundreds of thousands of fans in our city, across the province, and around the world, thank you! You showed up for our team this season in record numbers at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, at our watch parties and championship celebration event, and out and about in the community every day. Petes pride is at an all-time high, and with season tickets already nearly sold out for the 2023-24 campaign, I know that our fans will continue to serve as the backbone of our storied franchise’s success. 

Thank you, and Go Petes Go!

Dave Pogue

President

Peterborough Petes

Petes Memorial Cup 50/50 tickets are still on sale with a minimum $5,000 jackpot. The draw will take place after the Memorial Cup Final on Sunday.

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Peterborough Petes Memorial Cup Hopes Dashed and Get Eliminated With 4-1 Loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds In the Semifinals

The Petes storybook season ends with a semifinal loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 4-1 loss at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops as Peterborough is eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Friday night.

the Petes were a perfect 4-0 during the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup in elimination games prior to playing in the semifinal. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes were under duress right from puck drop as Seattle dominated time of possession as well as shots on net. They tested Petes' goaltender Michael Simpson early and often with 14 shots in the period. He stood strong however, stopping everything that came his way.

Peterborough was only able to muster five shots in the period however Brennan Othmann may have had the best opportunity but hit the crossbar and stayed out. The score remained a 0-0 tie after one.

The second period remained mostly the same as Seattle once again won the time of possession and shot battle throughout. Eventually, the Thunderbirds were rewarded on their 31st shot of the game and last of the period as Nico Myatovic wristed it on Simpson and the rebound came to Brad Lambert to swipe at it. The puck went through the five-hole and bounced the side of the left pad and went in for a 1-0 Seattle lead. This was Lambert’s first goal of the tournament and that was the score going into the third.

Seattle get their foot on the gas pedal as Lucas Ciona attempted to make a centering pass that went off a Petes’ skate. Off the broken play, Kyle Crnkovic scooped up the loose puck and passed it to Colton Dach who one-timed it home for a 2-0 lead, 88 seconds into the period.

Peterborough showing their resilience, saw Brennan Othmann get a puck alone in the slot off a turnover and slipped it five-hole past Thomas Milic to cut into the lead at 2-1. Just under seven minutes later, Seattle pressed again and had Simpson sitting down with the puck in front of him. Crnkovic rushed in and chipped it. Simpson snared the puck from out of the air but not before it crossed the line and extended Seattle’s lead to two, 3-1.

Peterborough pulled their goalie with less than three minutes in the game but Nico Myatovic deposited the empty-net goal and punched their ticket to the Memorial Cup finals with a 4-1 win.

Simpson stopped 43 of 46 shots on the night. Thunderbirds Crnkovic was named the player of the game.

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Peterborough to Host OFSAA Boys Lacrosse Championships In Two-Day Event Starting Monday

Peterborough is hosting the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Boys’ A/AA and AAA field lacrosse championships on Monday and Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of TAS Griffins.

The Holy Cross Hurricanes and Thomas A. Stewart (TAS) Griffins are co-hosting the event. The tournament is being hosted at Trent University’s Justin Chiu Stadium and at TAS for the AAA tournament. The A/AA division will see Sir Sandford Fleming Turf Fields and Holy Cross as their venues.

TAS and St. Peter’s Saints have qualified for the event from their standings at Central Ontario Secondary Schools Association (COSSA) for the AAA tournament. Holy Cross, Crestwood Mustangs will be in the A/AA tournament according to the league’s schedule.

Monday consists of round-robin play where each school plays everyone in their three-team pool. Tuesday is where all consolation and playoff games will be played.

Schedules for the AAA and A/AA tournaments can be found online.

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