Peterborough Petes Drop First Matchup of Three-Game Road Trip to the Sarnia Sting, 2-1

The Peterborough Petes’s three-game road trip is not off to a good start as they fell to the Sarnia Sting 2-1 at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena on Wednesday night.

The Petes sit in fifth and last place of the East Division with 34 points. The team has lost eight of their last 10 games. Photo courtesy of Natalie Silver and the Peterborough Petes.

The game had Peterborough’s two newest members Nico Addy and Martin Matejicek formerly from the Owen Sound (acquired in a trade on Tuesday) make their Petes debut.

The start was not what the visitors wanted as Marko Sikic scored seven minutes in to give Sarnia a quick 1-0 lead, his ninth of the year. Not to be outdone by his teammate, Andrew LeBlanc also tacked on his ninth of the season to give a 2-0 lead over the Petes going into the second.

Two minutes into the period, Peterborough had almost found its footing as Tommy Purdeller seemed to have scored the Petes’s first goal but was called off due to an offside call after review.

The defending OHL champions persisted as they had a man advantage four minutes later. OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month Carson Cameron fired a shot from the point and Quinton Pagé deflected it for a power play goal to narrow the deficit to one going into the final period.

Both teams went back and forth on each other as Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska stopped all shots faced in the third to give Peterborough a chance. However, Sting goalie Nick Surzycia also was a brick wall and disallowed anything past him and Sarnia held on for the 2-1 win.

The Petes head to the second matchup of their three-game road trip, crossing the border into Michigan to take on the Flint Firebirds at 7 p.m. at the Dort Financial Center on Friday.

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Peterborough Petes Acquire Nico Addy, Martin Matejicek and Draft Pick From Owen Sound For Konnor Smith and Sam McCue

With eight days ahead of the Ontario Hockey League deadline, the Peterborough Petes have acquired forward Nico Addy, defenceman Martin Matejicek and a third-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Anaheim Ducks prospect Konnor Smith and forward Sam McCue announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Shaver and the Peterborough Petes.

The 2007-born forward was selected by the Attack in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. In 26 games, the Casselman, Ont. native has one goal and two assists.

The former U16 Toronto Jr. Canadien had 24 points in 33 Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) games last season, winning a 2023 OHL Cup. In that tournament, he scored four goals with an assist in seven games. Standing at 6’4”, Addy represented Ontario in the 2023 Canada Winter Games, scoring twice in six games.

Matejicek, a 2005-born defenceman, was selected by the Attack in the first round, 28th overall, in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. The 6’2” Jihlava, Czechia, native has played 34 games in his OHL career with a goal and an assist. Matejicek has represented Czechia at various youth levels including U18 at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he picked up two assists in five games.

“We’re excited to be able to add Nico and Martin to the lineup,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and director of business operations. “Nico is a big young forward with a ton of potential who won the OHL Cup last year. Martin is a big defenceman who plays solid in his own end and can move the puck.”

Smith, a 2004-born defenceman, was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round, 97th overall, in last yea’rs NHL Entry Draft. Originally selected by the Petes in the ninth round of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, the 6’5” Windsor, Ont. native has appeared in 145 games in three seasons with the Petes, scoring 14 times and adding 21 assists for 35 points. Smith also played in all 23 of the Petes playoff games last season, picking up two assists while winning a 2023 OHL Championship. Konnor appeared in all five Petes 2023 Memorial Cup games with an assist.

“I’d like to personally thank Konnor for everything he’s done over the past three seasons for the Petes and the city of Peterborough,” continued Oke. “Konnor’s been a fan favourite on and off the ice and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

McCue, is a Sudbury, Ont. forward, selected by the Petes in the seventh round, 125th overall, in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. In 67 career games, he’s scored 11 goals and added five assists for 16 points. McCue played in three playoff games last season en route to an OHL Championship.

“On behalf of the Petes, I’d like to thank Sam for two great years in Peterborough. We wish him the best of luck in Owen Sound,” said Oke. “I’d like to thank both Konnor and Sam for the role they played in last year’s OHL Championship. They both will forever be remembered as Champions in Peterborough.”

The Petes look to get another winning streak going on Wednesday as they travel to Sarnia to take on the Sting. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Auto Sales Arena. The official road game watch party at Shoeless Joe’s Peterborough.

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U10 AAA Peterborough Petes Spread Holiday Cheer By Giving Gifts To Young Patients at PRHC

The U10 AAA Peterborough Petes were in the giving spirit as the team gave presents to children treated at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Chad cavanaugh.

There were 17 Petes who participated in the event along with their families and coaches to spread holiday cheer to the PRHC. The team collaborated with the health centre a week ago to arrange a day for all the children to meet for the gift exchange.

Each Pete was given a gift request from the children at the PRHC. The team fulfilled those wishlists and returned with nine presents for the hospitalized children.

“It was a good learning curve for the U10s to give back and that’s what we wanted to teach them,” said Chad Cavanaugh, U10 Petes head coach. “We wanted to do something for the community and the kids wanted to give back.”

This act of generosity was a feeling of moral obligation that Cavanaugh wanted to instill in his players. That there is more to life than just hockey and giving back was vital, regardless of status.

“I think it’s good for kids to learn lessons outside of hockey and help kids that they may not have the skills or health that they have,” he explained.

The team participated in an exhibition of parents versus kids hockey on the same night.

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Peterborough Petes Forward Owen Beck Dazzles With Two Goals In 6-3 World Juniors Pre-Tournament Win Over Switzerland

Peterborough Petes forward Owen Beck led Team Canada to a 6-3 pre-tournament win over Switzerland with two goals at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday morning.

Last World Junior Championships, Beck was a late-addition callup after tournament-ending injury to Colton DAch. Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Petes.

Beck’s first goal came less than 30 seconds into the second period where the score was tied at two apiece. The Port Hope native fired a one-timer at point-blank range to beat Swiss goaltender Alessio Beglieri for his first goal.

His second was a highlight-reel goal while Team Canada was shorthanded after a checking-from-behind major penalty to Macklin Celebrini. Beck knocked down the puck from behind him, sped up to the puck and was on a breakaway. He stickhandled the puck and rifled it over Beglieri’s glove and scoring in the top-shelf corner for his second of the game.

Canada will have more pre-tournament action against the United States on Saturday and open the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland.

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Ryan Foster Named Head Coach to the U16 AAA Peterborough Petes

Former assistant coach Ryan Foster has been named the head coach of the U16 AAA Peterborough Petes for the 2024-2025 season.

The U16 AAA Petes had 13 players drafted to the OHL. Graphic by Mark Dizon.

Foster was an assistant coach for former head coach Michael Farrugia for the Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes 2022-2023 season. The latter was hired as an assistant coach for the Oshawa Generals in late November.

Foster was a coach and player in the Peterborough Petes minor system. During the 1993-94 season, he was part of the Peterborough Petes Provincial Jr. A team.

He has had several coaching stints with the Petes from 2016-2018 and 2021-2023 in peewee, bantam and midget divisions.

“I’m really thankful to get the opportunity to coach in the PMHC, particularly the U16 program,” said Foster. “I have been very lucky to work alongside some terrific coaches, hockey people and players these last few years and I am looking to bring that knowledge and experience to the 2024/25 team.

The U16 Petes had a successful last season as runner-ups to the Steve Richey Cup in January (in a 1-0 loss), crowned Ontario Minor Hockey Association champions in March (in triple overtime) and semi-finalists in the OHL Cup.

“The U16 program has been top-notch in recent years and we are looking to continue that trend with a team that is hard-working, disciplined and competitive,” said Foster.

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Peterborough Petes Steamrolled By Rival Oshawa Generals, 5-1; Easton Rye Makes Team Debut

Peterborough could not keep up with rival Oshawa Generals and fell on the road 5-1 at the Tribute Communities Centre on Sunday night. Petes goalie Easton Rye made his OHL debut when he was substituted into the game late in the third period.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

Oshawa started the scoring as former Peterborough Pete Connor Lockhardt beat Liam Sztuska on a sharp-angle shot that ricocheted in for a 1-0 lead. Peterborough countered as Johnathan Melee took a shot from inside the faceoff circle and Jax Dubois pounced on the rebound for a tie game.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill for Peterborough from here as late in the period, the Petes turned the puck over in their own zone and Oshawa capitalized and scored on a rebound shot from Dylan Roobroeck for a 2-1 lead.

The Generals got a pair of goals in the second thanks to Beckett Sennecke and Calum Ritchie and extended Oshawa’s lead 4-1 going into the third period.

The home team kept pouring it on as Stuart Rolofs scored 10 seconds into the period off a one-timer and it was 5-1 Generals. Just under eight minutes into the period, Sztuska was pulled from the game and Rye filled in, playing 12:12 of the final frame. He stopped all seven shots faced in relief.

The Petes are on their holiday break and return to action on Dec. 28 to visit Kingston and fae the Frontenacs. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Leon’s Centre. The Official Road Game Watch Party is at Shoeless Joe’s Peterborough on Lansdowne Street.

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Peterborough Petes Lose Close Battle With 3-2 Loss to Kingston Frontenacs

The Petes did not end the weekend as they wanted by taking a 2-1 loss despite 40 shots on net to the Ottawa 67’s at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Sunday.

The Peterborough Petes are 1-6 in the last seven games and have dropped to third in the East Division. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen Photography and the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes were first to hit the scoreboard as Samuel Mayer quickly wristed it off the faceoff draw and Mason Vaccari for a 1-0 lead, 5:10 into the period. Kingston special teams would get them the lead as both Ethan Miedema and Jacob Battaglia scored on the power play each for a 2-1 lead. Peterborough would tie the game late in the first as Jax Dubois forced a turnover in the offensive zone, centred it for Johnathan Melee, who one-timed it home for a two-point night and a 2-2 game.

With no scoring in the second, both teams were trying to get the go-ahead goal in the third frame. Just less than three minutes in, Kingston peppered Zach Bowen and on the third rebound, Matthew Soto was able to chip it it for a 3-2 lead. The Petes outshot Kingston in the third period 11-9 but could not find the back of the net and lost six of their last seven games.

The Petes played their last game before their Christmas break and have two road games before returning to the ice on Dec. 28. They play the Guelph Storm on Friday and the Oshawa Generals on Sunday before their holidays.

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Peterborough Petes Forward Owen Beck Selected to Team Canada For the 2024 World Junior Championship

Peterborough Petes forward and Montreal Canadiens second-round pick Owen Beck, has been named to the final roster for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, announced by Hockey Canada on Wednesday evening.

File Photo.

The tournament will take place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Beck is representing Canada for the second time at the U20 level. In the 2023 World Juniors in Moncton, N.B. and Halifax, N.S., he was a late addition to the roster, joining Petes’ teammate and fellow 2023 OHL Champion, Brennan Othmann. In three games, Beck recorded an assist and won gold with a 3-2 overtime win over Czechia.

“We’re very proud of Owen,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations. “To have the opportunity to play for Canada twice is a very big accomplishment. We know that Owen will represent the Petes and the community of Peterborough very well and we’re looking forward to watching him play.”

Beck was initially selected by the Mississauga Steelheads 29th overall in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. He has played in 153 OHL games in his three-year career, scoring 61 goals and adding 86 assists for 147 points. In October last year, he was signed by the Montreal Canadiens to a three-year entry-level deal and made his NHL debut for the Canadiens in an emergency call-up on Jan. 2023 against the Ottawa Senators.

The Petes will try to get back in the winning column this Thursday as they host the Kingston Frontenacs for their annual Christmas Game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Local Pedorthist Publishes New Book Highlighting Peterborough Petes 67-Year History With 101 Short Stories

Local pedorthist Nick Caravaggio Jr. recalls the Peterborough Petes 67-year history in a new book he published called ‘Petes 101: The Unofficial History of the Peterborough Petes.’

Nick Caravaggio Jr. is a Canadian Certified Pedorthist at the Caravaggio Orthotic Clinic. He took over the business from his late father, Nick Caravaggio Sr., a founding member of orthotic therapy in Canada. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The 300-page book contains 101 short chapters throughout the team’s 67-year tenure including the recent 2022-23 OHL Championship title.

“I've always wanted to write a book. It's been on my bucket list for a long time and I've just been a big sports fan my entire life,” explained Caravaggio. “There's a lot of books out there about the Canadiens, the Leafs and whatnot that are similar to this book and I thought it would be cool to try for the Petes.”

The book pays homage to his late father and Petes fan, Nick Caravaggio Sr. Before the father’s passing, Caravaggio Sr. was able to read most of the book. He took Caravaggio Jr. — when he was six at the time— to his first Petes game on Nov. 3, 1990. To commemorate the occasion, Caravaggio Sr. bought his son a puck that bears the book's cover.

The late father ran the Caravaggio Orthotic Clinic and could not spend much time with his son. The Petes game became the foundation for the close bond between both Nicks and they made a concerted to attend games more frequently to spend more time together.

“He's the main reason why we have such a good relationship with the Petes because he took me to my first game,” explained Caravaggio Jr. “We had such a good connection and it just strengthened our whole bond. I have to thank the Petes because they're the reason why my dad and I had such a good relationship.”

The book contains interviews with Petes’ players, coaches, staff and more throughout the team’s 67-year span. Interviews for the book included Don Barrie, Pat Casey, Scotty Bowman, Terry Doyle and several others.

He credits former Petes general manager Jeff Twohey with getting him closer to the world of junior hockey than he ever imagined according to the book. He also mentions local author, journalist, and former editor Ed Arnold for being his mentor and helping him write the book. Caravaggio Jr. only had a few people to talk to for the book but the aforementioned helped establish more connections for interviews.

“It just kind of snowballed,” explained Caravaggio Jr. “This whole community, they're so tight. They're such nice people and very welcoming to me. I'm not a hockey guy, I never played at a high level so they're very welcoming to accept me and actually talk to me.”

The book is available on Amazon, the Petes store (at the Peterborough Memorial Centre) and Caravaggio Orthotic Clinic for $25. Caravaggio Jr. is signing book copies before the Petes game at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at 6 p.m. this Thursday.

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Peterborough Petes Struggle to Find the Back of the Net in 2-1 Loss to Ottawa 67's

The Petes did not end the weekend as they wanted by taking a 2-1 loss despite 40 shots on net to the Ottawa 67’s at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Sunday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Ottawa opened the scoring halfway through the first as Caden Kelly entered the zone on a rush. Peterborough had four men back but the 67’s sniped it through Petes goaltender Zach Bowen for a 1-0 lead. The Petes led 17-12 in shots for the period.

Peterborough found the scoreboard just after 11 into the second period as they had a three-on-one opportunity. The Petes cycled the puck perfectly and Quinton Pagé got to cap off the goal to tie things up at 1. Ottawa restored their lead just five minutes later as they had an outnumbered attack in the Petes defensive zone. Cooper Foster was able to beat Bowen via five-hole for the 2-1 lead. Ottawa had 10 shots to Peterborough’s 8 in that stanza.

The final frame saw the Petes pepper 67’s goalie Max Donoso with 15 shots to Ottawa’s six but could not get one past the goal line and the 67’s hung on for a 2-1 win.

The Petes will try to get back in the winning column this Thursday as they host the Kingston Frontenacs for their annual Christmas Game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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