Peterborough Has First Player to Debut in the NFL This Past Sunday

Peterborough has finally made the NFL as wide receiver Jared Wayne made his debut with the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. on Sunday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Wayne, a second-generation football player, was elevated from the practice squad after fellow wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson was inactive with a shoulder injury.

The Peterborough native played 16 snaps. He was not targeted and played the fewest snaps among the wideouts.

Wayne played four seasons of collegiate football with the Pittsburgh Panthers, scoring 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.

The rookie wideout had declared himself for the 2023 NFL draft but was not selected.

On April 29 last year, he signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent.

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.

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.

The Texans defeated the Jaguars 23-20.

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Peterborough Porter Martone Selected Among 32 to World Juniors Selection Camp For Team Canada

Brampton Steelhead forward and Peterborough’s Porter Martone has been selected as one of 32 players to Team Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp at TD Place in Ottawa from Dec. 10 to 13, announced on Monday.

Photo by Jordan Cooper.

Martone is one of 16 players selected from the OHL among the 32 skaters.

“We are excited to announce the 32 players who have earned invitations to selection camp in Ottawa, and begin the road to our ultimate goal of winning a World Junior Championship gold medal on home ice,” said Al Murray, head scout. “This is a talented group of young players that is determined to represent Canada with pride over the holidays, and we expect a highly competitive camp with several difficult decisions when determining our final roster.”

On May 5, Marton captained Team Canada to an IIHF U18 World Championship Gold Medal by defeating the United States, 6-4.

Martone has scored 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points this season in 23 games with the Steelheads.

Martone was a member of the Peterborough Petes U15 AAA team, scoring six goals and 15 assists in 36 games.

“(He’s) a chance to be chosen number one overall this year,” said Bob McKenzie, Canadian hockey analyst. “He’s a big power forward. He has the size and strength to be a power forward but he has the ability to be in tight, he’s got great hands, he can wheel, he’s can be a finesse player as well so this is a guy who can be a handful for junior-age hockey players with that size and strength and skill.”

The following are the 32 players selected to camp:

Goaltenders

  • Carson Bjarnason

  • Carter George

  • Jack Ivankovic

  • Scott Ratzlaff

Defencemen

  • Cameron Allen

  • Beau Akey

  • Oliver Bonk

  • Harrison Brunicke

  • Sam Dickenson

  • Andrew Gibson

  • Tanner Molendyk

  • Sawyer Mynio

  • Caden Price

  • Matthew Schaefer

Forwards

  • Porter Martone

  • Denver Barkey

  • Cole Beaudoin

  • Mathiew Cataford

  • Berkley Catton

  • Easton Cowan

  • Andrew Cristall

  • Ethan Gauthier

  • Riley Heidt

  • Tanner Howe

  • Jettt Luchanko

  • Gavin McKenna

  • Bradly Nadeau

  • Luca Pinelli

  • Carson Rehkopf

  • Calum Ritchie

  • Matthew Wood

  • Brayden Yager

The selection camp will see the invited players play two games against the U Sports All-Stars. 

A four-day training camp will be held from Dec. 15 to 18 in Petawawa after the roster has been finalized 

Canada has drawn Finland for their first World Juniors matchup on Boxing Day against Finland. 

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Former Niagara IceDogs Captain Scores Walk-Off Goal For Peterborough Petes In 4-3 Overtime Win

Ex-IceDog Captain Gavin Bryant scored the walk-off game-winning goal against his former team to give the Peterborough Petes a 4-3 victory at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Sunday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth ANderson and the Peterborough Petes.

This was Peterboroughs third game in four days as they were shut out at home 6-0 to the London Knights on Thursday. They had a 2-0 lead against the Ottawa 67’s but allowed four-straight goals for a 4-2 road loss on Friday.

The Petes found themselves trailing 2-0, 12:13 into the first period with goals from Matthew Virgilio and Kevin He. As Niagara finished killing the penalty and returned to full strength, Carson Cameron wired a shot that went off an IceDog and found the back of the net for a 2-1 game after the first period.

After 6:48 into the second, Braidy Wassilyn reestablished Niagara’s two-goal lead on the power play for a 3-1 game. The former IceDog captain took over the game as the Petes were on an extended power play from a double-minor penalty from Jack Brauti for tripping and roughing. Bryant went coast-to-coast, blowing by all the defenders, corraled his own rebound and scored for a 3-2 game with 4:11 left in regulation.

After the second half of the double-minor penalty had finished, Bryant looked to shoot but instead fed Quinton Pagé for a one-timed tip-in to tie the game with 2:05 left in the third.

The game went to overtime and just 54 seconds in, Bryant finished off his former team with a shot that went off a defender and hit the back of the net for a 4-3 overtime win.

The Petes are bringing their annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Thursday when they host the Sarnia Sting at 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Shutout at Home 6-0 to League-Leading London Knights

The Peterborough Petes had snapped a London Knights winning streak back in late January but not this as they were shut out 6-0 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth ANderson and the Peterborough Petes.

The league-leading Knights had a 15-game winning streak entering the game. On Jan. 26, goaltender Easton Rye got his first career win against London in a 3-2 shootout victory to stop their 14-game winning streak. He had the start again for Peterborough.

London struck first in four-on-four play as William Nicholl received an outlet pass and had a step on the Petes defense. After some stickhandling, he beat Rye on the backhand and made it 1-0 for London. The Knights continued their goal-scoring ways as Sam O'Reilly tipped a point shot from Blake Montgomery that beat Rye to make it 2-0 going into the second.

Nicholl struck again as he was left a soft drop-like pass to the high slot and slapped it past Rye for a 3-0 lead. The Knights kept their foot on the gas as Landon Sim, on the power play, was able to tip an Oliver Bonk point shot to make it 4-0 after two.

The Knights would not let up and kept pressuring Peterborough in the third. Montgomery was left alone in front of the net as the Petes had previously broken up his shot attempt. London forced a turnover in the offensive zone, and Sim helped Montgomery ring off a one-timer for a 5-0 lead. Noah Aboflan added a late goal and the Knights extended their winning streak to 16 with a 6-0 shutout over the Petes.

Peterborough heads to the nation’s capital on Friday to face the Ottawa 67’s at TD Place. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Partner With Pedal For Hope Tour For 2025 Pink in the Rink Game On Feb. 1

The Peterborough Petes 16th Annual Pink in the Rink Campaign will support the Pedal for Hope tour, a part of Cops for Cancer at the Canadian Cancer Society, announced at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday afternoon.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This year’s game is against the Oshawa Generals on Feb. 1 at 7:05 p.m.

The proceeds will go towards pediatric cancer research and to support the Pediatric Family Counselling Service. This program provides support to families and children coping with a cancer diagnosis, as well as young adults who have surpassed their diagnosis as they transition into adulthood.

Last season, the Petes Pink in the Rink Campaign surpassed the $1 million mark in funds raised for cancer research over the event's 15-year history. This year, the fundraising goal is $50,000.

The Pedal for Hope team will be the Ambassadors for this year’s Pink in the Rink Campaign. The Petes will highlight a team member each week as a community spotlight for those behind this program. 

“The Pedal for Hope team is thrilled to be named the Ambassadors for the 2024-25 Pink in the Rink game,” said Staff Sergeant John Townsend, Pedal for Hope founder. “The money raised at this game will go directly towards helping local children living with cancer and their families through the Canadian Cancer Society’s vital support services and research. 

This event is about more than just hockey,” noted Jonathan Melee, Petes captain. “It's about coming together as a team, as a city, and as a community to make a real difference. Through our support of the Pedal for Hope Tour, we can help fund crucial research and offer hope to families affected by pediatric cancer. The strength and resilience of these young patients inspire all of us, and as a team, we're committed to helping however we can.” 

“Everyone knows someone whether it’s a family member, friend, community member, or even themselves who have been touched by cancer,” said Townsend. “It takes a community to support each other, and events like these give us the opportunity to spread the word that they are not alone, we are here to support. Every cent truly makes an impact, and we are grateful for this opportunity to work with the Peterborough Petes organization this year to help make a difference in our community.”

Several activations will support the Pink in the Rink Campaign this year. These include Pink in the Rink t-shirts, an in-person silent auction during the game and an in-person game-worn jersey auction on the ice after the game. The Petes will release the Pink in the Rink game jersey design to the public in the coming weeks.

Fans are invited to submit their loved ones' names and pictures to be featured on the video board during the Pink in the Rink game. Fans can submit their loved one’s information by going online.

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Former Pete Scores Two Goals to Lead Brantford Bulldogs In 5-2 Over Peterborough

Former Pete Nick Lardis scored the game’s last two goals to put things out of reach for Peterborough as the Brantford Bulldogs earned a 5-2 victory at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

Petes goaltender Easton Rye was making his first home career start in the game but had it rough facing his first shot of the game. Aiden O’Donnell received a pass and one-timed it home at point blank range to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead just 3:06 into the period. Petes captain Johnathan Melee got one back for Peterborough, scoring his team-leading sixth goal of the season off a centring pass from Ryder McIntyre just over five minutes later. It was 1-1 heading into the second period.

Neither team had scored until over halfway throught he frame as Brantford reestablished their lead. Joshua Avery took a shot that went wide but a fortunate bounce ended up on the stick of Nikolas Rossetto on the opposite side of the net and buried it for a 2-1 lead going into the third.

Peterborough refusing to go down without a fight tied things up again, this time on the power play. Aiden Young took matters into his own hands once he crossed the blue line, he beat a defender and took a wide-angle shot that beat Bulldogs goaltender Ryerson Leenders for a 2-2 tie. Rye was credited with the secondary assist the goal

It took less than three minutes for Brantford to regain the lead as the Bulldogs had Rye under siege in front of his net and after a few shots, wired one home thanks to Calvin Crombie to reestablish the 3-2 lead. Lardis put the dagger to the Petes on the power play as he got a quick one-timed goal to amke it 4-2 with just over 4 minutes in regulation. To add insult to injury, Lardis struck again with an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Brantford, 5-2.

The Petes hit the road to face Kingston Frontenacs at Slush Puppie Place on Fridya night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Drop 4-1 to Owen Sound Attack at Home

The Peterborough Petes took a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Owen Sound Attack during Special Olympics game night, in support of Special Olympics Ontario and Law Enforcement Torch Run at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth ANdersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The visitors struck first on the power play as Pierce Mbuyi was left alone in front of Petes goaltender Zach Bowen after a pass from Antonio Tersigni. Mbuyi beat Bowen short side and made it 1-0 after one.

Owen Sound found themselves with another man advantage and Mbuyi struck again. This time, he wristed a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

The Petes had an opportunity to get back in the game with a five-minute power play due to a James Petrovski cross check from the Attack. Peterborough turned the puck over in the attacking zone thanks to Braydon McCallum and fed Johnathan Melee for a one-timer and power play goal. The Petes trail 2-1 heading into the third.

Both teams struggled to score in the third until late in the frame where Ben Cormier got a pass and one-timed it home past Bowen for a 3-1 lead late in the frame. Peterborough pulled their goalie to try and get back in the game but after LA Kings prospect and Owen Sound goaltender Carter George made a save he took a shot at the empty net. He potted the goalie goal to make it 4-1 for the dagger.

The Petes hit the road to take on the Kitchener Rangers on Friday at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Partnership Helps to Raise Funds and Awareness For Those With An Intellectual Disability

The Peterborough Petes, Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), Special Olympics Ontario, and the Peterborough Police have teamed up to raise awareness of individuals with intellectual disabilities for Thursday’s home game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The game will take place at 7:05 p.m. when the Petes host the Owen Sound Attack.

Activations at the game will include:

  • A LETR/Special Olympics Ontario-run kiosk so fans can learn more about Special Olympics Ontario

  • Public address announcements about Special Olympics Ontario

  • A puck drop featuring representatives from the Peterborough Police Service and Special Olympics Ontario

  • A bucket pass in support of LETR and Special Olympics Ontario

The awareness campaign is part of the ongoing commitment by the Ontario Hockey League, The Peterborough Petes and LETR/Special Olympics Ontario to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Ontario.

“The OHL Big Ticket Game has been a major event on the Special Olympics Ontario calendar since 2007,” said Cody Jansma, Special Olympics Ontario President & CEO. “Through the program, the OHL and its clubs have been a key partner of Special Olympics Ontario (SOO), providing much-needed funds and awareness to 23,000 athletes living in Ontario with intellectual disabilities. SOO thanks the Peterborough Petes and the Peterborough Police Service for their ongoing support of the movement. Together, we champion inclusion, acceptance and offer opportunities to many athletes in the Region and throughout the province to participate and thrive in sport.” 

“The Petes are proud to support Special Olympics Ontario once again to raise funds for individuals with an intellectual disability,” said Adam King, Petes director of marketing. “We’re excited to welcome these athletes to the PMC and highlight their amazing achievements while also bringing attention to an important cause.”

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Former Peterborough Petes Defenceman Inducted Into the Hockey Hall of Fame

Former Peterborough Petes defenceman Colin Campbell is soon being immortalized as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2024 in Toronto on Monday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth ANdersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Campbell is being inducted in the builder category and is currently the NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations.

He played three seasons (his entire junior hockey career) with the Peterborough Petes from 1970-72, He had 95 points in 169 games during that span. In his last season, he had 47 points and 189 penalty minutes while being crowned an OHL champion in 1972 with teammates such as Bob Gainey, Stan Jonathan and Doug Jarvis.

He was honoured by the Petes with a banner-raising ceremony in January 2020.

The Tillsonburg native was drafted 27th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1973 NHL Draft and fifth overall by the Vancouver Blazers in the 1973 WHA Draft. He played one year with Vancouver in the WHA before signing on with Pittsburgh. He also played for other NHL teams such as Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, and Vancouver before he retired in 1985. Ten years later, he coached for four seasons.

After retiring in 1985, Campbell was an assistant coach with the Red Wings until 1990. He was also an associate coach with the Rangers for parts of three seasons before his promotion. He replaced Mike Keenan as coach after New York's championship year in 1994.

After being released by the Rangers during the 1997-98 season, Campbell retains his involvement with the NHL in hockey operations, officiating and central scouting before his current role.

The 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is Nov. 11 in Toronto. He joins Shea Weber, Jeremy Roenick, Pavel Datsyuk, Natalie Darwitz, David Poile, and Krissy Wendall in this year’s class.

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Peterborough Petes Score Late Goal To Earn First Victory Over Saginaw Spirit

The painful drought is finally over for the Peterborough Petes as defenseman Carson Cameron scored late in the third period to give his team their first win of the season over the Saginaw Spirit at the Dow Event Center on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of nATALIE sHAVER AND THE ohl.

Saginaw struck first as a former Peterborough Pete in James Guo as he one-timed it at a wide-open net after receiving a pass from a circling Kristian Epperson to make it 1-0. Just over eight minutes later, the Petes got on the board as they had an odd-man rush. Francis Parish opted to take the shot and wristed it past Kaleb Papineau for a 1-1 tie.

With no scoring in the second and int he first 17 minutes of the third, Brody Partridge quickly won the faceoof for the Petes back to defenseman Carson Cameron. The latter quickly snapped it and scored to give Peterborough their first lead of the game with 2:25 left in regulation.

Peterborough held on for the victory, their first of the season after 16 games and defeat Saginaw, 2-1.

The Petes continue their thre-game road trip as they play the Flint Firebirds at the Dort Financial Center on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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