Beloved Peterborough Coach Passes Away Suddenly At Age 64
/The Peterborough sports community has mourned the loss of coach John Welsh, who passed away suddenly at age 64 on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of KMFL Peterborough.
Peterborough Blogs
Fleming College Celebrate Phoenix Athletes With 53rd Varsity Awards Banquet
/Over 130 student-athletes from Fleming College celebrated another athletic season and recognized exceptional players at the 53rd Annual Phoenix Varsity Awards Banquet on April 10.
Nicole Roy (left) and Thomas Kitchen (right) winning Women’s and Men’s Athlete of the year respectively and other high-honour awards at the banquet. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The special highlighted team, following their historic double-gold national championship win this season, were the Men’s and Women’s Loggersports teams. The Loggersports program took home the Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Female All-Around Athlete of the Year, All-Academic and Coach of the Year awards.
The 2025-2026 Fleming Phoenix varsity athlete awards were presented to:
Eric O’Rourke Memorial All-Around Athlete: Presented to a male and female athlete who performed at a high level while demonstrating leadership, commitment, and dedication.
Nicole Roy – Women’s Loggersports
Ryan Clarke – Men's Volleyball and Men’s Soccer
Jack Barley Memorial Athlete of the Year: Presented to a male and female athlete who performed exceptional achievements within their sport while maintaining academic eligibility.
Nicole Roy – Women's Loggersports
Thomas Kitchen – Men's Loggersports
Rachel Spearing Award: Presented to a women’s rugby player who demonstrated heart, spirit, sportsmanship, and dedication on the field.
Sara Petersen – Women's Rugby Sevens
Kris Starr and Adam Evans Awards: Presented to a loggersports athlete who shows heart, spirit, dedication, and love of the sport.
Kris Starr Award: Sayre Hart – Loggersports
Adam Evans Award: Jacob Ricker – Loggersports
All-Academic Award: Presented to the athlete with the highest academic average who achieved a balance in their sport and in academics.
Sarah Porter – Women’s Loggersports
Fred Batley Coach of the Year Award: Presented to a coach driven by the passion they have for their sport, who goes above and beyond to create a positive atmosphere, and ensure their student-athletes have the best possible experience.
Al Cavers – Loggersports
OCAA Academic and Athletic Excellence Award: Presented to OCAA athletes who achieve an honours GPA at their college, as well as receiving an OCAA honours award.
Ashley Smith – Women's Rugby Sevens
Most Valuable Player Award: Recognized by their respective team for significant contribution to their team’s success.
Ashley Smith – Women’s Rugby Sevens
Emma Radley – Women’s Soccer
Ryan Clarke – Men’s Soccer
Mattea Miller-Evans - Women’s Loggersports
Thomas Kitchen – Men’s Loggersports
Owen Wisman – Men’s Basketball
Samantha de Koning – Women’s Volleyball
Calvin Dekok – Men’s Volleyball
Rookie of the Year Award: Recognized by their respective team for outstanding skills and positive integration with the team.
Charlotte Murray – Women’s Rugby Sevens
Claire Deschatelets – Women’s Soccer
Aidan Sproule – Men’s Soccer
Morgan Specht – Women’s Loggersports
Lyndon Jarbeau – Men’s Loggersports
Nathan Walters – Sundararajah – Men’s Basketball
Guinevere Hallock – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Flynn – Men’s Volleyball
There were 30 student athletes were awarded for achieving an honours-level grade point average (GPA) while balancing the demands of varsity-level competition.
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Peterborough Jr. C. Lakers Looking For Three-Peat As Season Begins With Home Opener This Sunday
/After back-to-back Meredith Cup wins, the Peterborough Jr. C. Lakers are looking for a three-peat as they start their season at home against the West Grey Rampage this Sunday at the Healthy Planet Arena at 2 p.m.
The Peterborough Jr. C Lakers are back-to-back defending Mereidith Cup Champions. Photo courtesy of the ONtario Junior C Lacrosse League.
Sunday begins a three-game homestretch, including matches against the West Grey Rampage, Whitby Warriors and Clarington Shamrox before six consecutive road games.
The Lakers have their fourth home game of the season after a 30-day stretch against the Fergus Thistles to start a three-game homestand. After two more road games, they will cap their regular season with two home games, finishing things on June 21 before the playoffs.
The following is the Lakers’ schedule:
April 26 vs. West Grey Rampage @ 2 p.m.
April 29 vs. Whitby Warriors @ 8 p.m.
May 1 vs. Clarington Shamrox @ 8 p.m.
May 3 at Six Nations Stealth @ 2 p.m.
May 6 at Clarington Shamrox @ 8 p.m.
May 20 at Clarington Shamrox @ 8 p.m.
May 22 at Whitby Warriors @ 8 p.m.
May 24 at Burlington Warriors @ 1 p.m.
May 30 at Huntsville Hawks @ 7 p.m.
May 31 vs. Fergus Thistles @ 3 p.m.
June 6 vs. Kahnawake Hunters @ 2 p.m.
June 7 vs. North Shore Kodiaks @ 1 p.m.
June 13 at Nepean Knights @ 7 p.m.
June 14 at Gloucester Griffins @ 2 p.m.
June 19 vs. Whitby Warriors @ 8 p.m.
June 21 vs. Huntsville Hawks @ 2 p.m.
All Lakers home games are at the Healthy Planet Arena.
Lift Lock Canal Stocked Up For 37th Annual OFAH Under the Lock Fishing Derby This Saturday
/The Peterborough Lift Lock’s canal has been stocked with over 3,000 trout to kickstart the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) 37th Annual Under the Lock Fishing Derby starting this Saturday.
GORDON BOWLEY, FISHING DERBY CO-CHAIR, showcases Walter before releasing him into the canal. This is Bowley’s 26th year releasing Walter into the water. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.
The youth derby is for those aged 15 and under and kicks off this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by the all-ages event starting Sunday at 9:00 a.m. until May 3.
Last year saw a record-breaking 2,380 anglers register, helping maintain a long-standing tradition that is important to Peterborough, according to David Ryrie, OFAH director of communications.
“It is a community staple and we hear every year how happy people that we're still putting this on,, he said. “The OFAH is really proud to continue this tradition.”
There is more than $35,000 in prizes up for grabs. This year features five grand prizes, including the return of rainbow trout ‘Walter,’ and a $1,000 cash prize for the person who catches him. New this year is a guided fishing trip for three in Algonquin Park with Opeongo Lake and Beyond Guide Service.
“(This is) a little bit something for those new anglers that want to get outside of the regular shore fishing,” said Ryrie.
Youth registration is $15 for the first child and $10 for each additional child registered at the same time. Registration includes instant prizes during the Youth Derby and entry into the All Ages Derby.
@ptbo_canada Walter has been cast into the canal to help kick off the 37th Under the Lock Fishing Derby from April 25 to May 3! #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp #news #dailynews ♬ Gone Fishing - BDR Music
Lakers and Lansdowne Place Partner Up In Celebration of 40-Year Anniversary of Peterborough Maulers Sponsorship
/The Peterborough Lakers and Lansdowne Place have partnered ahead of the 2026 Major Series Lacrosse season to mark the 40th anniversary of the Peterborough Maulers Junior A Lacrosse Team, as announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Members of the 1986 Peterborough Maulers, Sponsors and Lakers staff join at one of three chairs at Centre Court in lansdowne Place. Photo by David Tuan Bui.
Lansdowne Place sponsored the 1986 Peterborough Maulers Junior A Lacrosse Team 40 years ago.
In honour of the milestone, Lansdowne Place is sponsoring a special Retro Game Night on July 23 against the Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m. The night features retro Maulers jerseys, a soundtrack of iconic 80s and 90s tunes and more to be announced.
“We are excited about bringing a small piece of Peterborough lacrosse history alive,” said Jessica Khouri, Lansdowne Place marketing manager. “Lansdowne Place is thrilled about this new partnership with the Lakers and we look forward to cheering them on this season.”
“We are looking forward to working with Lansdowne Place to create memorable experiences for our fans while celebrating the history of the game in our community,” said Pete Dalliday, Lakers director of community engagement. “This partnership is a great fit and we’re excited to kick it off.”
@ptbo_canada The @ptbolakerslax and Lansdowne Place have partnered to bring a large chair at the mall and bringing Retro Night to the Lakers game on July 23. #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp #news #lacrosse ♬ original sound - PTBOCanada
With the partnership’s launch, a large Lakers-branded Kawartha Chair will be at Lansdowne Place for a month, leading up to the Lakers’s home opener on May 21 against the two-time defending Mann Cup-champion Six Nations Chiefs. The community is encouraged to take photos on/with the display and share them on social media.
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Porter Martone Does It Again With A Game-Winning Goal In Second-Straight Playoff Game
/Porter Martone was not satisfied with one playoff game-winning goal, so he did it again for the Philadelphia Flyers to take Game Two for a 2-0 series lead against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Plyers.
His goal came over halfway through the second period as Travis Konecny’s one-timed shot was deflected but went right to Martone’s stick who backhanded it in for the first goal of the game.
“We worked them down low and the puck found me back door and you know, I just buried it,” explained Martone. “That’s a big one for us.”
The Flyers defeated the Penguins 3-0, which makes Martone’s first goal the game-winner. He becomes the first teenager in NHL history to score the game-winning goal in each of his first two career Stanley Cup playoff games.
Martone has six goals and six assists for 12 points in his first 11 NHL games (regular season and playoffs).
@ptbo_canada #duet with @NHL on ESPN #flyers Porter Martone got his second-straight playoff game-winning goal in his second career postseason game! #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp ♬ original sound - NHL on ESPN
Porter Martone's First-Career Playoff NHL Goal Becomes the Game Winner
/Peterborough’s Porter Martone has once again wasted no time in making an immediate impact with the Philadelphia Flyers, as his first playoff goal was a game-winner in his postseason debut on Saturday night.
Photo courtesy of the NHL.
His goal came late in the third period with 2:37 left in regulation to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead. Martone was leading the rush into the offensive zone and despite being defended well, he did a U-turn, snapped a shot and went in, bar down against Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner.
“It was a good high flip out of the zone and T.K. (Travis Konecny) made a great play to me,” explained Martone. “I kind of stopped up, I saw an opening and shot it. Luckily it went in.”
Bruins forward Bryan Rust scored with 61 seconds left in the game to make it 3-2 in favour of Philadelphia, which made Martone’s goal the game-winner.
Martone is the first player to score a game-winning goal as a teenager (19) in their playoff debut since 2019. On April 5, the Peterborough-born forward had his first NHL goal in his fourth-career game in overtime against the Boston Bruins for a 2-1 win.
The Peterborough forward was a member of the Petes U15 AAA team, scoring six goals and 15 assists in 36 games.
He spent most of his OHL career with the Mississauga/Brampton Steelheads and had a brief stint with the Sarnia Sting.
Porter is the son of his father and former NHL player Mike Martone. The latter was known for scoring the game-winning overtime goal in the 1996 OHL Championship against the Guelph Storm.
@ptbo_canada #duet with @NHL on ESPN #NHL ♬ original sound - NHL on ESPN
TELUS Cup Takes Over Peterborough Memorial Centre This Week
/The TELUS Cup hits the Peterborough Memorial Centre this week with seven days of high-action hockey featuring some of Canada’s best up-and-coming U18 players to town.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
The tournament runs from Monday to Sunday, with three games daily during the preliminary rounds at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. Semi-final games take place at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, with the bronze and gold medal games taking place at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday.
“Peterborough is proud to welcome athletes, coaches, families and fans from across Canada for the TELUS Cup,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “This is a chance to see some of the best young hockey talent in the country right here at home, experience the excitement of a national championship, and cheer on our own Junior Petes. I encourage residents and visitors to get their tickets now and be part of the action at the Memorial Centre.”
“Bringing a national championship like the TELUS Cup to the Peterborough Memorial Centre is a massive win for our community,” said Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP. “This tournament puts a national spotlight on Peterborough, drawing families and fans from across Canada to our local hotels, restaurants, and shops. It’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase our world-class hospitality and deep-rooted hockey heritage and I can’t wait to see the energy in the arena as we cheer on our very own Junior Petes on the national stage.”
“Ontario is proud to support the TELUS Cup through our Sport Hosting Program,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport. "For over 50 years, this championship has been a crucial launchpad for Canada's best young hockey talent — and we're thrilled to help bring that tradition to Peterborough. Events like this showcase emerging stars, drive local economic activity, and demonstrate that when it comes to sport hosting, Ontario has a deep roster of communities ready to deliver world-class events.”
An official opening ceremony takes place on Monday at 7 p.m. Official greetings will be provided by Deputy Chief Jeffrey Jacobs from Curve Lake First Nation. Florence Osawamick, an Indigenous singer, will sing the national anthem in Anishinaabemowin.
The tournament evenings belong to the Peterborough Jr. Petes U18 AAA team, who play each night at 7 p.m. during the preliminary round. The Petes are making their national championship debut.
During the day, hockey fans watch some of the best players from across the nation as the following teams take to the ice:
Halifax Macs
Chevaliers de Lévis
Regina Pat Canadians
Okanagan Rockets
Waterloo Wolves
One player to watch during the tournament is Regina Pat Canadians forward Maddox Schultz. Widely considered one of the brightest young stars in Canadian hockey, Schultz was selected first overall in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft by the Regina Pats, has represented Canada internationally at the U17 level, and was the 2025 TELUS Cup Tournament Most Valuable Player.
The full TELUS Cup schedule is available online.
Peterborough won the bid to host the TELUS Cup in April last year.
The successful bid was led by Peterborough Tourism, the City’s destination marketing program, with the support and partnership of the community including the Ontario Hockey Federation, Peterborough Minor Hockey Council, local tourism business operators and organizations and the Peterborough Petes.
The City expects the event to generate more than 1,200 total room nights and over $1 million in economic impact, boosting hotels, restaurants, shops and local attractions during the tournament week.
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Cogeco YourTV Renews Broadcast Contract With Peterborough Lakers In Time For 2026 MSL Season
/Cogeco’s YourTV and the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers renewed their long-standing broadcast partnership ahead of the 2026 Major Series Lacrosse season to air all of their home games.
Pete Dalliday (left) and Scott Arnold (right) as the play-by-play and colour commentators for the Peterborough Lakers and the Peterborough Petes on yourTV. Photo courtesy of Pete Dalliday.
Every home game will be broadcast live from the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Cogeco channels 10 and 700.
“Our partnership with the Lakers is more than just a broadcast agreement; it’s a shared commitment to the community,” said David Feeley, YourTV manager of programming and community relations. “In 2026, we believe that truly local television is the key to providing a top-quality product to the fans. By keeping the production local, we capture the nuances, the history, and the passion of the Lakers in a way that national networks simply cannot.”
“The relationship between the Lakers and YourTV is a strong one. Having a partner like Cogeco and YourTV allows us to extend the atmosphere of the Memorial Centre to those who can’t be in the stands,” said Len Powers, Lakers Board Member. “Their professional, local-first approach ensures our fans receive the high-calibre coverage this historic franchise deserves.”
Pete Dalliday and Scott Arnold are returning to the broadcast booth as the play-by-play and colour commentators, respectively, for this season.
The 2026 broadcast schedule starts with the Lakers’ home opener on May 21 against the defending-champion Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
This year’s broadcast coverage includes:
Live Game Coverage: Every regular-season home game
Extended Playoff Coverage: Exclusive access as the Lakers hunt for championship glory
Lakers Insider Segments: Behind-the-scenes interviews and player profiles throughout the season
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Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre Swimming Pool Has Been Reopened
/The Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre’s swimming pool and change room showers have reopened following completed maintenance work on the facility’s boiler system.
file photo.
