Peterborough Lakers' Back-End Locked and Loaded For 2026 Season

The Peterborough Lakers have locked down their defensive core and goaltending for the 2026 season.

Robert Hope has won four Mann Cups for the Peterborough Lakers and is also the head coach for the Peterborough Jr. A Lakers. Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

Over the last week, a number of veteran defenders have returned for another run at the Mann Cup national championship.

Fourteen-year veteran and captain, Robert Hope, returns this year. A Peterborough native and Jr. A Laker graduate, Hope was named captain in 2017 and has led the team to four Mann Cup championships. 

He is joined by fellow Peterborough natives Dustyn Birkhof and Dylan Hutchison. Assistant captain Matt Gilray also returns for his 10th season.

The Lakers expect sophomore Chris Harland to play a bigger role this season after gaining experience with the Arena Lacrosse League’s Toronto Monarchs.

Brenden Boyle was drafted by the Lakers in 2024 and has committed to the team for the season after playing in Nanaimo for the last two summers.

All three Lakers’ goaltenders are back, with Nick Rose and Drew Hutchison returning to the team after the NLL season’s conclusion. The two face off against each other in the NLL Cup championship with Rose’s Toronto Rock taking on Hutchison’s Halifax Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series. 

Curve Lake’s Deacan Knott is between the pipes until their return.

The Lakers schedule is as follows:

• May 21 vs. Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• May 28 vs. Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• May 30 at Owen Sound North Stars at 4 p.m.

• June 1 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• June 4 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 10 at Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 18 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• June 21 at Cobourg Kodiaks at 6 p.m.

• June 25 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 29 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• July 2 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 7 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 9 vs. Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

• July 16 vs. Oakville Rock at 8 p.m.

• July 23 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 24 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• July 28 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 30 vs Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

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Trent Excalibur Hires New Head Coach For Women's Rugby Ahead of 2026-27 Season

Trent Athletics has named Luke Bentvelzen as the new head coach of the Excalibur women’s rugby program for the 2026-27 season.

Photo courtesy of Trent Athletics.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Luke to the Excalibur coaching staff and to our women’s rugby program,” said Nathan McFadden, director of athletics and recreation. “He brings an exceptional breadth of experience in rugby, along with a strong commitment to leadership, education, and student-athlete development. Luke has already made a meaningful impact within the local rugby community, and we’re excited to see him bring that energy and expertise to Trent as we continue to build a competitive and supportive environment for our women’s rugby student-athletes.” 

Bentvelzen is a former professional rugby player and veteran coach who has worked with athletes at all levels of the game in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Most recently, he served as head coach of the senior women’s program at the Peterborough Rugby Union Football Club, where he led the team to an undefeated 2022 season and promotion to the provincial league. 

Outside of coaching, Bentvelzen has worked with the Male Allyship and Leadership Coordinator with the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, where he has led violence prevention and education initiatives across the local sport community. He worked with organizations including the Peterborough Petes and minor hockey associations, designing and facilitating on topics such as healthy relationships, consent, bystander intervention and positive team culture according to a press release.

Bentvelzen currently serves as Coordinator of Training and Education with Rugby Canada, where he supports coach and athlete development programming across the country. He previously served as Coordinator of Leagues and Competitions at Rugby Ontario, contributing to the structure and delivery of competitive rugby throughout the province. 

“I’m grateful to be given the opportunity to work with a fantastic staff at an institution with a great academic reputation,” said Bentvelzen. “There is a great group of coaches and returning players that I think can lay a foundation of continued excellence.” 

He added that he hopes to elevate both the program’s performance profile and its regional impact.

“We want to be a destination for student-athletes to begin or continue their rugby journey in an environment that supports their holistic development,” said Bentvelzen.

The Excalibur women’s rugby team will begin preparations for the upcoming season later this summer.

Trent Excalibur Rowing Captures Women’s National Sculling Championship at U.S. Regatta

The Trent University Excalibur rowing team returned home with three gold medals, one silver medal and the National Women’s Overall Sculling Championship title at the 2026 Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta over the weekend.

Photo courtesy of Trent Athletics.

The team consisted of 21 varsity and novice student-athletes under the guidance of varsity rowing head coach Ugette Vanderpost and novice women’s rowing coach Kate Mackenzie. The Excalibur earned the championship title by accumulating the highest point total across the women’s sculling events.

“After five long months of rigorous winter training and only a short window on the water before racing, this team showed extraordinary resilience and unity at the prestigious Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta,” said Vanderpost. “We came away with incredible results, but what impressed me most was how these student-athletes responded to every challenge - near wins, unexpected losses, difficult weather, injuries, fatigue, and fierce competition.”

Hosted by Thomas Jefferson University on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, N.J., the annual Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta is the largest collegiate regatta in North America, with over 100 universities from Canada and the U.S competing. This year was the 50th anniversary of women being able to compete at the event.

Tess Friar in the Women’s Single, placed first in her time trial, semifinal and final while leading from start to finish. She finished more than 26 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the final.

Caitlin Cox earned silver in the Women’s Double, finishing just four seconds behind Queen's University. Nina Sadlik and Avery Nelder added points with a sixth-place finish in the same event.

The championship was sealed in the Women’s Quadruple Sculls, where Ellie Hutt, Lillian Terpstra, Mia Switzer and Nelder captured gold in 7:24, defeating the crew from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by six seconds.

One of the weekend’s most memorable moments came from the Frosh/Novice Women’s Eight. Just 10 minutes before launching for the Grand Final, the crew discovered a damaged part that made their boat unusable. According to Trent Athletics, after the team scrambled to find a replacement, Queen's University offered its varsity eight boat. The Trent student-athletes raced in an unfamiliar shell with different oars and a completely reversed seating order.

Trent rowed to a gold-medal finish, defeating La Salle University and the University of Pittsburgh by 20 seconds.

“Despite these challenges, we trusted each other, executed our race plan, and came out with a dominant gold,” said student-athlete Sam Moss. “To represent Trent at the largest collegiate American regatta and to do so well brings me so much pride. To do it alongside the best crew makes it that much better.”

Trent Excalibur rowing full team results are as follows:

Gold Medals:

• Varsity Women’s Single (1x): Tess Friar - 8:24.350 finish, 26.25 seconds ahead of second place finisher Drexel University.

• Varsity Women’s Quadruple Sculls (4x): Ellie Hutt, Lillian Terpstra, Mia Switzer and Avery Nelder -  7:24 finish, beating Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Oklahoma City University.

• Frosh/Novice Women’s Eight (8+): Isabelle Plourde, J. VandenAkker, A. Ferguson, L. Lajoie, E. Batchelor, S. LeMoine, Sam Moss, E. Narraway, and H. Scullion - 07:36.380 finish. Defeated LaSalle University by 20 seconds at the finish.

Silver Medals:

• Women’s Double (2x): Tess Friar and Caitlin Cox - 7:46 finish, four seconds behind Queen’s University.

Additional Standout Performances

• 4th Place – Men’s Single (1x): Gus Suddard

• 6th Place – Women’s Double (2x): Nina Sadlik and Avery Nelder

• 7th Overall – Men’s Double (2x): Sam Ferrer and Brayden Walsh

• 8th Overall – Men’s Single (1x): Luke Sullivan

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Head Coach Returns to Lead Trent Excalibur Men’s Curling

Joe Muldoon is returning as head coach of the Trent Excalibur men’s curling program for the 2026–27 season, announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Trent Athletics.

Muldoon previously led the men’s team from 2016 to 2022 before transitioning to the women’s program following the retirement of longtime coach Dave Farnell. During his time with the women’s team, Muldoon led the Excalibur to top-eight finishes and Ontario University Athletics quarterfinal appearances in each of his seasons as head coach. 

He was named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Women’s Curling Coach of the Year for the 2022–23 season.

In 2024–25, Muldoon moved into a lead assistant coach role as Dillon Muldoon took over as head coach of the women’s program. Under Dillon’s leadership, the Excalibur women achieved their highest finish since 2008, placing fourth in the province during the 2025–26 season. 

“We’re fortunate at Trent to have a tremendous curling coaching staff and Joe has been an integral part of that,” said Nathan McFadden, director of Athletics and Recreation. “We’re thrilled to have him move into this leadership position with our men’s curling program, which took a major step forward last season. Having both of our men’s and women’s curling teams led by a former OUA Coach of the Year is unique and positions Trent curling at the forefront of coaching excellence as part of our overall student-athlete experience.”

Joe returns to the men’s program after his 2025–26 campaign under head coach Brad Robinson. The Excalibur earned their first OUA playoff berth since 2013 and finished among the top eight teams in the province.

“I am excited to take on the coaching duties of the men’s varsity curling team again,” said Joe. “I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes and continuing the development and success of the program at the OUA and USPORTS levels.”

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Peterborough Petes Forward Named to Team Austria for the 2026 IIHF World Championship

Peterborough Petes import forward Leon Kolarik has officially been named to Team Austria for the upcoming IIHF World Championships starting on May 15 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

“Congratulations to Leon on being named to Austria’s final roster for the World Championships,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations. “Representing your country at a tournament of this caliber is an incredible accomplishment, especially as one of the youngest players in the competition. We’re excited to watch Leon compete against some of the world’s best players and see how this experience contributes to his development.”

The 2007-born forward from Vienna, Austria, was originally selected by the Petes in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2025 CHL Import Draft. In his first season with the Petes, Kolarik played in 63 games, scoring 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points. In 2024-25, Kolarik appeared in seven games for EC Salzburg in the ICEHL (Austria's top league), scoring one goal and two assists.

While this marks Kolarik’s first appearance at a major senior international tournament, he has represented Austria at several youth levels. He helped Austria capture a bronze medal at the World Junior Championship Division 1A tournament in December, contributing four assists in five games.

Kolarik is also eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft in Buffalo. He was recently ranked 182nd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s Final Rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Fellow Petes players Adam Novotny (14th), Adam Levac (97th), and Aiden Young (223rd) were also included in the rankings.

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Peterborough Lakers Trade For Defenceman From Brampton Excelsiors

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have obtained right-handed defenceman Liam Patten from the Brampton Excelsiors, along with a fifth-round draft pick in 2027.

Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

Brampton receives Michael Blaymires, Cody Inness, a 2027 third-round draft pick and future considerations.

Last season with Brampton, Patten played 10 games, scoring four goals and four assists with 11 penalty minutes. He previously played with the Cobourg Kodiaks and Victoria Shamrocks.

The 6’1, 200 lb Barrie native was drafted 26th overall by the Calgary Roughnecks in 2017 and has had stops with the National Lacrosse League in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Panther City. He has played the last two seasons back in Philadelphia under former Lakers’ GM Paul Day and current offensive coach Tracey Kelusky.

Patten played collegiate lacrosse at the University of Guelph.

The Lakers schedule is as follows:

• May 21 vs. Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• May 28 vs. Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• May 30 at Owen Sound North Stars at 4 p.m.

• June 1 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• June 4 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 10 at Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 18 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• June 21 at Cobourg Kodiaks at 6 p.m.

• June 25 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 29 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• July 2 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 7 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 9 vs. Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

• July 16 vs. Oakville Rock at 8 p.m.

• July 23 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 24 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• July 28 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 30 vs Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

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Free Fishing During Mother's Day Weekend

Ontario is offering families a chance to cast a line and enjoy the outdoors together for free during Mother’s Day Weekend, this Saturday and Sunday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Canadian residents can fish in Ontario without purchasing a licence or Outdoors Card.

“Fishing is a great way for families to make unforgettable memories while enjoying the outdoors,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. “Free fishing weekends are an opportunity to check out Ontario’s top‑notch fishing and take part in a timeless tradition that brings people together right across the province.”

Recreational fishing is a key part of Ontario’s economy, supporting local tourism and jobs in communities across the province, according to the Provincial Government.

All conservation licence catch and size limits, sanctuaries and all other fishing regulations still apply during the free fishing weekend.

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Two Right-Hand Forwards Return to Peterborough Lakers For 2026 Season

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers have welcomed the return of righty forwards Rob Hellyer and Braedon Saris ahead of the 2026 season, announced on Tuesday.

Braedon Saris (keft) and Rob Hellyer (right). Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

The 5’9, 180 lb. Hellyer was originally acquired from the Oakville Rock in 2024 in exchange for defencemen Thomas Whitty and Matt Wright. The Lion’s Head, Ontario native had 44 points across nine games in the regular season, plus another 42 playoff points to finish second in team scoring.

Hellyer signed with the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) just before the 2024-25 season and moved with his wife to San Diego, making him unavailable to the Lakers last summer. After a trade to Ottawa prior to the 2025-26 season, Hellyer and his family returned home to Ontario.

The 33-year-old’s stint with Ottawa saw him finish second in team scoring and 12th overall in the league with 32 goals and 67 assists for 99 points.

Saris returns, fresh off his rookie season with the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth, where he finished fourth in team scoring with 16 goals and 37 assists. Saris was acquired by the Lakers from the Cobourg Kodiaks last summer in exchange for Tommy Collins and a third-round draft pick. Saris finished the regular season with 29 points and the playoffs with 31 points last year with the Lakers.

The Lakers schedule is as follows:

• May 21 vs. Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• May 28 vs. Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• May 30 at Owen Sound North Stars at 4 p.m.

• June 1 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• June 4 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 10 at Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 18 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• June 21 at Cobourg Kodiaks at 6 p.m.

• June 25 vs. Brooklin LC at 8 p.m.

• June 29 at Oakville Rock at 7:30 p.m.

• July 2 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 7 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 9 vs. Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

• July 16 vs. Oakville Rock at 8 p.m.

• July 23 vs. Cobourg Kodiaks at 8 p.m.

• July 24 at Brampton Excelsiors at 8 p.m.

• July 28 at Six Nations Chiefs at 8 p.m.

• July 30 vs Owen Sound North Stars at 8 p.m.

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Three Bonnerworth Park Pickleball Courts Closed Due to Vandalism

Three pickleball courts at Bonnerworth Park, including one accessible court, will not open as scheduled on Friday due to vandalism in the park.   

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

According to the City, earlier this week, rocks and high-visibility paint-filled balloons were thrown over the fence surrounding the pickleball courts at the park, resulting in damage to the playing surfaces on three of the 14 courts. 

The City cannot provide an estimate of repair costs or the duration of closures at this time.

The vandalism has been reported to Peterborough Police Service. Anyone with information is asked to call them at 705-876-1122 x555 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

The remaining pickleball courts at Bonnerworth Park are scheduled to open on Friday.  

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12-Year Old Boy Lands Grand Prize Fish 'Walter' At 37th Annual OFAH Under the Lock Fishing Derby

It only took roughly 30 minutes for 12-year-old Jonny Patterson to land the grand prize of $1,000 by catching ‘Walter’ at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) 37th Annual Under the Lock Fishing Derby on Saturday.

Last year saw a record-breaking 2,380 anglers register. Photo courtesy of OFAH.

Walter was caught just before noon on Saturday during the youth derby for those aged 15 and under.

According to an OFAH’s Facebook post, three of the top five prizes have already been claimed as of Sunday. ‘Gordon’ and ‘Opie’ are the two remaining grand prize fish, worth $500 and a guided fishing trip for three in Algonquin Park with Opeongo Lake and Beyond Guide Service, respectively.

The all-ages event began on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and continues until May 3.

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.

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