Three Peterborough Lakers Selected In the 2026 National Lacrosse League Draft

Three Peterborough Lakers are headed to the big stage as Nick Crowley, Frank Coyle and Brendan Boyle have been selected in the National Lacrosse League’s 2026 Entry Level Draft on Thursday night.

Boyle (pictured) played 12 games for the Peterborough Lakers this season, earning one assists. Photo courtesy of David Pickering and the Peterborough Lakers.

Crowley was the first Laker taken off the board, taken 12th overall by the Halifax Thunderbirds. He joins fellow Lakers Thomas Hoggarth, Dustyn Birkhof, Jake Withers, Colton Armstrong and play-by-play announcer Pete Dalliday.

The left defenceman was ranked 13th of the top 50 prospects by Inside Lacrosse’s analyst (and Peterborough native) Stephen Stamp. According to Stamp’s column, he cited Crowley as a “rugged, skilled and effectively nasty defender who is going to make an NLL team more than happy to wait a year to add him to the active roster.”

Crowley opted to stay at Rutgers University for his fifth season after leaving Princeton. He played in 44 games in four seasons with the club.

Coyle was selected 44th overall in the fourth round by the Rochester Knighthawks. He will see familiar faces in fellow Lakers Brad McCulley, Matt Gilray, Drew Hutchinson, Ryan Lanchbury and Adam Thistlethwaite.

The right defenceman had finished his junior season with Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. He also played 44 career games for Hamilton, scoring 59 goals and 44 assists.

Stamp ranked him 43rd among the top 50 prospects, citing him as ‘gritty and smart.’ “Coyle is a fairly typical Peterborough lacrosse player. He plays the game the right way, is active on and off the ball and can contribute to the running game,” wrote Stamp.

Just eight picks later, the Georgia Swarm took Lakers defenceman Brendan Boyle 52nd overall as the first pick of the fifth round. He joins former Laker and Peterborough native Carter Page, Laker Ben Trumble and fellow Laker and Curve Lake First Nation’s Deacon Knott, who was recently taken by the Swarm in this year’s Dispersal draft.

Boyle played 12 games for the Lakers this season, netting one assist. Before Peterborough, he spent three seasons at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisc., playing 39 games.

Stamp was ranked 45th among the top 50 prospects in Stamp’s column. “He plays a simple game predicated on making it difficult for opponents to get to good scoring areas, and he does so effectively,” Stamp mentioned.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

City of Peterborough Open Sponsorship Opportunities For Morrow Park Ball Diamond

The City of Peterborough has made sponsorship opportunities available for businesses and corporations for its upgraded ball diamond at Morrow Park.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Upgrades include transforming the ball diamond into a Premier/Level A diamond with a tension-netting mesh backstop and screens, new dugouts, outfield and line fencing, batting cages, irrigation, accessible aluminum bleachers with a media box and sports field lighting for consistent light levels across the ball diamond. 

Construction began in July and is expected to be finished by spring next year.

The City of Peterborough is looking for a sponsor interested in securing naming rights for the upgraded ball diamond. 

Naming rights may include incorporating a corporate or business name into the ball diamond's name. It may also include branding, signage, backstop and fence signs, scoreboard recognition, wayfinding, exterior visibility and participant and spectator areas.  

The City is also seeking an outdoor digital sign operator interested in supplying, installing, operating and managing a two-sided digital advertising display at Morrow Park that would face Lansdowne Street East and West.  

The proposed display will include commercial advertisements, community messaging, event information, along with other City-approved content, with an option to build in an integrated scoreboard facing the new baseball diamond.   

Those interested should send submissions to Scott Elliott, Corporate Sponsorship Manager, at selliott@peterborough.ca by Oct. 16. 

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Adam Novotný Picks Up Four Points in Return to Peterborough as Petes Pick Up First Win of Season

By Scott Arnold

Adam Novotný made an immediate impact in his first game back with the Peterborough Petes, while captain Carson Cameron recorded his first career multi-goal game as the Petes picked up their first win of the season Thursday night.

adam Novotný wasted no time making an impact in his peterborough debut, scoring two goals while adding two assists and being named the game’s first star (photo courtesy of the peterborough petes, via kenneth anderson)

Peterborough beat the Sarnia Sting 7-4 at the Memorial Centre, moving their record to 1-2 on the season.

Sarnia opened the scoring early in the first period when Tyler Challenger found the back of the net, but Novotny answered with two goals just 25 seconds apart. His firt was unassisted while the second was set up by Adam Levac and Cooper Dennis, putting the Petes ahead 2-1.

Novotný, who had been away at Vancouver Canucks training camp, finished with four points in his return, adding two assists to his two goals. Levac finished with two assists and Dennis added two assists of his own.

The Petes led 2-1 after the first period.

Walos tied the game for Sarnia on the power play early in the second, but Peterborough answered with three goals. Braydon McCallum restored the lead on the power play with assists from Yanis Lutz and Aiden Young before Cameron scored twice.

James McMurray assisted on Cameron's first goal, while Francis Parish picked up the helper on his second, which gave the Petes a 5-2 lead. Cameron's second goal marked the first multi-goal game of his career.

Peterborough carried that 5-2 advantage into the third period.

Leon Kolarik extended the lead to 6-2 on the power play, with assists going to Dennis and Novotny. Walos scored his second of the night to make it 6-3 before Brenner Lammens brought Sarnia within two with just over two minutes remaining.

Dennis answered just 19 seconds later with his first goal as a Pete, assisted by Novotný and Levac, to make it 7-4.

Dennis finished with three points on the night, while Kolarik had a goal and an assist. McCallum had one goal, while Lutz, Parish, McMurray and Aiden Young each recorded an assist.

Owen Nelson stopped 38 of 42 shots to pick up his first career OHL win.

The Petes went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Sarnia went 3-for-6.

Petes Scoring:

Adam Novotny (2G, 2A), Carson Cameron (2G), Cooper Dennis (1G, 2A), Leon Kolarik (1G), Braydon McCallum (1G), Adam Levac (2A), Yanis Lutz (1A), Aiden Young (1A), James McMurray (1A), Francis Parish (1A)

The Petes now hit the road for a quick turnaround, travelling to Brantford Friday night to take on the Bulldogs before returning home Saturday to host the Ottawa 67's.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Mike Fisher Coming Home to Peterborough for Battle of Ontario Alumni Game

By Scott Arnold

Peterborough’s own Mike Fisher is coming home to take part in Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on November 6th.

Mike Fisher will return to peterborough when he suits up with the ottawa senators on November 6th for the battle of ontario against the toronto maple leafs (photo courtesy of the greater peterborough health services foundation)

Fisher has been added to the Ottawa Senators Alumni roster for the special fundraiser, where the Senators alumni will take on a Toronto Maple Leafs Alumni team.

For Fisher, the game brings him back to the community where his hockey career began.

Born and raised in the Peterborough area, in Bridgenorth, Fisher played his minor hockey with the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association before being selected by the Sudbury Wolves in the second round of the 1997 OHL Priority Draft.

before making it big in the national lacrosse league, Mike fisher grow up playing in the peterborough minor hockey system

After two seasons in Sudbury, Fisher was selected by the Senators in the second round of the 1998 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with Ottawa in 1999 and spent nearly 11 seasons with the organization, becoming a key part of the Senators teams involved in the Battle of Ontario rivalry in the early 2000s.

Fisher recorded several 20-plus-goal seasons during his time in Ottawa and played a major role in the Senators' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.

He finished his NHL career with the Nashville Predators, where he eventually served as captain before retiring in 2018.

Now, Fisher will return to the Memorial Centre as part of the Senators alumni team, joining previously announced alumni including Chris Neil and Chris Phillips.

Rivalry Night: The Battle of Ontario takes place November 6th at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Tickets are available now, including Meet and Greet packages with Fisher and the Senators Alumni or the Maple Leafs Alumni team, through the Peterborough Memorial Centre website.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Adam Novotný Set to Give Petes a Big Boost After Being Assigned Back to Peterborough by the Canucks

By Scott Arnold

Peterborough Petes fans will get to see Adam Novotný back in the lineup after the Vancouver Canucks assigned the 18-year-old forward to Peterborough on Wednesday.

after gaining some preseason nhl experience, the vancouver canucks have assigned Adam Novotný back to the peterborough petes (photo via X, formerly twitter, @canucks)

Novotný spent the last two weeks in Vancouver, appearing in two Canucks preseason games against the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken. He was held off the scoresheet in both games but looked impressive against some of the league’s top players.

The 2026 first-round pick was selected 24th overall by Vancouver after an impressive rookie season with the Petes, recording 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 58 games.

Novotný finished second on the Petes in scoring last season, behind Kieran Walton, and his return will be a welcome addition to the 0-2 Petes lineup.

During media day a couple of weeks ago, Novotný expressed his excitement and love of Peterborough, emphasizing how much it means to him to be a Pete.

The Petes are back in action on Thursday, September 24th, when they host the Sarnia Sting at 7pm from the PMC.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Petes Bringing Back Indigenous Heritage Night to the PMC Thursday

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Petes will recognize Indigenous heritage and culture Thursday night when they host the Sarnia Sting at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The Peterborough Petes will host their annual Indigenous Heritage Night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday, September 24th. (logo created by Kory Parkin)

The Petes’ annual Indigenous Heritage Night takes place on September 24th, with puck drop at 7:05pm.

Fans arriving at the game will have a chance to experience performances from the Smoke Trail Drum and Dance Group from Alderville First Nation, who will perform in the lobby before the game before taking to the ice during the first intermission.

The evening will also include a ceremonial puck drop featuring representatives from Crowe’s Gas, Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation.

The national anthem will take on a special meaning as well, with Curve Lake School performing it in Anishinaabemowin before the game.

The Petes will also once again feature a logo created for Indigenous Heritage Night by Kory Parkin, an Indigenous painter and digital creator from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.

The design uses the traditional name for Peterborough, Nogojiwanong, meaning “place at the foot of the rapids,” and incorporates imagery of a canoe and water.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Schedule Released For Fleming Phoenix's Inaugural Season of Lacrosse Sixes

It is the first year the Fleming Phoenix take the lacrosse field as its Sixes team has released its schedule for its inaugural season starting this Saturday.

Photo courtesy of the Fleming Phoenix.

The Phoenix, led by Head Coach Dustin Dunn, face three other college teams in this fall's campaign.

The team plays two games on each of the four game-day dates. The first homestand is on Oct. 25 against the Humber Hawks and Durham Lords. The final day is on Nov. 1 at Mohawk College with semifinals followed by the third-place and first-place games.

The following is the 2026 season schedule:

Sept. 27 at Humber (Centennial Park Stadium)

• Durham vs Fleming - noon

• Fleming vs Mohawk - 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Durham (Vaso's Field)

• Fleming vs Humber - noon

• Durham vs Fleming - 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 at Fleming (Fleming Phoenix Sports Field)

• Fleming vs Mohawk - noon

• Fleming vs Humber - 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 1 at Mohawk 

• Semifinal #1 - 11 a.m.

• Semifinal #2 - noon

• Third-place game - 1:30 p.m.

• First-place game - 2:30 p.m.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Peterborough Player/Coach Helps Bring Awareness and Pioneer Women's Lacrosse For France

France Lacrosse is putting a bigger stamp on the map thanks to Peterborough’s Lou Warner, who has helped make that mark since May of 2023.

Warner (left) coaching France goaltender Chelsea Breault (right) during warm-ups before a game at the North American Invitational (LAXNAI) at the Utica University Nexus Center in downtown Utica, N.Y. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

She began working with France Lacrosse after her husband, Justin Warner— who is also a lacrosse coach — referred her during his job search with the club when he learned they needed someone to help build the women’s program.

“There was a posting (from France Lacrosse) looking for help; he applied for that, and a week later, he got an interview with our vice president, Dylan,” explained Lou. “He mentioned that I have been playing lacrosse for 20 years and am fluent in French. They flew us to France next week.”

Although she has no biological connection to France, Warner is fluent in French, having grown up in an immersion program throughout school and studied it at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

Warner has worked in multiple roles as a coach for France Lacrosse. She has served as an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s sixes teams.

She recently head-coached the women’s team for box lacrosse when they made their debut at the North American Invitational (LAXNAI) in Utica, N.Y. France had a hot start, winning its first two games against the Valkyries and Poland Heritage. They finished 3-2 and fell short of a bronze medal, losing 3-1 to Poland Heritage in a rematch.

“I thought they (France) did fantastic. I wanted to get that France jersey out there,” explained Warner. “I wanted people to be aware of our program.”

Lou (second from left) with Team France after placing fourth in the LAXNAI 2026 Women’s Division. Photo courtesy of Lou Warner.

Lou was no stranger to LAXNAI as she won the inaugural women’s tournament in 2023 for the Toronto-based BP Lawyers team as their goaltender alongside other Peterborough natives including Erica Evans and Payton Crough. While BP Lawyers did not register a team in this year’s tournament, it gave Lou the opportunity to focus on raising awareness for the French women’s national team at LAXNAI.

“Typically, the BP Lawyers put in a team and this year they did not,” she said. “If they had, I probably would have played and coached. My priority would be coaching because I’m trying to build this program.”

Erica Evans (left), Lou Warner (middle) and Payton Crough (right) celebrating the first-ever LAXNAI Women's tournament championship held in 2023. photo By David Tuan Bui.

With LAXNAI 2026 in the books, Lou has to look ahead to the future for France Lacrosse.

“When I started, we only just started the national team. We had a new president, and he's been amazing at growing it domestically, so he's been great in helping us. We brought LAXNAI to the men’s championship,” she explained. “This year, I’m trying to mirror that with the women’s. We’ll be back in January for the Traditions Cup. We’re going to see if She-Box in January and I’m an assistant coach for the women’s sixes team. I’ll also be working on recruiting as well.”

Lacrosse’s motto throughout social media has been, ‘Grow the Game.’ Lou’s efforts mirror that and aim to keep putting France on a global stage.

“I’ve been playing this game since I was eight and that was the Ontario Lacrosse Association’s mantra was to ‘Grow the Game.’” she said. “That was always in the back of my head. I didn’t know that when I was 10 years old that it would lead to this. Now, my goal is to make Worlds in 2028.”

Trent Excalibur Men’s Lacrosse Team Improves to 3-1 With Win Over Ottawa

By Scott Arnold

The Trent Excalibur men’s lacrosse team picked up another win on Sunday, beating the Ottawa Gee-Gees 8-6 to improve their record to 3-1.

the trent excalibur handed the ottawa gee gees their first loss of the season with an 8-6 win on home field sunday, improving their record to 3-1 in the process (photo courtesy of trent excalibur, via david pickering)

Trent got on the board first and never trailed, taking a 1-0 lead after the opening quarter before adding four more goals in the second to take a 5-2 lead into halftime.

Jaiden Maseko scored twice in the second quarter, while Jordan Dool and Nick Fournier also found the back of the net for the Excalibur.

Ottawa cut into the lead in the third quarter, but Trent answered with goals from Mason Tardiff and Maseko to take a 7-4 advantage into the final 15 minutes.

The Gee-Gees scored twice early in the fourth to make it a one-goal game, but Dallyn Rai scored with 6:45 remaining to give Trent some breathing room and seal the 8-6 victory.

Tardiff led Trent with two goals and two assists, while Maseko finished with two goals and one assist. Fournier added a goal and three assists, with Dool recording a goal and four assists.

Goaltender Geordy Addison played all 60 minutes for Trent, making 16 saves on 22 shots.

The Excalibur return to action on Saturday, September 26th, when they travel to Ottawa to take on the Carleton Ravens.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.

From Petes Forward to NHL Referee: Nick Isaacson’s Hockey Journey Takes Another Turn

By Scott Arnold

Former Peterborough Pete Nick Isaacson is heading to the NHL officiating system after just one season as an OHL referee.

Caption 1: Nick Isaacson during his time with the Peterborough Petes, where he played 137 regular season games over parts of four seasons. (photo courtesy of peterborough petes)

For Nick Isaacson, the road to the NHL has taken a few unexpected turns.

The Oakville native first arrived in Peterborough as a fifth-round pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection, joining the Petes 86th overall. Over the next four seasons, Isaacson became a regular part of the lineup, appearing in 137 regular season games and recording 15 goals and 28 assists for 43 points.

He also suited up in 13 playoff games during the Petes’ 2017 playoff run, adding a goal and two assists.

After his time in Peterborough and a brief stint with the Mississauga Steelheads to finish his OHL career, Isaacson continued playing at the University of Guelph before moving into the professional ranks. He spent four seasons in the ECHL, with his playing career also including time in the American Hockey League.

Then came another change.

Isaacson returned to the OHL last season, but this time he wasn't wearing a jersey.

He became a referee for the 2025-26 season.

Just one year later, Isaacson is taking another step up the hockey ladder.

The OHL announced on August 25th that Isaacson has been hired by the NHL on a minor-league officiating contract for the 2026-27 season, officially putting him into the league's officiating system.

It's a pretty quick progression for someone who had only just made the transition from player to official.

Former Peterborough Pete Nick Isaacson has made a quick transition from player to official, earning a spot in the NHL officiating system after his first season as an OHL referee. (photo courtesy of the ontario hockey league)

Isaacson and former OHL players Hayden Verbeek and Chris Martenet were also selected for the 2025 CHL/NHL Officials’ Development Camp in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, during their first season back in the OHL as officials. The camp gave them an opportunity to work with NHL officiating supervisors through classroom sessions, video review and on-ice game assignments.

For Isaacson, the move into officiating adds another chapter to a hockey career that has already included plenty of different experiences.

During his Petes career, he scored his first OHL goal and point on October 2nd, 2016 against the Niagara IceDogs and recorded his first multi-goal game against Kingston in September 2018.

He also attended the Vancouver Canucks' 2017 Development Camp.

Away from the rink, Isaacson has a few interesting skills of his own. He plays guitar, he’s a former competitive snowboarder and can also fly a plane.

Now he'll be adding NHL official to the list.

Isaacson will begin the 2026-27 season in the NHL officiating system, marking the latest step in a hockey career that has taken him from the Petes lineup to the other side of the whistle.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.