Peterborough Petes Acquire Defenseman From Brantford Bulldog For Two Draft Picks

The Peterborough Petes have acquired defenceman Camron Hankai from the Brantford Bulldogs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2028 and a sixth-round pick in 2029, announced on Monday.

Photo courtesy of Logan Taylor and the Brantford BUlldogs.

The Simcoe native was originally selected by the Bulldogs in the fourth round, 82nd overall, of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Last season, he played 36 games for the Bulldogs, scoring twice and adding six assists for eight points. He played in another six playoff games, helping the Bulldogs reach the Eastern Conference Final. Before joining the Bulldogs, Hankai played in 55 games for the Haliburton County Huskies in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, scoring 11 goals and adding 40 assists, finishing fourth in the league in points by a defenceman with 51.

“Camron is a big, physical defenceman who is very tough to play against,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager and vice president of operations. “He’s someone who we’ve been tracking since his time with the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs in his U16 season.”

Hankai also had leadership experience and was an assistant captain for the team. He has committed to Bowling Green State University following his time in the OHL.

The Petes take on the Erie Otters this Thursday, with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

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Three Trent Excalibur Women’s Lacrosse Student-Athletes to Represent Team Canada For Pan-American Sixes Championship

Three Trent Excalibur athletes from the women’s lacrosse team, Maddy Baxter, Kylea Dobson and Maggie Cuddy, have been selected for the Team Canada roster for the 2026 Pan-American Sixes Lacrosse Championship from Tuesday to Sunday at the Oshawa Civic Centre. 

(from left to right) Maddy Baxter (second-year nursing) Maggie Cuddy (Master of healthcare management) and Kylea Dobson. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

“Having three Excalibur student-athletes selected to represent Canada speaks to the calibre of talent within Trent’s women’s lacrosse and the high quality of our program,” said Nathan McFadden, Trent Athletics and Recreation director. “To see them compete at this level, just around the corner in Durham Region, is an incredible opportunity for the Trent community to cheer them and Team Canada on.” 

Baxter and Cuddy recently represented Canada at the 2026 World Championship in Tokyo earlier this summer. Baxter is also coming off a championship season with the Peterborough Lakers, helping the team capture its first-ever Women’s Major Series Lacrosse provincial title.

“I grew up idolizing the women who represented Canada, so having the opportunity to wear the maple leaf is always a pinch-me moment,” said Dobson. “I grew up playing at the Civic and remember sitting in the stands watching the 2013 World Championship. To come back now as one of the athletes representing Canada feels like a full-circle moment.”

Former Trent Excalibur head coach Erica Evans has also been named to the 12-person Canadian roster. 

The championship sees 17 national teams from across the Americas to Oshawa, with nine women’s teams and eight men’s teams competing. The tournament helps teams qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

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Peterborough Lakers Hand Out 2026 Year-End Awards Including Jake Withers as MVP

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers celebrated another summer of lacrosse over the weekend by handing out their 2026 year-end awards.

Jake Withers (left) was named the MVP for the PEterborough Lakers 2026 season while Dylan Hawken (right) was given the volunteer award (Photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers via david pickering)

Peterborough Lakers Hand Out 2026 Year-End Awards

The Peterborough Lakers celebrated another summer of lacrosse over the weekend by handing out their 2026 year-end awards.

Ten members of the Lakers organization were recognized, including some of the team’s top performers from the season as well as a volunteer who helps make everything happen away from the floor.

Here’s who took home the hardware:

• MVP: Jake Withers

• Fan Favourite: Dustyn Birkhof

• Top Scorer: Rob Hellyer

• Top Defender: Robert Hope

• Top Transition: Colton Armstrong

• Most Improved: Jordan Stouros

• Most Dedicated: Drew Hutchison

• Most Sportsmanlike: Frank Coyle

• Rookie of the Year: Brendan Boyle

• Volunteer Award: Dylan Hawken

Dustyn Birkhof was voted as the 2026 fan favourite after an incredible season that included many many moments, including scoring a game winning goal against the eventual champion six nations chiefs (photo courtesy of the peterborough lakers via david pickering)

And with the awards handed out, another summer of Peterborough Century 21 Lakers lacrosse is now officially in the books.

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

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Petes Battle Back From Early Deficit But Fall 6-3 to Ottawa on Saturday Night

By Scott Arnold

The Peterborough Petes erased a two-goal deficit to tie the game in the second period, but the Ottawa 67's scored four times in the third to hand the Petes a 6-3 loss Saturday night at the Memorial Centre.

Petes goaltender Owen Nelson makes a save on saturday as defenceman Jacob xu and ottawa forward spencer bowes look on from in front of the net (photo courtesy of peterborough petes, via kenneth anderson)

Ottawa opened the scoring just over four minutes into the game when Spencer Bowes found the back of the net, then added another from Jaiden Newton with 32 seconds left in the opening period to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

The Petes responded in the second.

Adam Levac got Peterborough on the board midway through the period, assisted by captain Carson Cameron and Grayden Strohack. Leon Kolarik then tied the game 2-2 on the power play late in the frame, with Adam Novotný and Levac picking up the assists.

The Petes and 67's headed to the second intermission tied 2-2.

Ottawa regained the lead early in the third when Theo Avila scored, and Andrew Laurin added a power-play goal just past the midway point of the period to make it 4-2.

The Petes weren't done. Novotny cut the deficit to one on the power play with just over two minutes remaining, assisted by Cooper Dennis and Kolarik.

Ottawa added two empty-net goals in the final minute, including Bowes' second of the night and Jack Johnson's first, to seal the 6-3 win.

Petes Scoring: Adam Levac (1G, 1A), Leon Kolarik (1G, 1A), Adam Novotny (1G, 1A), Cooper Dennis (1A), Carson Cameron (1A), Grayden Strohack (1A)

Owen Nelson made 25 saves on 29 shots for the Petes while Jaeden Nelson picked the win for Ottawa with 30 saves on 33 shots.

The Petes went 2-for-1 on the power play, while Ottawa went 1-for-3.

The loss drops Peterborough to 1-4 on the season with their next game set for 7pm on Thursday, October, 1st, against the Erie Otters at the PMC.

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

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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.

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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. 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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