Peterborough Primed To Win OHL Championship Against London Knights In 2006 Rematch
/Shortly after winning the Bobby Orr Trophy as OHL Eastern Conference Champions, the Peterborough Petes begin their quest to win the OHL Championship with Game One against the London Knights in a deja vu situation beginning Thursday.
Both teams split the series with teh home team winning their respective games in their regular-season matchups. Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.
This is a rematch of 2006 where both teams faced each other in the OHL Championship with Peterborough sweeping London for the title.
The Peterborough Petes defeated the Sudbury Wolves in four games, Ottawa 67’s in six games and North Bay Battalion in seven games to advance to the OHL Championship.
Peterborough and London faced each other twice during the regular season, splitting the series with both victories at home. London won 5-2 on Dec. 10 while the Petes shutout the Knights 3-0 on Jan. 26 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
“We haven’t played them much in the last couple of years due just with all the Covid and stuff going on,” said Chase Stillman, Petes forward. “I felt like we match up pretty well against them in the regular season, in the two games we played them and it’s going to be sticking to the same structure in the playoffs so far.”
“We’ve got work to do,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach.”We know they’re a good team. The whole organization is a tough opponent but we have to start with the coaches and then the players have to bring what they can bring. It's one game at a time.”
The Petes brought in several players at the trade deadline with Brennan Othmann, Gavin White, Avery Hayes, Owen Beck and more. Several of the acquisitions have made major impacts for the Petes during the playoffs, something Petes general manager intended to do for a playoff push.
“We knew that we owed it to the players and to the organization and fans that because of the play that we demonstrated in the first half, we were going to do whatever could do to strengthen and solidify the roster,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager.
The Petes depth has been tested during the series. Johnathan Melee sustained a lower-body injury in Game Five (and was out for the series), captain Shawn Spearing sustained a head injury after blocking a shot in the first period in Game Seven and Avery Hayes had a lower-body injury from blocking a shot in Game One. Hayes returned to the lineup in Game Three. Spearing has yet to be cleared to play and Wilson said he has yet to receive a prognosis on Spearing’s condition.
Cam Gauvreau and Chase Stillman also served two-game suspensions in that were doled out in Games Six and Three respectively.
“Anytime you go into the playoffs, depth is key,” said Oke. “It's going to be challenged, there's going to be adversity. We've got a resilient group, it seems that if one guy goes down, someone else picks it up.”
Wilson credits the players for coming together at the right time when it matters most.
“It's a credit to players that were here and it's a credit to the players that were brought in,” he explained. “These guys have really come together and they've really wanted to play for each other and I think they've proved that.”
Rob Wilson ahs been head coach of the Petes since 2018. Photo by David Tuan bui.
The full schedule for the OHL Final against the London Knights is as follows:
Game One – Thursday, May 11 at London, 7 p.m.
Game Two – Saturday, May 13 at London, 7 p.m.
Game Three – Monday, May 15 at Peterborough, 7 p.m
Game Four – Wednesday, May 17 at Peterborough, TBD
Game Five – Friday, May 19 at London, TBD*
Game Six – Sunday, May 21 at Peterborough, Time TBD*
Game Seven – Monday, May 22 at London, TBD*
