Peterborough U15 AAA Petes Undefeated to Capture BP Icefest Championship

The Peterborough Jesse’s Tap and Grill U15 AAA Petes reached the top of the mountain to become BP Icefest champions, defeating the Kitchener Jr. Rangers in overtime, 1-0, to cap off an undefeated run on Sunday night.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Minor Petes.

Their journey to the top started with routing Timmins 6-0 on Thursday.

In a close game, the Petes edged out the same Kitchener team 2-1 in overtime followed by a 5-0 win over Cambridge.

On Saturday, the Petes knocked off the Buffalo Regals 5-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.

They faced off against Burlington and shut them out 4-0.

The Petes got the Grey Bruce Highlanders in the semifinals and posted another shutout, winning 1-0 over Grey Bruce on Sunday morning.

With little rest, the Petes capped off their undefeated tournament with a win over Kitchener, earning their fifth shutout of BP Icefest.

Goaltenders Landen White and Matty Colling were outstanding all weekend.

Rostered players were Prestin Allen, Blake Brioux, Tyson Hawley, Taymon Browne, Liam Williams, Kotter Grove, Reid Cameron, Lucas McIntyre, Cole Roberts, Cooper Poskin, Hannu Packalen, Colton Adams, Kalum Phillips, Gage Cooper-Bailey, Joe Gusso, Taytem Adams. Landen White and Matty Colling were the goalie tandem that helped Peterborough with five combined shutouts.

Head coach Joe Hawley led the team which was backed by assistant coaches Rob Baker, Dan Robertson, Brock Davis and Kevin Sparling. Trainer Lynn Todd and manager Ben Adams were also part of the winning Petes team.

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Flint Firebirds Sign AAA U16 Peterborough Pete to Standard Player Agreement

The Flint Firebirds have signed AAA U16 Peterborough Pete Ryland Cunningham to a standard player agreement.

Cunningham becomes the third player drafted by the Firebirds in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection to commit to the team, joining first-round pick Cole Zurawski and third-round pick Gage Brandon. Photo courtesy of the Ontario Hockey League.

“Playing in the OHL has always been a dream of mine so I’m super pumped to finally make that dream come true,” said Cunningham.

The 2024 second-round pick was taken 41st overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.

The Coubourg native played for the Peterborough Petes AAA program for the past three years. In the 2023-24 season, he played 35 games for 17 goals and 20 assists. He scored three times in six games at the OHL Cup.

“Ryland is a great combination of speed and skill that plays with a feisty edge,” said Mike Oliverio, FIrebirds head scout. “He is a player we feel plays with a high IQ and a lot of pace. Ryland plays in the hard areas and drives the net with or without the puck. He was relied on heavily for his offense down the stretch and playoff run for his Peterborough team.”

“I have heard nothing but great things about the Firebirds,” said Cunningham. “I can’t wait to meet the rest of the team.”

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History Repeats Itself As Peterborough U16 AAA Petes Get Eliminated In OHL Cup Semifinals For a Second Consecutive Year

For the second straight year, the Peterborough U16 AAA Petes were eliminated in the semifinals of the OHL Cup by the same opponent, the Vaughan Kings, in a 3-0 loss at the Scotiabank Pond in Toronto on Thursday night.

The Petes lost to the Vaughan Kings in last year’s OHL Cup, 4-2, on April Fools Day. pHOTO courtesy of Peterborough U16 AAA Petes.

It was a battle of the undefeated as both teams boasted a 5-0 record heading into the semifinal. The winner would take on the Oakville Rangers, who narrowly defeated the North York Rangers, 6-5, earlier that day.

Peterborough struggled to muster any offense in the first period as they registered three shots on net. The Kings had 13 shots, one of which was courtesy of Cole Emerton. With just over four minutes left in the stanza, the Petes turned the puck over in the defensive zone; Emerton intercepted the pass and was uncontested in his shot to make it 1-0 Kings.

Vaughan extended their lead with a one-timer at point-blank range from Caleb Malhotra, was seemingly stopped by Petes Morgan Hyndman but the puck was sitting at the line. Peterborough tried to clear the puck but the referee deemed the puck had crossed and it was 2-0, Kings over Petes.

Things would not improve for the Petes as one of their top prospects, Colin Fitzgerald, took a tripping penalty, putting the Kings on the powerplay. It only took 10 seconds for Vaughan to capitalize, as Alessandro Di Iorio took a shot from just outside the faceoff circle and ripped it through traffic for a 3-0 lead.

It was all or nothing for the Petes in the period to try and erase a three-goal deficit. Fitzgerald had an opportunity to get Peterborough on the board with a breakaway. He tried the five-hold of Kings goaltender Justin Young but he closed the door on any chance of a comeback and made the save. The Petes outshot the Kings for the first time in any period with 6-4 but none found the back of the net. Peterborough was eliminated from the OHL Cup by a 3-0 score.

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U10 AAA Peterborough Petes Spread Holiday Cheer By Giving Gifts To Young Patients at PRHC

The U10 AAA Peterborough Petes were in the giving spirit as the team gave presents to children treated at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Chad cavanaugh.

There were 17 Petes who participated in the event along with their families and coaches to spread holiday cheer to the PRHC. The team collaborated with the health centre a week ago to arrange a day for all the children to meet for the gift exchange.

Each Pete was given a gift request from the children at the PRHC. The team fulfilled those wishlists and returned with nine presents for the hospitalized children.

“It was a good learning curve for the U10s to give back and that’s what we wanted to teach them,” said Chad Cavanaugh, U10 Petes head coach. “We wanted to do something for the community and the kids wanted to give back.”

This act of generosity was a feeling of moral obligation that Cavanaugh wanted to instill in his players. That there is more to life than just hockey and giving back was vital, regardless of status.

“I think it’s good for kids to learn lessons outside of hockey and help kids that they may not have the skills or health that they have,” he explained.

The team participated in an exhibition of parents versus kids hockey on the same night.

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Ryan Foster Named Head Coach to the U16 AAA Peterborough Petes

Former assistant coach Ryan Foster has been named the head coach of the U16 AAA Peterborough Petes for the 2024-2025 season.

The U16 AAA Petes had 13 players drafted to the OHL. Graphic by Mark Dizon.

Foster was an assistant coach for former head coach Michael Farrugia for the Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes 2022-2023 season. The latter was hired as an assistant coach for the Oshawa Generals in late November.

Foster was a coach and player in the Peterborough Petes minor system. During the 1993-94 season, he was part of the Peterborough Petes Provincial Jr. A team.

He has had several coaching stints with the Petes from 2016-2018 and 2021-2023 in peewee, bantam and midget divisions.

“I’m really thankful to get the opportunity to coach in the PMHC, particularly the U16 program,” said Foster. “I have been very lucky to work alongside some terrific coaches, hockey people and players these last few years and I am looking to bring that knowledge and experience to the 2024/25 team.

The U16 Petes had a successful last season as runner-ups to the Steve Richey Cup in January (in a 1-0 loss), crowned Ontario Minor Hockey Association champions in March (in triple overtime) and semi-finalists in the OHL Cup.

“The U16 program has been top-notch in recent years and we are looking to continue that trend with a team that is hard-working, disciplined and competitive,” said Foster.

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Local Hockey Coach Michael Farrugia Hired to Oshawa Generals Coaching Staff

AAA Petes head coach Michael Farrugia is joining the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals as an assistant coach announced by the team on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of the Oshawa Generals.

Farrugia spent three seasons as the head coach with the minor bantam, U15 and U16 Peterborough Petes AAA program.

Last year, he coached the U16 Petes to the 2023 OMHA Championship and had 13 of his players taken in the most recent OHL Priority Draft.

The Brampton native spent the beginning of this season as the head coach of the U15 Prep Team with Okanagan Hockey Ontario.

He was the associate coach of the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Wellington Dukes, where they were finalists in the 2018 RBC Cup and with the Cobourg Cougars in 2017 as a skill development coach.

“We wanted a coach that would come in and be able to adapt quickly and work on the finer details of development and we thought Michael was the perfect fit,” in a statement made by the Oshawa Generals.

Farrugia had his first practice with the team Thursday before his first full weekend with the team in their three-in-three weekend.

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Hometown PTBO: The Peterborough Minor Hockey Association Giving Back to the Community With a $80,000 Surplus

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Walter DiClemente and Chad Cavanagh of the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association about how they are giving back to community organizations with an $80,000 surplus from the Peterborough Petes championship season.

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U16 Minor Petes Ben Radley Commits to Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement

Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes defenseman Ben Radley has signed with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement.

Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Radley was taken in the third round, 58th overall. He was the third U16 Minor Pete to be drafted into the OHL and joins Petes teammate Joshua Avery (who was drafted before him in the same round).

The Iroquois native had 14 goals and 32 assists for 46 points in 36 regular season games with the Petes. He had three goals and assists during that playoff run in eight games. He had a goal and an assist in six games at the OHL Cup. Radley won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association Championship with the Petes in his final season.

“We are excited to receive a commitment from Ben Radley.” said Matt Turek, Bulldogs interim general manager. “Ben brings all the tools we look for in a Bulldog to the table. On the ice, his skating, vision and ability to process the game are all beyond his age. Off the ice, Ben carries himself with that same maturity that makes him a great all-around addition to our group.”

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U16 Peterborough Petes and Cavan's Joshua Avery Signs With the Brantford Bulldogs

Former Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes centreman Joshua Avery has committed to a standard player agreement with the Brantford Bulldogs announced on Monday afternoon.

Avery was the second U16 Pete behind Wil McFadden to be drafted in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Photo courtesy of the Ontario Hockey League.

Avery was a member of the U16 Petes that won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s (OMHA) playoff championship, made the finals of the Steve Richey tournament and the OHL Cup semi-finals this year.

He was selected in the third round, 54th overall in the 2023 Ontario Priority Selection.

Avery posted 31 goals and 32 assists for 63 points in 35 regular season games with the Petes. He had four goals and 11 assists for 15 points through eight playoff games and another four goals and two assists for six points in six games at the OHL Cup.

“The Brantford Bulldogs are very happy to receive a commitment from Joshua Avery,” said Matt Turek, Bulldogs interim general manager. “Joshua is one of the most offensively gifted players in this past draft and brings a style of game that will get our fans out of their seats. Off the ice, Joshua is a young man we are looking forward to having in our community and representing what it means to be a Bulldog.”

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U16 Peterborough Petes Andrew MacNiel Commits to Kitchener Rangers

Former Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes defenceman Andrew MacNiel has committed to a standard player agreement and education package with the Kitchener Rangers announced on Monday afternoon.

MacNiel is the fourth captain that has committed to Kitchener this off-season alongside Cameron Reid, Luca Romano and Matheas Stark. Photo courtesy of the Ontario Hockey League.

“We are excited to welcome Andrew and his family to our organization,” said Mike McKenzie, Rangers general manager. “Andrew had a very strong development camp. His size, hockey sense, mobility and puck-moving ability will give him a chance to be a very good defenseman as he matures. We are excited to add him to our already strong group of 2007-born prospects that will be the building blocks of the hockey club’s future.”

The Cobourg product captained the Petes to an Ontario Minor Hockey Association’s (OMHA) playoff championship, the finals of the Steve Richey tournament and the OHL Cup semi-finals this year.

“It’s a dream come true,” said MacNiel. “I imagined playing in the OHL my whole life so to be able to get drafted and eventually sign with the Rangers means everything to me. I never would have believed this would happen so quickly but it’s an amazing feeling and I cannot wait to get started.”

MacNiel had six goals and four assists for 10 points in 24 regular season games with the Petes and had six points in eight playoff games.

The former U16 Petes captain will wear number 43 for the Rangers.

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