Los Angeles Kings Re-Sign Peterborough Petes Alumnus Akil Thomas To One-Year Deal

Peterborough Petes Alumnus Akil Thomas is staying in California as the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings signed him to a one-year two-way contract worth $775,000 on Saturday.

Akil Thomas skating with a young fan prior to a game. Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Petes.

He was acquired by the Petes in a trade from the Niagara IceDogs in Jan. 2020 for Cameron Butler, two second-round picks (2020, 2022), one third-round pick (2022) and a fourth-round pick (2024).

He played 22 games for the Petes, scoring nine goals and 31 assists before the Ontario Hockey League was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thomas was invited back to the Peterborough Memorial Centre for Game Three of the OHL Championship against the London Knights as part of the pre-game ceremonies to pump up the fans on May 15.

The Toronto native is well-known for his game-winning goal for Team Canada in the gold-medal game against Russia at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

Thomas was drafted by the Kings in 2018 in the second round, 51st overall. Following his OHL career, Thomas spent time with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign since the 2020-21 season. He has yet to play a regular-season game with the Kings since being drafted into the NHL.

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Peterborough Petes Select Rio Kaiser 28th Overall In the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft

From Germany to Canada, defenceman Rio Kaiser has been selected by the Peterborough Petes, 28th overall in the 2023 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft announced on Wednesday afternoon.

The 6’7” Berlin, Germany native spent most of the 2022-23 season with EC Red Bull Salzburg U20 in Austria. In 18 games this season with EC Red Bull Salzburg, the 16-year-old scored four goals and eight assists for 12 points. Kaiser has appeared on the German U16, U17 and U18 national teams, tacking on a goal in five appearances.

“We were very excited to be able to select Rio,” said Michael Oke, Petes general manager. “He’s a big, young defenceman who skates well and we believe the Peterborough Petes would be an excellent option for him to continue his development.”

Rio is the second player selected by the Petes out of Red Bull Hockey Academy in Austria. The 2022 first-round import pick Tommy Purdeller came from the same program.

Peterborough originally held the 31st pick however three teams ahead of the Petes passed. That bumped the Petes to the 28th selection. The defending OHL Champions elected to pass on their second-round pick in the draft as Tommy Purdeller will occupy the other import slot on the team.

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Peterborough Petes Avery Hayes Signs Two-Year Contract With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed Peterborough Petes forward Avery Hayes to a two-year, American Hockey League (AHL) contract for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, announced on Tuesday.

Hayes (left) has won back-to-back OHl championships with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes.Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

The Penguins are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

Hayes was traded to the Petes on Jan. 7, shortly before the OHL trade deadline. He played 32 games with 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in the regular season.

The Westland, Mich.-born forward captured the OHL Championship in back-to-back seasons, with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Peterborough Petes in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Hayes led the Petes with 12 goals during their championship run.

Those wins gave Hays two straight Memorial Cup appearances, producing produced six goals and eight points in 10 total games.

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OHL Recognizes Peterborough Petes With Business Leadership Awards

The Peterborough Petes’s historic season continues with more recognition as the Ontario Hockey League has awarded them the Community Involvement Award during league meetings on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the OHL.

The recognition is part of the league’s Business Leadership Awards as the Petes raised more than $270,000 from 50/50 draws to support the Peterborough Minor Hockey Council. Their Pink In the Rink campaign brought in over $60,000 in support of battling cancer and aiding the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation.

The champion Petes also were recognized for their free ball hockey program held at elementary schools across Peterborough. The brought barrier-free access to hockey for over 2,000 students. They hosted the inaugural PWHPA OHL Showcase in February that saw 3,480 fans in attendance at the Peterborough Memorial Centre to spotlight professional women’s hockey.

The Guelph Storm were recognized with the OHL Franchise Development Award as part of the Business Leadership Awards.

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Peterborough Petes Michael Simpson Invited To Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Development Camp

Peterborough Petes goaltender and Wayne Gretzky 99 Award winner Michael Simpson is one of four goalies invited to the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect development camp at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, P.A., announced on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The three-day camp runs from July 1 to 3 where 12 forwards, seven defensemen and four goalies were invited.

Simpson is part of seven free agents that were invited to the camp, including Carter Schade, Jagger Joshua, Brayden Schuurman, Evan Vierling, Justin Lee and Owen Flores.

Goalie and skater on-ice sessions start at 1 p.m. on July 1, followed by practice at 1:45 p.m. Another goalie on-ice session is running at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by a skills session at 11:00 a.m. and a split squad practice at noon. The prospect tournament is running on the following Monday at noon.

Simpson played 51 games this regular season with a 2.73 goals against average (GAA) and save percentage (SV%) of .914. He had a 2.80 GAA and .918 SV% in the playoffs. He was given the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for most valuable player in the 2023 Ontario Hockey League playoffs. The London-born goaltender had a 2-3 record in the Memorial Cup and helped his team get a third-place finish.

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Don "Sharpie" Sharp, Peterborough Petes Director of Merchandise Announces Retirement After 14-Year Tenure

Don ‘Sharpie’ Sharp can ride off into the sunset, finishing off a 14-year career as the Peterborough Petes director of merchandise as he is retiring, announced on Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Sharp has held the role of running the Petes Store since 2009 and is set to retire for June 29. His last year with the team ends with an OHL Championship that was won back on May 21 against the London Knights in a six-game series.

He assumed the role after 24 years in men’s wear as the owner of the Barclay in downtown Peterborough. Sharp has been involved with the organization for over 50 years, joining the club as a season ticket member in 1967.

“There isn’t a single Petes fan, or hockey enthusiast in our area, who hasn’t been impacted by Sharpie’s dedication to the Petes,” said Burton Lee, Petes executive director of business operations. “Sharpie greets every fan with a kind demeanour and expert service, and has built the Petes Store into one of the premier sport retail operations in the country, personally outfitting hundreds of thousands of fans and minor hockey players with the iconic Petes logo. We know he’ll still be spending lots of time at the Memorial Centre but Sharpie will still be missed.”

The Petes are searching for a new applicant to fill the vacancy. The job posting, including application details, can be found online. Applications will be accepted until June 22 at 11:59 p.m.

The Petes would like to thank Sharp for his dedication to the team for the past 14 years and are excited to welcome him back to the PMC as a fan for the foreseeable future.

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Peterborough Petes Reflect On Historic Championship Season As Off-Season Begins

After winning the OHL Championship and finishing third at the Memorial Cup, the Peterborough Petes head into the offseason preparing for a title defence while looking back on their historic year.

Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The Petes won the OHL Championship in six games against the London Knights on May 21. The team won their first J. Ross Robertson Cup since 2006 when they ironically swept the Knights.

“That meant the world to me,” explained Shawn Spearing, Petes’ captain. “Five years with this team, it's been unbelievable and I've loved every second of it. There's no better way to cap it off, I can't even explain that feeling, it's surreal.”

“Nobody gave us a shot except for us,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “We felt about three-four weeks before the end of the season, we were starting to come together. We made a lot of changes and it was quite the battle. The way worked for each other, (I’m) just super proud of them.”

Petes goaltender Michael Simpson was named OHL Playoff MVP for his efforts.

The following was the Petes playoff run:

• Eastern Conference quarterfinals: Peterborough Petes def. Sudbury Wolves, 4-0 series

• Eastern Conference semifinals: Peterborough Petes def. Ottawa 67’s, 4-2

• Eastern Conference finals: Peterborough Petes def. North Bay Battalion, 4-2

• OHL Championship: Peterborough Petes def. London Knights

The OHL Championship win qualified the Petes for Memorial Cup in Kamloops B.C. They were joined by Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

The Petes had a rough start, losing their first two games to Seattle and Kamloops but rebounded with a much-needed win against the Remparts to force a tiebreaker game for a semifinal spot.

Peterborough won two straight, defeating Kamloops in a revenge game to advance to the semifinals but lost out to the Thunderbirds and be eliminated from the tournament.

“A wonderful effort by the boys,” said Dave Pogue, Petes president. “Some lows and some highs but they definitely showed the resilience that they showed time and time again during the playoffs and we couldn't ask any more of them.”

The following were the Memorial Cup results for the Petes:

• Round Robin: Seattle Thunderbirds def. Peterborough Petes, 6-3

• Round Robin: Kamloops Blazers def. Peterborough Petes 10-2

• Round Robin: Peterborough Petes def. Quebec Remparts, 4-2

• Tiebreaker game: Peterborough Petes def. Kamloops Blazers, 5-4 OT

• Semifinals: Seattle Thunderbirds def. Peterborough Petes, 4-1

The Petes roster will need retooling as 10 players are graduating from the team with only three overage (OA) spots available for next season. Gavin White, Avery Hayes and Spearing were the team’s OAs this year and will move on from the Petes. White signed an entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars of the NHL on Mar. 2.

The following are the team’s graduating players becoming or are already OAs and their NHL prospect teams if applicable:

• Samuel Mayer

• Michael Simpson

• J.R. Avon (Philadelphia Flyers)

• Cam Gauvreau

• Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers)

• Connor Lockhart

• Chase Stillman (New Jersey Devils)

• Jax Dubois

• Tucker Robertson (Seattle Kraken)

• Gavin White* (Dallas Stars)

• Avery Hayes*

• Shawn Spearing*

*denotes an overage prior to the season’s start

The Petes added some hometown talent during this year’s OHL Priority Selection in first-round pick defenseman Carson Cameron (Bobcaygeon) and sixth-round pick, goaltender and hometown boy Masen Johnston. The team added 13 players including eight forwards, four defencemen and a goaltender.

The following are the Petes draft results:

• First round, 13th overall: Carson Cameron, D, Central Ontario Wolves

• Fourth round, 76th overall: Joseph Cadorin, F, Toronto Marlboros

• Fifth round, 88th overall: Liam Ladds, D, Elgin-Middlesex Canucks

• Sixth round, 112th overall: Masen Johnston, G, Peterborough Petes

• Seventh round, 133rd overall: Chase Del Colombo, F, Toronto Nationals

• Eighth round, 153rd overall: Gavin Lock, F, Detroit Little Caesars

• Ninth round, 173rd overall: Easton Lynds, F, Mississauga Senators

• 10th round, 193rd overall: Calum Hartnell, D, Ottawa Jr. Senators

• 10th round, 196th overall: Thanasi Marentette, D, Toronto Nationals

• 11th round, 213th overall: Francis Parish, F, Central Ontario Wolves

• 12th round, 234th overall: Aiden Lee, F, Markham Majors

• 13th round, 253rd overall: Brody Leet, F, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs

• 14th round, 273rd overall: Joshua Kaufman, F, Kitchener Jr. Rangers

• 15th round, 293rd overall: Kaiden Thatcher, D, Ajax-Pickering Raiders

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Photos: Peterborough Petes Welcomed Home By Fans After Returning From Memorial Cup In Kamloops

Captain Shawn Spearing signing an autograph on a young fan's t-shirt. All photos by Samantha Bianco.

The Peterborough Petes were welcomed home by fans after finishing their Memorial Cup run, returning home from Kamloops after placing third place in the tournament.

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Fans Invited to Peterborough Airport to Welcome Peterborough Petes Home After Memorial Cup Run

It was a little sooner than wanted but the Peterborough Petes are inviting fans and community members to welcome the team at the Peterborough Airport as they arrive home from the Memorial Cup in Kamloops, B.C.

The team is expected to arrive just before 4:00 p.m. announced by the team on Saturday morning.

The Petes had an overall record of 2-3 in the Memorial Cup, finishing in third place. Photo by Samantha Bianco

The team requests fans to park in the main terminal at the Peterborough Airport and enter the terminal building to welcome the team home. The team fell short of reaching the finals after taking a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds Friday night in the semis and finished third.

Dave Pogue, Petes president wrote a letter to Peterborough to thank the fans for the historic season the team had that includes winning an OHL Championship.

To the Petes Fans in Peterborough, across Canada and around the world,

The 2022-23 season was one of historic highs for the Mighty Maroon and White, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, staff, players, and every member of the Peterborough Petes organization, I want to personally thank you for your passionate support during this championship season.

At our annual Season Ticket Member BBQ before the season started, I stood in front of hundreds of our biggest fans and said that we would be satisfied with nothing less than an Ontario Hockey League championship, and I cannot be more proud of our team for delivering that for our community.

Lifting the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions on home ice on Sunday, May 28 was something that many in our community, myself included, will never forget. To share that moment with our fans and families in our own barn, and then to celebrate with thousands of fans at Quaker Square the next day, was a perfect way to showcase just how much this championship belongs to the entire Petes community. 

In Kamloops, BC, at the Memorial Cup, the team did not disappoint. Our players, coaches, and staff represented our historic franchise, and the Peterborough community, in exemplary fashion, with many in Kamloops embracing Peterborough as their own. Although we fell just short of winning the most elusive trophy in sports, a standard of excellence in Peterborough has been re-established by the performance of the 2022-23 Petes. 

To the hundreds of thousands of fans in our city, across the province, and around the world, thank you! You showed up for our team this season in record numbers at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, at our watch parties and championship celebration event, and out and about in the community every day. Petes pride is at an all-time high, and with season tickets already nearly sold out for the 2023-24 campaign, I know that our fans will continue to serve as the backbone of our storied franchise’s success. 

Thank you, and Go Petes Go!

Dave Pogue

President

Peterborough Petes

Petes Memorial Cup 50/50 tickets are still on sale with a minimum $5,000 jackpot. The draw will take place after the Memorial Cup Final on Sunday.

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Peterborough Petes Memorial Cup Hopes Dashed and Get Eliminated With 4-1 Loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds In the Semifinals

The Petes storybook season ends with a semifinal loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 4-1 loss at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops as Peterborough is eliminated from the Memorial Cup on Friday night.

the Petes were a perfect 4-0 during the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup in elimination games prior to playing in the semifinal. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes were under duress right from puck drop as Seattle dominated time of possession as well as shots on net. They tested Petes' goaltender Michael Simpson early and often with 14 shots in the period. He stood strong however, stopping everything that came his way.

Peterborough was only able to muster five shots in the period however Brennan Othmann may have had the best opportunity but hit the crossbar and stayed out. The score remained a 0-0 tie after one.

The second period remained mostly the same as Seattle once again won the time of possession and shot battle throughout. Eventually, the Thunderbirds were rewarded on their 31st shot of the game and last of the period as Nico Myatovic wristed it on Simpson and the rebound came to Brad Lambert to swipe at it. The puck went through the five-hole and bounced the side of the left pad and went in for a 1-0 Seattle lead. This was Lambert’s first goal of the tournament and that was the score going into the third.

Seattle get their foot on the gas pedal as Lucas Ciona attempted to make a centering pass that went off a Petes’ skate. Off the broken play, Kyle Crnkovic scooped up the loose puck and passed it to Colton Dach who one-timed it home for a 2-0 lead, 88 seconds into the period.

Peterborough showing their resilience, saw Brennan Othmann get a puck alone in the slot off a turnover and slipped it five-hole past Thomas Milic to cut into the lead at 2-1. Just under seven minutes later, Seattle pressed again and had Simpson sitting down with the puck in front of him. Crnkovic rushed in and chipped it. Simpson snared the puck from out of the air but not before it crossed the line and extended Seattle’s lead to two, 3-1.

Peterborough pulled their goalie with less than three minutes in the game but Nico Myatovic deposited the empty-net goal and punched their ticket to the Memorial Cup finals with a 4-1 win.

Simpson stopped 43 of 46 shots on the night. Thunderbirds Crnkovic was named the player of the game.

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