Peterborough Petes Wrap Up Day One of Training Camp

Peterborough Petes 2023 Training Camp kicked off training camp at the Hybrid Sports facility with introductions, medicals and fitness testing on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

An orientation session was held for players and their families and was led by Michael Oke, Petes general manager before the players split off into medical testing, headshots and fitness testing.

“It was a great start to camp today with everyone working hard in the gym at Hybrid,” said Oke. “We’re looking forward to seeing that hard work carry over on the ice tomorrow as scrimmages begin.”

During the fitness testing portion of training camp, Donovan McCoy, Braydon McCallum, Owen Beck, Chase Lefebvre and Sam McCue all featured in multiple top threes. The top performing Petes in each fitness category were as follows:

300-yard Shuttle Run (two heats)

1. Sam McCue 51s, 54s

2. Jax Dubois 52s, 56s

3. Raymond Thurston 52s, 58s

Vertical Jump

1. Donovan McCoy 34.4”

2. Braydon McCallum 33.4”

3. Owen Beck 33.2”

Broad Jump

1. Owen Beck, Braydon McCallum 10’

2. Liam Sztuska, Rheydan McCoy 9’11”

3. Chase Lefebvre 9’9’’

Pull-ups

1. Brennan Faulkner 25 reps

2. Quinton Pagé, Owen Beck 24 reps

3. Jace McGrail 23 reps

5-10-5 Shuttle Run

1. Donovan McCoy, Maximus Macerollo 5.14s

2. Sam McCue, Braydon Mccallum 4.15s

3. Chase Lefebvre 4.22s

20-Yard Dash

1. Braydon McCallum 2.56s

2. Donovan McCoy 2.57s

3. Chase Lefebvre 2.58s

Wednesday and Thursday’s scrimmages are streamed live on the Petes Facebook page.

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Peterborough Petes Introduce Dave Lorentz as New Team President; Dave Pogue Steps Down From Role After Seven-Year Tenure

The Dave Loretz era began as he was introduced to the public as team president in a press conference at the Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon.

(From Left to Right) Petes Board of Directors Rod McGillis, Dave Lorentz, George Gillespie and Dave Pogue. Loretz becomes the second team president to ever play for the Petes behind the late Pat Casey who passed away peacefully last Saturday. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Lorentz takes over the role after former president Dave Pogue announced his retirement at the Petes 2023 Awards Banquet on March 28. The latter remains on the Board of Directors as Past President and Alternate Governor after a seven-year tenure with the Petes.

“I think it's time for a different voice. Eventually, you could become white noise in certain circles so it was time,” explained Pogue. “I've got some other ventures that I want to concentrate on and I'm going to start on the board assisting Dr. Bob Neville at the league level because I've made some good relationships with other owners in the league and just trying to work on bettering the Petes within the league and certainly to get a new facility.”

Pogue has fully endorsed Lorentz as the new team president and says he will be able to maintain the high standards and championship aspirations that the team exhibited last year when they captured the OHL title.

“Dave helped create that standard. We have been working very hard as a group to get to this point and 17 since our last championship, we've learned a lot over those years and Dave has been part of the driving force there,” he said. It won't be 17 years before we win another one, I can tell you that.”

Lorentz played three years for the Petes from 1987 to 1990 and was captain of Peterborough’s 1989 OHL Championship team. The team made deep playoff runs including a championship in the 1988-89 season. Lorentz wants to maintain the current atmosphere and mentality as team president to win another OHL Championship and hopefully a Memorial Cup title.

“I think building a culture of winning, building a culture that you're going to go for it when you have the opportunity and be successful builds champions,” he explained. “I'm expecting in the near future that we will do this again because I really want a Memorial Cup ring.”

Lorentz added that he did not want to change much in terms of the face of the organization but to put an emphasis on the Petes to foster a positive experience for everyone in the company.

“My focus is going to be directed to the players and the staff, trying to find ways that we can enhance their experience in Peterborough,” he said. “As a former player and alumni, I want those players coming here to experience the best that they can because not all of them are going to make the pros but they're going to go on to great careers. If we can provide them with every opportunity to achieve their goals then that's what we need to do.”

Single-game tickets for the Petes go on sale this Friday at 9:30 a.m. through the PMC Grant Thornton Box Office.

Fans can get tickets by visiting the Grant Thornton Box Office in person, calling (705) 743-3561 or going online.

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Petes Executive Director of Business Operations Accepts New Position With Professional Women's Hockey League

Burton Lee, Peterborough Petes executive director of business operations is leaving the organization to accept a position as director of game operations and fan experience within the Hockey Operations Department of a new professional women’s hockey league announced on Wednesday.

BURTON LEE, PETES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS (LEFT) ADDRESSING THE 165+ STUDENTS IN GRADES 7 AND 8 ABOUT HIS CAREER EXPERIENCE WITH THE TEAM at a World of Choices program with JA-NEO. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

The league is planning to launch this January. 

Burton originally joined the Petes in August of 2013 as the director of communications and game operations. He was formerly with the Sarnia Sting in the ticket sales department, after having spent nearly a year in the Canadian Football League with the 2012 Grey Cup Champion Toronto Argonauts. 

“I’m extremely grateful to the Petes Board of Directors and to our hockey and business staff for the opportunity to have worked for the historic Petes organization for the past decade,” said Lee. “It has been a pleasure to have partnered with exceptional people at the OHL and CHL, the City of Peterborough, Peterborough & District Sports Hall of Fame, the Peterborough Lakers, and Compass Food Services. Above all, though, it has been a true joy to play a role in the growth of our business team, as our staff continues to work tirelessly to help fans, partners, alumni, and players have world-class experiences right here in Peterborough.”

After his first two years, Lee was promoted to executive director of business operations for the next eight years. He was recognized with the 2022-23 Ontario Hockey League Community Involvement Award. 

“I am looking forward to contributing to one of the most exciting projects in the sport industry, working alongside a renowned ownership and executive team to establish the new professional women’s ice hockey league,” said Lee. “The Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises have initiated something truly special for the hockey world. I am excited to work alongside a team led by Jayna Hefford and to use the knowledge and experience I’ve gained in Peterborough to help fans across North America and around the world experience elite hockey in a new way.”

Lee was born and raised in Delhi and been an active community member since 2013. He is the current chair of the board of directors for Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development and serves as program advisory council chair for various programs at Fleming and Loyalist Colleges. Lee is also involved in minor and recreational sports, having organized the Peterborough Squash Club’s PSB Wilson Squash Classic for several years as well as coaching minor sports teams.

“Burton has been the driving force behind our business operations for the past 10 years,” said Dave Pogue, Petes president. “His innovative and progressive ideas spawning some major changes in our business model have helped the Petes organization make huge strides and Burton’s team is regarded as one of the best and most respected in junior hockey.” 

Lee’s last day with the organization is on Aug. 15. Lee, his partner Heather and their two children are remaining in Douro-Dummer and continue to be with Peterborough County.

“Although we will greatly miss Burton’s talent, leadership and most of all, his second-to-none work ethic, we are very excited for him to be able to take on new challenges with his next career move,” said Pogue. “On behalf of the Peterborough Petes, please join me in wishing Burton the best of luck. We look forward to seeing him, his wife Heather and their children Louie and Lottie around the rink and in the community.”

Lee has worked alongside the hockey operations department throughout his time with the Petes. His decade-long tenure saw him work closely with Michael Oke, Petes general manager to ensure the smooth operation of the team.

“On behalf of everyone in hockey operations, I’d like to congratulate Burton on joining the new professional women’s hockey league,” said Oke. “It’s been ten great years working with Burton and we’re all excited to see him continue his career in something he’s very passionate about. Since we brought Burton on board, we have seen a tremendous amount of growth on the business side of the Petes. Burton’s vision and ideas were an integral part of this growth. Although we will miss him, we know that he’s going to be a great addition to the new league.” 

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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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