Peterborough Petes Goaltender Liam Sztuska Named OHL Goaltender of the Week

Peterborough Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska has been named OHL Goaltender of the Week with a 1.00 goals-against average and .978 save percentage in a win last week.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Sztuska helped the Petes get back in the winning column, stopping 45 of the 46 shots in a 4-1 road win over the Owen Sound Attack.

The Petes goaltender often faces a lot of shots as he has taken at least 40 in 15 of his last 17 starts. Five of his 10 wins have at least 40 saves this season.

The 19-year-old Mississauga native has a season record of 10-22-4-1, posting a 3.86 goals-against average and .906 save percentage while facing the league’s third-highest total of 1,530 shots.

The Petes selected him in the fifth round, 94th overall, of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection from the Toronto Titans U16 AAA program. The 6-foot, 181-lb. netminder has appeared in 63 games over three seasons, registering a 3.70 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. Sztuska won an OHL Championship with Peterborough last spring.

The Petes return home to take on the Barrie Colts on Tuesday, wearing their CHL Jersey Contest winning designs. The game jerseys will be auctioned after the game with proceeds going to the President’s Choice Children’s Charity. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Get Back in the Win Column With Four Unanswered Goals Against Owen Sound For 4-1 Victory

After getting one victory in their last 13 games, the Peterborough Petes return to the win column, scoring four unanswered goals for a 4-1 win over Owen Sound at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre on Sunday evening.

Photo courtesy of Allison Kennedy and the Peterborough Petes.

Only one goal was scored in the first period and it came late. Peterborough was shorthanded after a holding penalty and Owen Sound wasted no time. It took 14 seconds to score on the man advantage with a Colby Barlow one-timer to make it 1-0 for the home team.

It was all Peterborough from when the second period started. The Petes got a powerplay of their own early in the stanza and capitalized on their opportunity to tie the game. Tommy Purdeller set up Quinton Pagé for a one-timer in the high slot and scored for a 1-1 game.

The Petes forced a turnover in their defensive zone as Braydon McCallum knocked an Attack defenseman down and got the puck on a rush. He dropped a pass for Pagé who fanned his shot but Brennan Faulkner got a shot on net. It was parried to the side by Attack goaltender Carter George but Petes defenseman Martin Matejicek got the loose puck. He got a one-touch pass to Pagé who scored a wide-open one-timer for his second of the game and a 2-1 Peterborough lead.

The visitors kept their foot on the gas as Caden Taylor undressed an Owen Sound defender and snapped it past George for an impressive unassisted goal to put Peterborough up 3-1 after two.

Owen Sound had Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska under siege all night, already having 35 shots on net prior to the final period. They got another 11 in the third, outshooting Peterborough in shots with 46-26 but could not find the back of the net a second time. Purdeller got an empty-net goal finish off the Attack and leave Owen Sound with a 4-1 win.

Pagé, Purdeller, Matejicek had two points each while Sztuska saved 45 of 46 shots on net for the win.

The Petes return home to take on the Barrie Colts on Tuesday, wearing their CHL Jersey Contest winning designs. The game jerseys will be auctioned after the game with proceeds going to the President’s Choice Children’s Charity. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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YMCA of Central East Ontario Brings VOLT Hockey to Peterborough

To help promote inclusivity, especially for those with varied abilities, the YMCA of Central East Ontario is bringing VOLT Hockey to Peterborough with help from seed funding from Under the Lock Hockey Tournament.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The YMCA will host two drop-in sessions during the March break on the 14th at 10 a.m. and 15th at 5:15 p.m. for kids aged six to 14.

VOLT Hockey includes those with a mobility challenge in our national sport. It has specially motorized chairs to participate in a three-on-three format in a gymnasium.

The chairs have a joystick to navigate the floor with a built-in custom T-shaped stick in the front to pass and handle the ball.

Over the decade of its inception, the Under the Lock Hockey tournament has had over 10,000 kids from boys/girls minor hockey, sledge hockey and special hockey international teams compete. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Seed funding came from leftover money from the Under the Lock Hockey Tournament. Despite winding down operations in 2018, their board of directors donated the remaining $9,634 to the YMCA to bring VOLT Hockey to Peterborough.

“Our YMCA is excited to be introducing this program in Peterborough,” said Cindy Mytruk, YMCA manager of partnerships and inclusion. “There aren’t enough opportunities for children with disabilities to participate ins port and this is just one more step to a more accessible and inclusive community. We are thrilled to be involved.”

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Plans are underway to find players to play, regardless of their physical capabilities. YMCA is seeking public input for a team name.

All submissions can be sent to cindy.mytruk@ceo.ymca.ca. All ideas are reviewed by a YMCA and The Children’s Charity Ontario team. The selected name will be announced on the YMCA’s website, Facebook page and newsletter. The deadline for suggestions is 5 p.m. on March 25th.

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Peterborough Petes Drop Pair of Weekend Road Games; Eight Points Out of Playoff Spot

The Peterborough Petes woes continue as they dropped a pair of road games to the Sudbury Wolves on Friday and Soo Greyhounds on Saturday and find themselves eight points out of a playoff spot behind the Barrie Colts.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes had a rare Thursday night off before playing in back-to-back road games starting with the Sudbury Wolves.

While Peterborough had a great start with a 2-0 lead in the first period, they could not hold it going into the third as Sudbury tied things up to force overtime.

With two minutes left in the extra frame, Sudbury had an odd-man rush and capitalized on a one-timer for the 3-2 comeback win.

Peterborough had to put the game behind them quickly as they took on the Soo Greyhounds on Saturday night.

Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska was peppered all night as the Greyhounds had 14 shots on net each period.

Soo got to a hot start and never looked back, scoring three goals in the first to Peterborough’s one in the first period.

The home team continued their momentum with two more goals as the Petes were shut out in the second.

Peterborough drew even in goals with one apiece with the Greyhounds but led to a 6-2 loss, dropping their record to 17-32-7.

The Petes are eight points behind the Barrie Colts who occupy the final playoff spot in the East Division. The team has 12 games left in the regular season to try and right the ship for a postseason bid.

Five teams in the East have already clinched a playoff spot in the London Knights Sudbury Wolves, North Bay Battalion, Oshawa Generals and Mississauga Steelheads. The Ottawa 67’s, Kingston Frontenacs and Barrie Colts occupy the next three spots in the conference but have yet to secure a playoff berth.

The Petes come home to play the Erie Otters this Thursday for Pride Night in support of Sport A Rainbow. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

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Peterborough Petes Game to Benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough in 'Big Game For Kids' On March 7

The Peterborough Pets game against the Ottawa 67’s on March 7 will be extra special as a fundraising night for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough (Peterborbough Bigs) in the “Big Game for Kids,” announced on Thursday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Bigs.

The game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre has the puck drop for 7:05 p.m. The event features a classic photo booth, chuck-a-puck prizes and local hockey action while making meaningful differences for Peterborough youth.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Peterborough Petes and Monaghan Lumber for the 'Big Game for Kids,' an event that combines the excitement of hockey with the spirit of community giving,” said Brent Shepherd, Peterborough Bigs executive director. “Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of children and youth in our community by providing them with the support and guidance they need to succeed.”

All funds raised benefit Peterborough Bigs’s mentoring programs, allowing the organization to continue matching young people with caring adult mentors, fostering meaningful relationships and positive outcomes according to a press release.

Tickets are available at the Peterborough Bigs website or by contacting Hilary Morgan at (705) 743-6100.

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Petes Next Gen Game Gets Away From Peterborough After Six Unanswered Goals From Visiting Kitchener Rangers, 6-2

The Petes started well but let the game slip away as the visitng Kitchener Rangers scored six unanswered goals for a 6-2 Petes loss at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

This was the Petes Next Gen game that allowed children selected by Five Counties Children’s Centre to experience the day-to-day operations of running an OHL team.

The children were introduced at a press conference a few hours prior to the game.

These positions included:

• General Manager

• Head Coach

• Assistant Coach

• Scouts

• PA Announcer

• In-Game Host

• Radio Broadcaster

This year’s Next Gen participants. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes had a good start to the period just under six minutes into the game. Caden Taylor had a sharp-angle bid that slipped by Rangers goaltender Tristan Malboeuf for a 1-0 lead.

Peterborough got another goal on the board as Chase Lefebvre drove towards the net while tied up with a Kitchener defender. He managed to get a shot off but was save by Malboeuf. A rebound was available and as bodies piled up in front of the net, Ryder McIntyre pounced on the puck and backhanded it in for a 2-0 lead.

Unfortunately for Peterborough, the game went downhill from there. Just under a minute left in the period with four-on-four action, Kitchener was in the attacking zone and played the puck from behind the net. A pass missed the mark for the intended target but the Rangers but the puck fortuitously ended up on Carson Rehkopf’s stick and he beat Liam Sztuska to the cut the lead in half at the end of the first.

It was not long before the Rangers tied the game as 66 seconds in, they had 1:58 of powerplay time off a late Lefebvre penalty. Eduard Šalé was able to snipe one past Sztuska from the faceoff dot and make it a 2-2 game.

With just under two minutes left in the second period, Simon Motew was able to rip one through traffic from just inside the faceoff circle for Kitchener’s first lead of the game, 3-2.

The Rangers looked to run away with the game early in the third with a pair of goals in 92 seconds with scores from Rehkopf (his second of the game and Matthew Sop with beautiful deking to make it 5-2.

The Petes had a chance to get back in the game as Matthew Andonovski got a foul-from-behind penalty on Nico Addy that resulted in a penalty shot. He tried to go high glove-side with his shot but it was snatched by Malboeuf.

The Rangers finished off Peterborough by causing a neutral-zone turnover resulting in a three-on-one situation. Tanner Lam opted to keep the puck for himself and shoot which resulted in the right decision and a goal. That made it 6-2 as the final score and the Petes take another loss, falling in nine of their last 10 games.

The Petes will get several days rest before hitting the road to Sudbury to take on the Central Divison-leading Wolves — who have already clinched a playoff spot — at the Sudbury Community Arena on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with the Official Road Game Watch Party at Shoeless Joe’s on Lansdowne Street.

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Peterborough Petes Routed In 11-1 Landslide To Brantford Bulldogs

The Peterborough Petes have seen better days as they had a rough going on the road, being routed 11-1 by the Branftord Bulldogs at the Brantford Civic Centre on Sunday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Taylor and the Peterborough PEtes.

Florian Xhekaj — brother of Montréal Canadiens defenceman Arber Xhekaj — opened the scoring for Brantford late in the first period with a one-timer. Zakary Lavoie joined on the scoring to put up a 2-0 lead with a one-timer shortly after the Bulldogs won the faceoff. That was the score heading into the second period.

Peterborough found themselves on the scoreboard after killing off a four-on-three penalty kill. Jake O’Brien tried to deke around the Petes defence but Tommy Purdeller pickpocketed the Brantford captain and had a breakout stretch pass to Johnathan Melee. The Petes captain did a spin-o-rama dek and sniped it on the backhand to cut the deficit in half for a 2-1 game.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill for the rest of the game for Peterborough. Two minutes later, Brantford scored three straight goals in a 2:21 span to bring their lead to four with a 5-1 game.

Late in the frame, Peterborough had a massive opportunity as they got a five-minute powerplay after a check-to-the-head major penalty from Daniil Sobolev. He also got a game misconduct for the hit. In an ironic twist, Brantford scored three goals shorthanded on the same penalty kill thanks to Ben Bujold, Lawson Sherk and Xhekaj to round out the period.

The Bulldogs tacked on three more goals in the final stanza while suppressing Peterborough’s offence for an 11-1 beatdown.

The Petes will have to shake off the loss and get ready for Thursday as they host the Guelph Storm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre with the puck drop at 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Fall 5-3 to Mississauga Steelheads On Indigenous Heritage Night

The Petes hosted Indigenous Heritage Night at the Peterborough Memorial Centre as they took on the Mississauga Steelheads but fell 5-3 on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough Petes.

Mississauga struck first on the power play halfway through the first period as a point shot was thrown at the net and went off Dean Loukus for a 1-0 lead. That score would remain going into the second.

The Steelheads struck again early in the period, similarly to their first. Another point shot was redirected, this time by Luke Misa and slipped by Petes goaltender Liam Sztuska for a 2-0 lead.

Peterborough erased the deficit quickly as Chase Lefebvre snapped one from close inside the faceoff circle and made it 2-1. The Petes tied the game after getting an odd-man rush chance and made no mistake. Nico Addy opted to pass it to Quinton Pagé and got the one-timer through for a 2-2 game.

Mississauga regained the lead on the powerplay as Peterborough’s Porter Martone dished the puck out in front for a tap-in one-timer from Loukus, his second score of the game for a 3- 2 lead.

Peterborough answered late in the period as Johnathan Melee threw one at the net and hit the post. It bounced fortuitously for the Petes and Braydon McCallum scored on a wide-open net to tie it up at 3-3 going into the third.

The Pete had an early powerplay, but unfortunately a turnover caused a 2-0 breakaway for Mississauga. Misa scored his second of the game on a shorthanded goal for a 4-3 lead.

Peterborough battled hard to tie the game but Misa put the game on ice with an empty-net goal and a hat trick, resulting in a 5-3 Steelheads win.

The Petes hit the nation’s capital on Friday to take on the Ottawa 67’s at 7 p.m. at the TD Place.

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Son of Peterborough Minor Petes Alumnus Commits to Minnesota State University Mavericks

Eli Pulver, son of Peterborough native and Minor Petes alumnus Paul Pulver, has committed to Minnesota State University, Mankato for the 2024-25 season, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

The Vancouver-born goaltender joins the Mavericks after spending the past three years in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), most recently with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Eli played 81 games with a 49-24-4 record with a 2.43 GAA and a 0.922 SV%. The 20-year-old is in his first season with the Silverbacks where he has put up a 15-7-1 record with a 2.29 GAA and a 0.924 SV%.

“I’m really looking forward to joining their [the Minnesota State University, Mankato] program,” said Eli. “I know it will be a great spot for me to develop as both a player and as a person so I’m grateful for the opportunity. Thanks to everyone involved with the Silverbacks organization for helping me get to this point.”

Paul played defence for the Peterborough Roadrunners from 1985 to 1987 in the Metro Jr. B Hockey League.

In 33 games, he posted seven goals and five assists with the club.

Paul played collegiate hockey for McGill University for four years while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Economics.

He works as a partner with Pulver Crawford Munroe LLP in Vancouver.

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Photos: Peterborough Petes U11A Hosts Chris Fee Cup To Kick Off 64th Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament

The Chris Fee Cup kicked off the 64th Liftlock U11 Hockey Tournament as the host Peterborough Petes U11A took on the Toronto Wolverines U11A at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Friday morning.

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

The cup is a feature opening game against a visiting team against the host Petes team since 1997. Petes were victorious against the Wolverines, winning their first contest 4-1 to capture the 2024 Chris Fee Cup.

The tournament features 71 teams in 13 divisions playing throughout five arenas in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

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