City of Peterborough Asking Residents to Stay Off Wet Sports Fields

As the weather has become warmer, the City of Peterborough has asked users to stay off natural sports fields until further notice.

A SOCCER FIELD IN BEAVERMEAD PARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF PETERBOROUGH.

Several sports fields are extremely wet as reported by the City.

Using the wet fields can cause damage to it and its users. If fields require repairs, their opening could be delayed this season or they may have to be taken out of play while work is completed.

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Petes Tack On Late Goal To Take Game Three With a 3-2 Win Over North Bay Battalion; Peterborough Leads Series 2-1

The Peterborough Petes continue their playoff home undefeated streak with a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion and take game three with a late third-period goal and have a 2-1 series lead at the Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) on Tuesday night.

The Petes have yet to lose a home playoff game this postseason.. Photo courtesy Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

Both teams were evenly matched during the first half of the period. Petes goaltender Michael Simpson was tested early, making several glove saves in high-scoring areas to keep it scoreless. On the other end, Donovan McCoy and Tucker Robertson had one-timer chances but could not get it by North Bay goaltender Dom DiVincentiis.

Peterborough was able to draw first blood on the powerplay as Gavin White got it to Robertson. He fed it Brennan Othmann was able to power the puck through the five-hole of DiVincentiis as it inched across the goal line for a 1-0 lead, his sixth goal of the playoffs. It remained that way into the second period. Shots were 17-13 in favour of the Petes.

Peterborough had begun the second with a five-minute major as Chase Stillman had a match penalty for slew-footing (served by McCoy) in the final seconds of the first. North Bay mustered four shots on the Petes but Peterborough was able to kill off the penalty and keep it a 1-0 game.

Peterborough had a powerplay from a checking from-behind penalty and had some sustained pressure in the offensive zone. North Bay got aggressive during a clear attempt and a mix-up from in front of Simpson allowed Pasquale Zito to bury a shorthanded goal for a 1-1 tie in the dying seconds of the power play.

The Petes crashed the net with an offensive chance but offsetting penalties were called on both teams resulting in both being down a man. During the four-on-four, The Battalion had an odd-man rush and capitalized as Kyle Jackson fed Matvey Petrov for a one-timer goal and a 2-1 North Bay lead going into the third.

Peterborough started the period aggressively, taking several shots at DiVincentiis, trying to get the tie. Othmann was able to intercept a clearing attempt from North Bay in the Battalion’s defensive zone and dished a pass to Avery Hayes for a one-timer goal to tie it at 2-2.

Peterborough went back on the attack as J.R. Avon knocked a puck out of mid-air to seemingly score despite the net being knocked off. After review, the referees deemed it was no goal, despite the Petes arguing that North Bay had forced the net off.

The Petes kept the pressure on as DiVincentiis initially stopped a shot but the puck trickled behind him and Peterborough pounced on it for a goal. The refs waived it off after a lengthy review since the whistle had already been blown and the game remained tied.

With just over two minutes left in the period, Dubois got it to Samuel Mayer in the offensive zone as he picked a crucial moment to score his first goal of the playoffs. He was able to wrist one from just outside the faceoff circle and beat the goaltender clean for a 3-2 lead.

“I just kept saying to them over and over and over, just keep up the pressure,” said Rob Wilson, Petes head coach. “We felt it was coming You have those feelings as a coach on the bench whether you were going to get one and I had that feeling so I just said stick to the game plan, don’t change a thing, the process is working and I felt a goal was coming.”

North Bay had to pull their goalie and tried to tie it up but Simpson and the Petes stood tall and held on for the win and a 2-1 series lead.

Mayer, Othmann and DiVincentiis were the three stars of the game.

The Petes play game four at the PMC on Wednesday to continue the Eastern Conference Final best-of-seven series against North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough Petes Connor Lockhart Named OHL Player of the Week

Petes forward Connor Lockhart has been named the OHL Player of the Week after his three-game performance, helping Peterborough advance to the third round of the playoffs, announced on Monday.

Photo courtesy of the PEterborough Petes.

Lockhart posted four goals, one assist and five points during the three-game span along with a plus/minus rating of +1.

He scored a hat trick for the Petes in Game Six to help eliminate the regular-season champion Ottawa 67’s last Monday. The Vancouver Canucks prospect scored a goal and an assist against North Bay for a Game One win on Friday.

The 20-year-old Kanata native recorded 29 goals, 50 assists and 79 points in 66 games this season.

The Petes forward has a career 154 points with 61 goals and 93 assists over 187 OHL regular-season games between Peterborough and Erie. Lockhart was the Erie Otters third overall pick of the 2019 OHL Priority Selection. He has 10 points this postseason with six goals and four assists over 12 games. Lockhart was selected in the sixth round, 178th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021 NHL Draft.

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Peterborough Petes Split Series With North Bay Battalion After 3-1 Loss In Game Two

The Peterborough Petes will return home with an evened series at one apiece after a 3-1 loss to the North Bay Battalion in game two at the North Bay Memorial Gardens on Sunday afternoon.

The Petes took game one with a score of 3-2 on Friday night. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough PEtes.

The first period was evenly matched defensively as both goalies Michael Simpson and Dom DiVincentiis stood tall for Peterborough and North Bay respectively. Stopping all shots that came their way for a 0-0 tie. Shots were 12-11 in favour of North Bay.

The ice was broken in the second period as the home team struck first. Tnias Mathurin got a shot off from just outside the faceoff circle in the high slot. Simpson made the save but left a rebound for Kyle Jackson to cash in for a 1-0 North Bay lead. Peterborough tied it up just over seven minutes later. DiVincentiis had just robbed Owen Beck’s one-timer shot but the rebound got to Brennan Othmann for a 1-1 tie after two periods.

The third period saw no goals until just under five minutes left in the period. Liam Arnsby was able to quickly snap a shot with traffic in front of Simpson for a late go-ahead goal. Peterborough pulled their goalie but Gavin White was unable to control the puck at the offensive blue line, turned it over and Owen Van Steensel deposited an empty-net goal and the insurance marker for a 3-1 North Bay victory.

The Petes return to the Peterborough Memorial Centre for game three on Tuesday to continue the Eastern Conference Final best-of-seven series against North Bay Battalion. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m.

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Peterborough's Jared Wayne Signs With NFL's Houston Texans

Peterborough’s Jared Wayne did not get his named called but his NFL dream is far from over as he signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Houston Texans on Saturday.

Jared Wayne is the son of former CFL linebacker Patrick Wayne. The latter spent nine years in the league mostly with the Ottawa Roughriders but also had stints with the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

It would have been the first person from Peterborough to be drafted to the NFL if his name was called.

Wayne played four seasons of his collegiate football career all with the Pittsburgh Panthers, totalling 13 touchdowns during that span.

He finished with career-highs of 60 receptions for 1,062 yards — his first 1,000-yard season — and five touchdowns; one short of last year’s total.

Locally, Wayne has played in the Kinsmen Minor Football League, Peterborough Wolverines and Adam Scott Lions.

In his final collegiate game, he helped the Panthers win the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl on Dec. 30 with five receptions for 50 yards for a 37-35 win over the UCLA Bruins. His performance earned him an invite to play in the Hula Bowl.

He had another year of eligibility with Pittsburgh but decided to enter the NFL draft according to his father and former CFL linebacker, Patrick Wayne.

“I’m very proud, the whole family is proud of how he’s grown on the field and as a person,” he said in a prior interview with PTBOCanada.

Wayne impressed NFL scouts with his speed, posting a 4.53 second 40-yard dash at the combine.

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10-Year Old-Boy Catches "Walter" One Year After Stepfather Snags Fish At OFAH Fishing Derby

Like father, like son, as 10-year-old Ben Bumstead has caught the top prize ‘Walter,’ at the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Under the Lock Fishing Derby one year after his stepfather Justin Desbarbieux did it on a gloomy Saturday morning at the Peterborough Lift Lock.

Bumstead (left) caught Walter after his third cast not a half-an-hour into the derby. His stepfather Justin Desbarbieux (right) did it last year, five days into the event. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Bumstead caught Walter, the prized rainbow trout that weighs roughly eight to 10 lbs. at a length of 20-24 inches. He caught it after his third cast less than 30 minutes into the event. He snagged Walter with worm bait near the train turn bridge just beside the barrier netting. Bumstead was overjoyed when he found out it was Walter.

“I felt like I could do a backflip,” he exclaimed.

“ I couldn't wait for him to run up to the stage and tell everyone how he just caught Walter,” said Desbarbieux.

The father-son duo was present at Wednesday’s fish release where all the rainbow trout were put into the canal in preparation for the event.

Bumstead gave himself an ‘extra advantage’ prior to Walter being tossed into the water.

“I touched his tail for good luck and I said to the guy, ‘I'm catching Walter this year,’” explained Bumstead. 

Desbarbieux caught Walter last year and has participated in the fishing derby since he was a child. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The two have bonded well over the years as Desbarbieux came into Bumstead’s life at an early age. The two often go hunting and fishing together and call each other father and son. Desbarbieux says he had a ‘proud father’ moment, seeing Bumstead catch Walter.

“You got to love it, especially so early in the derby like that,” he said. “It’s a very proud moment for the kids for sure, you got to love it.”

The Norwood District Public School student is walking away with the grand prize of $1,000 cash and gets to keep Walter. Bumstead said he was splitting some of the money with his early childhood friend but has no plans with the remainder of the cash as of yet.

The derby began Saturday with the youth event — for children 15 and under — at 9 a.m. and the all-ages kicking off Sunday at 9 a.m. and runs until May 7. It includes 25 tagged fish, each with a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses.

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Hometown PTBO: Chloe Reflecting Her Cycling Life and Her Stories of Aiding Ukraine During The War

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Chloe Black about her cycling, being the daughter of drummer Alan Black and her stories of aiding Ukraine during their war with Russia.

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Peterborough Petes Draft Nathan Leek and Josh Hutton In 2023 U18 Priority Selection

The Peterborough Petes have drafted Nathan Leek and Josh Hutton in the 2023 OHL Under-18 Priority Selection on Wednesday night.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

“We’re excited about the talent that we were able to add today,” said Michael Oaky, Petes general manager. “We’ve had a lot of success with the U18 draft with picks like Sam Mayer, Dustin Hutton and Jaden Reyes who all played for the Petes. We believe the players we selected today have the potential to make an impact in the Ontario Hockey League and we’re looking forward to participating in their development.” 

Leek was a first-round pick, 11th overall. He’s a 2005-born forward from Alliston, Ont. Leek spent last season with the Barrie Colts U18 where he scored 30 goals and added 34 assists for 64 points in 35 games played.

Hutton was the Petes’s second-round pick, 31st overall from Midland, Ont. He spent last season with the Toronto Red Wings U18 and was teammates with Petes’ goaltending prospect Carter Frost.

The Petes start game one of the Eastern Conference Final against the North Bay Battalion on the road on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Fans can attend the official watch party for game one at Dr. J’s BBQ & Brews.

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'Walter' Released Into Canal Ahead of the 34th Annual OFAH Under the Lock Fishing Derby

The first school of fish arrived at the Peterborough Lift Lock as top prize rainbow trout ‘Walter’ was released into the water on Wednesday afternoon to help kick off the 34th Annual Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Under the Lock Fishing Derby.

GORDON BOWLEY, FISHING DERBY co-CHAIR toses one of 30 trout that went into the Lift Lock canal on WEdnesday afternoon. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

Walter is a rainbow trout weighing roughly eight to 10 lbs. at a length of 20-24 inches. Anyone who catches him gets the grand prize of $1,000. There are 500 tagged trout for instant prizes and a chance to win one of four grand prizes. Instant prizes include fishing nets, tackle boxes, fishing rods and other fishing gear.

This is the second consecutive year the derby has run since the COVID-19 pandemic. It took a two-year hiatus prior to its return last year.

“Fishing season for trout opened last weekend so we're near the beginning of the season and for me, it's my psychological rehabilitation over a long cold winter,” laughed Gordon Bowley, OFAH fishing derby co-chair.

Walter returns as the top prize fish earning the angler who catches him $1,000. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The derby begins this Saturday with the youth event — for children 15 and under — at 9 a.m. and the all-ages kicking off Sunday at 9 a.m. and runs until May 7. It includes 25 tagged fish, each with a $200 cash prize sponsored by local businesses.

Registration is required for all participants, just $15 for the first child, $10 for siblings and $25 for adults.  

Tickets can be purchased online at ofah.org/underthelock or in person at Peterborough Canadian Tire locations. 

“This is a great opportunity to be outside,” said Bowley. “It's a great year to be doing it and we're so glad to do it again for our second year after the pandemic.

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Peterborough Petes Face the North Bay Battalion In Eastern Conference Championship; Game One On Friday

The Peterborough Petes have drawn the North Bay Battalion in the Eastern Conference Final matchup with game one beginning Friday.

The Petes failed to beat the Battalion in four games during the regular season. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The matchup was confirmed after the Battalion defeated the Barrie Colts 3-1, scoring three goals in the third period in game seven on Tuesday night.

This is the Petes’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2016-17 and the second time since their OHL Championship in 2006. The last time the Petes and Battalion met in the playoffs was the 2015-16 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. The Battalion won the series four games to three.

The following is the playoff schedule for the Eastern Conference final:

1. Friday, April 28 - Peterborough @ North Bay - 7 p.m.

2. Sunday, April 30 - Peterborough @ North Bay - 2 p.m.

3. Tuesday, May 2 - North Bay @ Peterborough - 7:05 p.m.

4. Wednesday, May 3 - North Bay @ Peterborough - 7:05 p.m.

5. Friday, May 5 - Peterborough @ North Bay - 7 p.m.*

6. Sunday, May 7- North Bay @ Peterborough - 7:05 p.m.*

7. Monday, May 8 - Peterborough @ North Bay - 7 p.m.*

*If necessary

Tickets for games three and four go on sale to the general public on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Fans can purchase tickets starting Wednesday online or by contacting the PMC Grant Thornton Box Office in person or at (705) 743-3561.

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