Peterborough Petes Next Gen Game Raises Over $21,000 For Five Counties Children's Centre

The Peterborough Petes’s annual Next Gen Game raised $21,341 for Five Counties Children’s Centre (FCCC) that was held on Feb. 19, announced on Tuesday.

Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth from birth to age 19 years. Last year, Five Counties served more than 6,200 children and youth in the Peterborough, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton region – the highest number of clients in its nearly 50-year history. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

The money is used to support kids’ treatment services at FCCC.

In 12 years of running the Next Gen Game, this was the highest total fundraiser since the partnership.

 “We are so grateful to the Petes, their fans and our other supporters for again showing their support for Five Counties kids,” said Scott Pepin, FCCC CEO. “The funds will go directly to our Building Abilities For Life (BAL) campaign that supports high-demand treatment services at Five Counties. Through these funds, we can help to reduce wait times and ensure more children and families get access to the care they need when they need it.”

There were eight FCCC kids who enjoyed a behind-the-scenes experience at the game, ‘signing’ a one one-day contract with the Petes of working roles within their organization. They included general manager, coach, scout, PA announcer and more.

“The smiles on our kids’ faces lit up the Memorial Centre,” said Pepin. “The Petes were first-rate in creating the Next Gen opportunity, and we heard many good comments and compliments from the kids and their families about their experiences behind the scenes.”

“Every year this event continues to grow. It’s a great opportunity for families to come out and enjoy their Family Day while supporting other kids in our community,” noted Eric Ebenbauer, Petes director of sales. “We look forward to continuing this tradition and engaging with Five Counties clients for future Next Gen programs, which was presented by Tim Hortons this year.”

The Petes hit the ice at home on Thursday to host the Erie Otters for Pride Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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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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WWE Superstar Bobby Roode References Peterborough Roots During Popular Wrestling Podcast

Famed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Wrestler/Superstar and Peterborough’s own Bobby Roode appeared on the popular wrestling podcast ‘INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet’ which was released on Youtube Friday morning.

A soundbite of The word ‘Glorious’ from Roode’s entrance theme in the WWE is used by the Peterborough Petes after the team scores a goal and is addresed by the PA Announcer. Screenshot.

The episode was filmed in late January prior to the WWE pa-per-view, Royal Rumble. During the podcast, topics such as Roode’s wrestling timeline, his neck injury, his role with the WWE and mentioned Peterborough on several occasions.

He referenced Gary and Pete Dalliday, CHEX TV and being able to remain in Peterborough despite constantly being on the road for WWE.

“Once you’re a ‘Boro’ guy, you don’t leave the Boro. You know what I mean?” said Roode.

Roode had two neck surgeries dating back to Nov. 30, 2022 where he had his C5/C6 fused. His second surgery on May 11 — which was his 47th birthday — had C4/5 cervical fusion. He believes he suffered the injury in 2012 while wrestling for Total Nonstop Wrestling. After a decade, the wear and tear from that event led to the surgeries.

He wrestled in the par-per-view event ‘Sacrifice’ against Rob Van Dam in a ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship where he suffered the injury.

“I could go through the day without going through any sort of pain” said Roode. The issue with me was my strength.”

The Peterborough native was asked if he could return to the wrestling ring after his neck surgeries and Roode said he could not perform full-time.

"I'm feeling better; mentally, I don't think I could take the risk of going back in the ring and working a full-time schedule,” said Roode.

The former world champion remains employed with the WWE, working as a match producer.

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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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Two Peterborough Men To Be Showcased In Internationally Televised Fishing Show

Two Peterborough men are appearing on the country’s longest-running fishing program, ‘The Fish’n Canada Show’ with PTBOCanada’s own Kirtus Evoy and Ben Logan, Fontaine’s Source for Sports owner.

Evoy (left) and Logan (right) showcasing one of their keeper fish used at the weigh-in for the tournament. They two got to represent their team to have their fish weighed. Logan joked that Evoy was compared to the Toronto Maple Leafs for being able to reel in fish during the pre-tournament but failed to haul a keeper fish, similar to the famed NHL team struggling to exit the first round of the NHL playoffs with a series win. Photo courtesy of Pete Bowman.

The show has anglers and hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman travel coast to coast searching for trophy fishing opportunities to educate and showcase the nation’s great fishing locations.

The episode with Evoy and Logan entitled, ‘The Miramichi Striper Cup’ in Miramichi, N.B., is set to air internationally on Saturday. This will be the show’s 547th episode aired in over 35 years of programming.

The Striper Cup was a four-man team fishing tournament held back in May.

“This was a great experience for us since our previous tournaments are ‘usually’ with one partner (two-man team),” explained Bowman. “This was a four-man team, something we have never experienced before so we highly anticipated it.”

Evoy and Logan earned the opportunity to participate in the tournament, partnering up with the hosts after winning an auction from the Lindros Hockey Classic for Easter Seals in November 2022.

“The thought of Kirtus and Ben donating a big chunk of change to the Easter Seals makes this episode extra special,” said Bowman. “From teaching the boys to use baitcasting gear, to ripping them around the Miramichi River and 60+mph, to netting their fish and them netting our fish and the best part, having them walk up the boardwalk to the weigh station to weigh our catch.”

Logan fishes roughly once or twice a year and had never entered a tournament prior to the episode’s filming. Evoy had fished with his ‘papa’ since he was young and often fishes on Chemong Lake with his children.

“It was amazing. There were so many things that I’ve never experienced before,” said Logan. “I’m not an avid fisherman. The stuff I learned from little things to seeing 180-200 boats lined up was something I’ve never seen before.”

“The experience with Pete, Angelo and their team was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” explained Evoy. “Everything from the accommodations, dining and fishing on the Miramachi were awesome. Best of all, I got to enjoy the experience with a great friend.”

There was a lot of work and preparation going into the event and episode taping but it was a surreal experience for Logan.

“It was unbelievable. The first day we went there, we met them that night when we bid on it,” explained Logan. “We started from the basics by day four of fishing. We knew what to expect. I started to catch a lot of fish. The weather went from windy to one day when you were bitter cold. The water was whitecapped, sunny and 20 degrees and back to windy. (It was) Unpredictable weather. We fished in every type of condition.”

While the team was nowhere close to finishing near the top, the experience was unforgettable for the Peterborough fisherman every step of the way.

“Going out for dinner with people that ran the tournament with how amazing people were, they treated you like they were one of them,” said Logan. “They brought fresh lobster. The hospitality was unbelievable.”

Photo by Kirtus Evoy.

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Martin Matejicek Scores First Goal As A Pete But Lose 4-1 to Visiting Guelph Storm

After being traded to the Peterborough on Jan. 2, Martin Matejicek has scored his first goal as a Pete but unfortunately it was the team’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to the Guelph Storm at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Kenneth Andersen and the Peterborough PEtes.

The first period was all Storm. The got an early powerplay less than four minutes into the game. The cycled the puck well and got a pass out in front to Max Namestnikov who wristed it home for a 1-0 lead.

Guelph had a three-on-one chance against Peterborough on the rush. They cycled it through but Quinton Pagé got a stick on the puck on a cross-ice pass. However the puck bounced into Charlie Paquette and he buried it for a 2-0 game after the first.

Peterborough got their first score less than four minutes into the second from Matejicek as he wristed an innocent looking shot at the net but it got through traffic and in the net to make it 2-1, the only goal of the period.

Guelph put a stamp on the game as birthday and hometown boy Will McFadden scored on the Petes in four-on-four play. He got a tip-in goal from a Quinn Beauchesne and got one on his hometown OHL team as an insurance marker and 3-1 lead. McFadden played for the Peterborough U16 AAA Petes prior to being drafted by the Storm.

The Storm iced the game after Parker Snelgrove was left all alone in front of the next off a turnover and nifty passing. He opted to drop it off for Braeden Bowman who scored to make it 4-1 and stand as the final score.

The Petes take on their division rival Kingston Frontenacs on Friday for 7:00 p.m. at the Leon’s Centre.

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Century 21 Renews Contract With Peterborough Lakers in Three-Year Deal; Team Donates $1,000 Towards Carl Oake Rotary Swim

As the Peterborough Lakers approach their 2024 season, they have reached a three-year agreement with Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage to continue as their main sponsor, announced at the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday afternoon.

Ted Higgins, Lakers President (left) with Vanessa Oake Hogan of Century 21 Realty (rght) continuing the long-standing relationship between the two organization which has spanned through multiple generations. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The team will continue as the ‘Peterborough Century 21 Lakers’ with the renewed agreement.

“The Lakers partnership has been part of the fabric of our company for so many years now that it makes sense to continue it,” said Vanessa Oake Hogan, Century 21 owner. “I think we all benefit from this partnership. It's a win-win situation and it makes sense to keep going.”

“To have them on board gives us the ability to reach our dreams,” said Ted Higgins, Lakers president. “We're delighted to have them back on.”

As part of the symbiotic relationship between the two organizations, the Lakers donated $1,000 towards the 38th-Annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim Fundraiser on March 1. The event is named after the now-retired Carl Oake, father of Vanessa.

The swim goes towards projects run by the Rotary Club of Peterborough to help the community. Over $1.4 million has been raised to date.

“It really blew me away with their generosity. I was not expecting this,” explained Vanessa. “The monetary financial support of our event, that means so much to us. It’s touching. It feels like they have our back too.”

“The time, effort and financial ability that Carl has given us over the years was a no-brainer for us to jump in real quick,” said Higgins. “It did not take a lot of thinking.”

The public is encouraged to participate in the swim as an individual or a team and can register online. A cannonball and floating catwalk challenge has been added to this year’s event. Those registered will be assigned a fundraising page. The public can also donate directly via the website and receive an instant tax receipt.

Anyone can donate at any time online at the Rotary’s website. The goal is to raise at least $45,000.

The team has also made season tickets available starting on March 6.

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Fleming Phoenix Roundup: Feb. 13

The Fleming Phoenix had some close calls but could not pull out victories from their basketball and volleyball teams.

The Fleming Phoenix logo was unveiled for the college on Sept. 8, replacing the Fleming Knight. Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

The Phoenix men’s basketball team lost their final two regular-season games at home this weekend.

On Friday, a full house was at the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre (PSWC) as the Phoenix hosted the La Cite Coyotes. The Phoenix had two strong quarters but lost 77-61 to the Coyotes.

The high scorer for the Phoenix was Shawn Blackwood with 22 points including nine rebounds, five steals, six turnovers and two blocked shots. Jason Diaz had 10 points with five rebounds, four steals and one turnover. Lystra White had nine points with five rebounds, two steals and one turnover.

The Phoenix welcomed the Algonquin Wolves to the PSWC for Saturday's final game of the regular season. The Phoenix had a solid second quarter in this close game but it wasn’t enough as they lost another nailbiter to the Wolves 97-92.

High scorers for the Phoenix included Jesean Wilson with 28 points, including four rebounds, one blocked shot and one turnover, Shawn Blackwood with 23 points and Orlando Carias with 12 points.

The Phoenix men’s volleyball team travelled to Kitchener on Sunday to kick off their playoff run against the first-place western division Conestoga Condors. The Phoenix had a strong start, winning the first two matches, 26-24, and 25-22 but could not hold off the Condors who took the next three matches, 25-16, 25-17, and 15-11 to lose three matches to two.

Phoenix Sam Deschenes had 20 points in the game including 18 kills, five digs and one ace. Phoenix Hunter Hoskins also had a strong game with 10 points, including nine kills, six digs and one ace.

The two Phoenix mixed doubles curling teams participated in the OCAA championships in Sault Ste. Marie from last week Wednesday to Saturday.

The mixed doubles team of Ben Potter and Miranda Jensen were held to 0-6 in the seven-team round-robin play but were awarded the Fair Play award for the tournament.

The Phoenix mixed doubles team of Cameron Fraser and Brook Parcels finished their round-robin play with a record of 3-3, moving them on to the semi-finals. The team came in fourth overall after dropping their game in the bronze medal match.

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Fleming Basketball Player Gaining National Recognition

Fleming Phoenix’s Shawn Blackwood of the men’s basketball team has gained provincial and national recognition by being named to several honours.

Photo courtesy of Fleming College.

The Ajax native was named one of the Fleming Phoenix Athletes of the Month for January, an OCAA Athlete of the Week and a CCAA Athlete of the Week.

Blackwood attends Fleming for their Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician program. He joined the basketball team last month, averaging 27.5 points, shooting 59.4 per cent from the field and averaging almost 10 rebounds in his six games with the team.

On Jan. 30, Fleming lost a narrow 103-101 overtime road game to the Loyalist Lancers. Blackwood led Fleming with 30 points and 13 rebounds.

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