Petes set to open training camp Monday
On paper the Peterborough Petes roster looks set even before training camp starts but GM Mike Oke says that’s not necessarily so.
The Petes already have 24 signed players including 13 forwards, eight defencemen and three goalies. They’ll have a little more than 50 players in camp including draft picks and free agents. Camp opens Monday with fitness testing at Hybrid Fitness and on-ice scrimmages Tuesday and Wednesday at the Memorial Centre.
Of those 24 signed players, three are returning overage players, 12 are returning players and nine would be considered rookies. Oke says being signed doesn’t mean someone new can’t beat them out of a roster spot.
“We anticipate some real good competition,” said Oke. “We know we’ve had a strong draft over the past couple of years and the players who are now coming to their second camp we were impressed with last year and over the course of last season. We think they’ve made strides and at training camp they’ll have an opportunity to demonstrate that at a little higher level of competition. They’ll be competing with players who have already been at the OHL level. We’ll carefully evaluate everybody.
“When you have competition it’s a good thing. It will insure the returning players continue to work hard to maintain their positions in the lineup. The younger guys know they’ll have to push hard to show they belong here full time. The fact we have a fair number of players returning and players who are under contract by fact they signed and played some games with us last year, the fact remains training camp will determine which players are ready to be here full-time.”
Oke said he’s made it known to those not signed, they still have a shot.
“We’ve made that very clear in communication with everybody over the course of the summer and it will be made very clear in our opening meeting. The positions are wide open,” he said.
There is also competition within returning players to carve out their spot on the depth chart or role on the team.
“When you’re putting together a roster and line combinations I’m a big believer that in order to have success you need to have depth,” Oke said. “Last year and heading into this year, we feel we have a good amount of depth at all positions right from forwards through to defence and into the goaltending. Over the course of training camp and the pre-season games it will be through the players’ play and the coaches determining, based on systems, which players seem to be the best fit with which players to determine the opening night roster.”
The players already signed including goalies Blake Curran, Hunter Jones and Dylan Wells. On defence, there are returning players Alex Black, Declan Chisholm, Cole Fraser and Cole Fraser and rookies Gleb Babintsev, Adrian Beraldo, Matt McNamara and Cameron Supryka. Veterans at forward include Jonathan Ang, Logan DeNoble, Semyon DerArguchintsev, Zach Gallant, Pavel Gogolev, Nick Isaacson, Chris Paquette, Tyler Rollo, Matyas Svoboda, Adam Timleck and rookies Bobby Dow, Chad Denault and Nick Robertson.
Petes training camp schedule
Monday, Aug. 28 2:30 p.m. Fitness Testing at Hybrid FHP (closed to the public) Tuesday, Aug. 29 8:30 a.m. – Team CCM vs Team East Side Mario’s 9:20 a.m. – Team East Side Mario’s vs Team Gatorade 10:10 a.m. – Team Gatorade vs Team CCM 11:00 a.m. – Team CCM vs Team East Side Mario’s 5:30 p.m. – Team CCM vs Team Gatorade 6:20 p.m. – Team East Side Mario’s vs Team Gatorade 7:10 p.m. – Team East Side Mario’s vs Team CCM 8:00 p.m. - Team CCM vs Team Gatorade Wednesday, Aug. 30 8:30 a.m. – Team CCM vs Team East Side Mario’s 9:20 a.m. – Team East Side Mario’s vs Team Gatorade 10:10 a.m. – Team Gatorade vs Team CCM 11:00 a.m. – Team CCM vs Team East Side Mario’s 7:05 p.m. – Maroon & White Game (All scrimmages are open to the public and will be livestreamed on the Petes Mobile App.)