‘PRETTY SPECIAL’ Peterborough
Will be well represented throughout the NHL this season //
It’s been some time since Peterborough has been this well-represented in the NHL.
Five players who grew up in Peterborough and two more who spent time in the Minor Petes AAA system are expected to be on NHL rosters or taxi squads when the 2020-21 season starts Wednesday.
Barrett Hayton (Arizona Coyotes), Mitchell Stephens (Tampa Bay Lightning), Riley Stillman (Florida Panthers) and Owen Tippett (Florida) are expected to start the season on 23-man rosters. Corey Perry (Montreal Canadiens) was waived on Monday, likely so he can be placed on Montreal’s taxi squad. Each played his first AAA hockey in Peterborough.
Lindsay native Vince Dunn (St. Louis Blues) and Cody Ceci (Pittsburgh Penguins), who attended Lakefield Colleg e School, played two years for the Minor Petes.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it was common to have a dozen or more local minor hockey grads in the NHL. For much of the 2000s, Perry and Mike Fisher were the only two.
“It used to be the norm,” said Jeff Twohey, who scouted all of these players during 40 years in hockey with the Peterborough Petes, Oshawa Generals, Kingston Frontenacs and Arizona Coyotes. “To get all these guys in the NHL, especially at such a young age, is pretty special.”
Twohey said local minor hockey seemed to lose its way for a while. Players such as Hayton, Stephens and Tippett joined GTHL teams. He sees that rebounding with former players like Jay Legault and Mike Martone, among others, giving back as coaches. It’s good for children to see local players playing in the NHL, he said.
“Those guys should all be really good role models because they’re all good kids. They all have high-end character and are driven,” Twohey said.
He was the assistant to Coyotes director of amateur scouting Tim Bernhardt when Arizona drafted Hayton fifth overall in the 2018 NHL draft.
“We took a bit of heat in Arizona for taking him fifth overall by people who didn’t watch him or understand the character he has,” Twohey said. “His future is bright there.”
Twohey drafted Stillman in Oshawa. It was too early to suggest the NHL was in his future, but he had characteristics which gave him a chance.
“The biggest thing with Riley was the competitiveness he had,” Twohey said. “Kids with natural competitiveness who also have ability are hard to find.”
Twohey interviewed Stephens prior to his NHL draft.
“I watched him a lot in his draft year,” said Twohey “He’s a really good player, his skill and ability to make plays. You could see he was hungry to be a player.”
He was with Arizona when they interviewed Tippett at the draft combine.
“The way he can shoot a puck and his ability to score goals is high-end,” Twohey said.
There are a number of former Petes who will also start the season in the NHL, most notably Nick Robertson who will be a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs after his 55-goal season in Peterborough last year.
Several ex-Petes have changed locations with Zach Bogosian joining the Maple Leafs, Slater Koekkoek signed with the Edmonton Oilers, Eric Staal joined the Buffalo Sabres and Austin Watson was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Other exPetes on NHL rosters include Zack Kassian (Edmonton Oilers), Nick Ritchie (Boston Bruins) and Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes). Steve Lorentz (Carolina) and Alan Quine (Edmonton) were waived and will likely be assigned to AHL teams.
Among last season’s Petes under NHL contract Declan Chisholm (Winnipeg Jets), Zach Gallant (San Jose Sharks), Hunter Jones (Minnesota Wild) and Akil Thomas (Los Angeles Kings) were all assigned to AHL training camps. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Toronto) is in Russia recovering from a broken leg suffered in a KHL game last month. Ex-Pete Ryan Merkley was also assigned by San Jose to AHL camp.