Book is a must read if you want to see Petes survive
Sean Fitz-Gerald, senior national writer for the Athletic, spent the 2017-18 season with the Petes.
Fitz-Gerald, given full access to the players, coaches, Petes staff, longtime fans, parents of players and billet families, published the book “Before the Lights Go Out” in 2019.
His thesis was that hockey as we know it at all levels below professional, is in trouble. Minor hockey leagues are seeing declining enrolment, fewer Canadians are playing in the National Hockey League and franchises including the Petes are struggling financially.
Fitz-gerald interviews several high-profile individuals involved in the game including Hockey Canada executive Tom Renney, Canadian Olympic hockey player and now broadcaster Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Richard Peddie, the first president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
He visited the New Canadians Centre to see how they attempt to introduce new Canadians to the game of hockey.
During that season, the Petes had a pre-game citizenship ceremony when 40 new citizens to Canada were sworn in on the ice prior to the game. He followed the Petes staff as they prepared for the event, interviewed some hockey people about the timing of the event and talked to one new Canadian family about hockey.
Fitz-Gerald interviewed several people about the problems of maintaining youth involved in the game. Hockey Canada came up with a program in 2017 where younger players played on half the ice.
Studies have shown kids were dropping out because the game was not “fun.” By attempting to replicate how older generations of players learned the game on smaller outdoor backyard ice rinks, they tried to instil more fun into playing. The idea ran into opposition from mainly larger centres. Fitz-Gerald sat in on a contentious meeting where Hockey Canada attempted to rationalize its intent.
Much of his well-written book is about the Petes season he followed. The team got off to a strong start but then faltered. Fitz-Gerald talked extensively with the players and coaches.
As the team continued its spiral downward, Sean was front and centre. He was there when general manager Mike Oke relieved coach Jody Hull of his coaching duties.
Unfortunately, the coaching change and a later trading away of veteran player Jonathan Ang did little to stem the decline. The Petes, after going to the division final the year before, missed the playoffs.
Fitz-Gerald did an excellent job digging into the inner-working of a junior hockey franchise. He bared the problems and delved into the reasons.
In the final chapter, he showed how close and emotional billet families became to the players over the time they lived with them. Junior hockey is lifechanging for both the player and his family and Fitz-Gerald revealed that so well.
As for the future of the game in general and specifically in Peterborough, he is not overly optimistic it will turn around with the changing demographics of Canada’s population.
It will continue to be “our” game but with many more caveats.
Skyrocketing costs for youth to play must be addressed more aggressively. Alternate forms of presenting the game to kids to make it more fun also must be seriously addressed.
As for franchises like the Petes, rink amenities for fans have become a new norm. Fans want to be entertained by skilled hockey players in an atmosphere that is comfortable and presents the game in a pleasing way. Compared to other OHL rinks, the Peterborough Memorial Centre does not measure up.
In light of the sloppy way the city has handled the current arena situations, this book should be mandatory reading for all city staff and council to ensure our youth will have opportunities to play and the Petes survive.