CHL Notebook: Peterborough Petes in more financial trouble

The Calgary Hitmen’s annual Teddy Bear Toss went off without a hitch once again, as fans littered the ice with donations of toys after the home team scored.

It is a pivotal week for the Peterborough Petes franchise—and not because their young team is trying to break a 1-5-1-1 skid.

On a gut level, there’s long been a question about whether the Petes, run as a non-profit by a community board in an old arena in a small city with an aging population, fit into the OHL or just are just running on fumes of nostalgia. Last week, Petes president Dave Pogue told Peterborough city council that the team would be “bankrupt” in four years without significant concessions on its lease of the Peterborough Memorial Centre, one of the league’s oldest venues. That was ahead of the central Ontario city’s budget deliberations this week, where it will try to hammer out a budget to pay for essential city services. (It’s about as exciting as it sounds, even though it impacts people’s everyday lives.)

It is troubling to see the OHL’s oldest continuously operating franchise (1956) struggling, but what shouldn’t be overlooked is all the entreaties to sell that the board has received. Is it worth subsidizing a team under its current business model? Each spring—or so it feels—there is a rumbling about a group fronted by Petes alumni offering to buy the team that never comes to fruition. That has factored into the Petes, in spite of having talents such as Nick Ritchie and Matt Puempel come through town, having claimed only one playoff series since their last OHL championship in 2006.

The league’s role in getting the franchise back on course is undetermined. If tradition counts for anything, then preserving the Petes is worth it. If one thinks it hurt to see the Belleville Bulls disappear, just imagine the impact of losing a franchise with an alumni roll call that includes Bob Gainey, Larry Murphy, Chris Pronger and Steve Yzerman. But there’s only so much, in a bottom-line minded world, that the OHL and a municipality can do to help a team stay alive.

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Barzal breaks out for T-Birds
Notwithstanding the phenomena known as the NHL hangover, it was jarring to see Mathew Barzal goal-less for the Seattle Thunderbirds until scoring over the weekend.

The New York Islanders first-rounder finally tallied in his eighth game back, as part of a seven-point binge during Seattle wins against Tri-City and Victoria. It was probably just a matter of time until the 19-year-old playmaker, who had a two-game taste of the NHL with the Islanders, got into rhythm with his teammates.

Seattle (.583 point pct., third in the U.S. Division) also got overage left wing Ryan Gropp back from the New York Rangers after the start of the season. The Thunderbirds have one regulation loss since Barzal returned, and could be dangerous in the New Year once their star returns from competing for Team Canada at the world junior championship.

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Barzal has 54 goals and 210 points in 169 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds. (Marissa Baecker/Getty)

Central Division problems
The lowest point total by an OHL division champion since the introduction of the “loser point” is 75. At this writing, the Central-leading North Bay Battalion are on pace for 73, with everyone else languishing below .500.

Four teams in the division are retooling while the Mississauga Steelheads continue to massively underachieve. The Battalion’s situation is hardly rosy, as overage goalie Brent Moran (shoulder) and understudy Mat Woroniuk (leg) each sustained significant injuries on the weekend. That required completing the weekend with a loaner goalie, Bradley Van Schubert, whose OHL rights belong to the Owen Sound Attack.

Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA Streak P10 PIM
North Bay Battalion 26 13 11 2 0 28 0.538 85 100 0-1-0-0 5-4-1-0 268
Niagara IceDogs 25 9 11 3 2 23 0.46 82 89 0-1-0-0 5-3-1-1 373
Sudbury Wolves 26 11 14 1 0 23 0.442 79 99 1-0-0-0 3-7-0-0 447
Barrie Colts 26 8 15 2 1 19 0.365 80 112 0-2-0-0 2-7-0-1 348
Mississauga Steelheads 23 6 11 3 3 18 0.391 79 99 0-4-1-1 1-5-2-2 356

The Sudbury Wolves’ progress has been stayed by suspensions to four regulars. That includes overage forward C.J. Yakimowicz, who is awaiting discipline for an abuse-of-officials game misconduct against Niagara on Friday. Centre Michael Pezzetta has been shelved 10 games for a check to the head in the same game.

Meantime, Mississauga, graced by bona fide prospects such as New Jersey Devils first-rounder Mike McLeod and draft-eligibles Owen Tippett and Nathan Hague, is on a six-game losing streak. The Steelheads have not won in regulation since Oct. 12. At some point, a slump becomes reality; even Mrs. Hoffa eventually turned off the porch light.

Canadian NHL team prospect of the week
Michael McNiven, G, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Leaner and locked in, the Montreal Canadiens signing is leading the OHL with a 2.29 average and .920 save percentage. McNiven stopped 85 of 91 shots across three Attack victories last week, including a 40-save virtuoso effort during a 2-1 shootout victory against the London Knights where he raised his game to go save for save with Calgary Flames second-rounder Tyler Parsons.

McNiven, listed at 6-foot-1 and 212 lb., doesn’t fit the conventional goalie body type—6-4 with a hummingbird’s metabolism. Now older and wiser about off-ice preparation, he’s shown how the Habs picked up on what 29 teams missed when he went undrafted in 2015.

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New name to know
Tyler Popowich, C, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
The 16-year-old Popowich was the No. 3-overall selection in the 2015 bantam draft, so he’s about as far as it gets from being an unknown commodity. Nevertheless, it is notable that the rangy 6-foot-4, 200-lb. centre has finally got on the board with three goals in four games. The Surrey, B.C., native was pointless in his first 13 starts, but has broken out since returning from the World Under-17 Challenge.

Playing in the U17 appears to have helped Popowich, regarded as an intelligent player, recover some confidence that was shaken up during his first few weeks in the WHL. Giants coach Jason McKee is also being wise to break Popowich into the league slowly, and that might pay off as the season unfolds.

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