Petes players conquer Havelock
Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Bill Freeman
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
Peterborough Petes defenseman Trevor Murphy signs an autograph for Laura Guy following their practice Monday in Havelock. Thirty local Tyke, Novice, Atom and Peewee players spent 30 minutes on the ice with the Petes taking part in drills.
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
The Peterborough Petes top scorer Alan Quine talks to some local minor hockey players during an on-ice session at the Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Community Centre Monday where the Petes held an up-tempo practice Monday.
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
Peterborough Petes head coach Mike Pelino talks to his players and 30 local Tyke, Novice, Atom and Peewee players that joined them on the ice after their up-tempo practice Monday in Havelock.
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
Peterborough Petes goalie Mike Morrison chats with a group of local minor hockey players during the Petes visit to Havelock Monday. Following their up-tempo practice they ran some drills for 30 Tyke, Novice, Atom and Peewee players.
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
Mitchell Crowley of the Norwood Novice Hornets gets an autograph from Peterborough Petes defenseman Steve Varga following the Petes practice Monday in Havelock. Thirty local Tyke, Novice, Atom and Peewee players spent 30 minutes on the ice with the Petes taking part in drills.
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Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
Devin Creasy gets an autograph from the Peterborough Petes leading scorer Alan Quine following the Petes practice Monday in Havelock. Thirty local Tyke, Novice, Atom and Peewee players spent 30 minutes on the ice with the Petes taking part in drills.
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EMC Sports -Havelock There were plenty of wide eyes and smiles around the Havelock-Belmont-Community Centre Monday afternoon. 
Bill Freeman, Campbellford EMC
ohn Sullivan of the Norwood Peewee LL Hornets and his friends watch as Jonathan Jasper and Peter Cezesnak and the rest of the Peterborough Petes run through drills during a practice in Havelock Monday.
"It was amazing," a beaming Laura Guy said of her chance to drill with the Peterborough Petes who ran a full practice at the centre with coaches Mike Pelino, Jody Hull, Ron Tugnutt and Wayne Clarke then got in some additional exercise with a group of 30 pumped-up local minor hockey players from Tyke to Peewee.
"It was really fun, especially when we got to do the train," Laura, a member of the Havelock Atom Hawks, told the Northwest EMC.
The rollicking train had 21 Petes and coaches up against the boards with just enough room for the youngsters to fly underneath them.
"When you went underneath you could see all the faces and their jerseys," Laura added.
"The goalie was very hard to score on," Senior Tyke Hawk Devin Creasy admitted after getting all the Petes to sign his sweater. "It was neat to have them out. It was fun."
"It was pretty cool to watch them," Peewee player John Sullivan added.
"This is big for us to have them down here," arena and parks manager Doug Hart said. "I've been trying for two years. It means a lot."
It's been at least 16 years since a Petes team has practised in Havelock and there was plenty of interest with over 100 youth and adults taking in the action.
Hart said he talked to youngsters at Saturday's Senior Tyke tourney.
"The kids were asking me how many sleeps until the Petes come."
He says it is a big boost for the growing Havelock Minor Hockey Association which will add a Peewee squad next year making it five Hawks teams.
"It all starts at the bottom. They're our future hockey players here, some of these kids coming to my clinic, you're going to be reading about them down the road, they're going to be playing Junior no ifs ands or buts."
Hart appreciated the help from the Havelock Lions who paid for the Petes' bus and pizza and Legion Branch 389 which provided pop and chips for the kids.
"Everyone appreciates that a lot. It's a win-win for everyone."
"They remember what it
was like to be these kids' age," Petes assistant general manager Aaron Garfat told the Northwest EMC. "It's good for our guys to come out and see the communities and interact with the fans that support them and for the community to see our players."
Apart from building up the fan base Garfat says it's also a way of helping to develop minor hockey in smaller communities.
"A lot of our guys come from small towns like Havelock and didn't play AAA when they were six, seven and eight, they played in their local community," he said.
"The Timbit age, our guys all played that."
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