Petes Promote Michael Oke to General Manager/Vice President of Operations
The Peterborough Petes announced today that they have signed Michael Oke to a five year contract that will keep him in Peterborough through June 2028. Along with his General Manager role, Oke will now take on the role of Vice President of Operations, a role that was left vacant with the departure of Burton Lee.
“Coming off an OHL Championship, we needed to ensure that we had a plan in place to get back to the Memorial Cup and we believe Mike can help us to achieve that plan,” Commented Petes President, Dave Lorentz. “The General Manager’s duties are more than just drafts and trades; the administrative part of the job has increased year after year with new policies and issues that arise from the league. Mike has the experience to navigate through these issues as well as working with our coaching staff to draft and find the players needed to make us competitive.
As for adding the position of Vice President of Business Operations, Lorentz noted;
“Although our intent was to look for a replacement to fill the vacant Business lead role, over the last four to five weeks we were very pleased to observe the growth in our staff and their initiative to take on a larger role in their departments. Their talent and skill levels allowed the Board to reassess the business structure and reevaluate the posting. In the end, the Board felt that with Mike’s guidance the Business staff will grow and prosper under this new reorganization.
When asked about his new position with the Petes, Oke had this to say;
“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Peterborough Petes executive board for the trust and commitment that they have shown me. It’s exciting to formalize an extension with the Petes, and I look forward to continuing the work we’ve been doing on the ice and in the community.
Oke then continued by acknowledging the Petes staff who have helped him get to this point;
“I would also like to thank Rob Wilson, as well as members of our hockey operations staff for the strong relationships we’ve formed over the past number of years. We’ve built a strong team in hockey operations with our coaching, medical, training and scouting staff. We’ve also built an equally strong staff with the business department, and I’m looking forward to working closely with that group as well.”
To assist with some of the General Manager duties, the Petes are pleased to announce that they have promoted Patrick O’Connor to the role of Director of Player Personnel/Assistant Coach. Patrick has been with the team for a number of years now and is highly respected by everyone in the organization. Along with his duties on the ice, O’Connor will now be the key contact for players off the ice. Patrick will also be assisting with the CHL Import Draft, utilizing key contacts and establishing a stronger scouting presence in Europe.
