Varga, Nosad Peas in a Petes Pod
Two friends will get to continue playing together when they suit up as rookies for the Peterborough Petes next season.
York-Simcoe Express defenceman Steven Varga was the first of two second-round picks for the Petes, 24th overall in the May 7 OHL draft. Only three picks later he was joined by teammate and forward Stephan Nosad. They also both played with Petes’ first-round pick Nicholas Ritchie for Ontario’s under-16 team at the Canada Winter Games in February.
All three were among 40 rookies who participated in the Petes’ one-day rookie camp Saturday at the Memorial Centre. Third-round pick Trevor Murphy stole the show with a four-point effort in leading Maroon to a 5-3 scrimmage win over White. Murphy had the winning goal and three assists.
While they did not factor in the scoring, Varga and Nosad displayed the size, skating and tenacity which the Petes coveted when selecting them. For both, the chance to continue playing together is a dream come true.
“That was, probably, the best part of the whole (draft),” Varga said. “We go way back about five years and have been best friends ever since. Having him being drafted here makes the experience all the much better.”
Said Nosad: “I was really happy just to be drafted by the Petes, a great organization, but when I found out I was going to be with Varga and Ritchie it was the cherry on top of the cake. I couldn’t have wished for anything better. My family also has a cottage near here on Dummer Lake so everything worked out perfect.”
Having a familiar face in the room will help ease the transition to a new team for both.
“It gives me someone to rely on and I know he’ll be there for me,” Varga said. “He also helps push me. We like having mini competitions with each other to push each other.”
Nosad agreed.
“It will be great to have a guy to talk to whenever you need someone to talk to,” he said.
Both spoke highly of what the other will bring to the Petes.
“(Nosad) brings a lot of intensity and hard work,” Varga said. “He’s a fast kid, too, so he can burn the D. He likes to work in the corners and is a big, strong boy.”
“Not only is (Varga) a great guy,” Nosad said, “He’s a great player. He’s a good puck moving defenceman who can make the first pass. He’s also a great skater and physical.”
Petes’ head coach Mike Pelino likes what they have to offer.
“I really like the poise of Steven Varga. He’s very composed and very smooth. He’s not flashy but he’s very solid and has tremendous upside.
“Stephen Nosad brings a lot of energy,” Pelino said. “He’s physically strong and has a nose for the net. I think he’s also a player who has a great chance to be a great teammate with the character he brings.”
In addition to Murphy, Matt McCartney scored twice for Maroon with singles to CJ Shugart and Tyson Baker. Ritchie, Andrew Zupancic and Bryan Hignett had assists.
Peterborough native Taylor Reece led White with a goal and assist. Sebastian Romeo and DJ Howorko also scored with assists to Cody Thompson, Stephen Pierog and Graham Snoek.
While it’s tough to evaluate much in a one-day session, Pelino said he was impressed by the overall skill level on display.
“I was really pleased with what we saw from an energy standpoint and skill standpoint. i thought we were quite a bit further along with what was demonstrated on the ice this year than last year. There is much more depth and a number of players very capable of joining our team sooner rather than later. It’s going to make for a real interesting training camp. Our returning guys coupled with these guys are going to make for a lot of competition.”
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