Ultimate Drivers Weekend Preview: Chance to Rebound
Pushing the Petes
Tomorrow night, the Brampton Steelheads (19-17-8-0) travel east to face off with the Peterborough Petes (11-27-2-5). It will be the first matchup between the Trout and Petes this season. Last year, the Trout won three out of four in the season series. The Steelheads will look for similar, if not better, success this year, starting at the Peterborough Memorial Centre tomorrow night.
In last season’s lone loss at the hands of the Petes, it was netminder Liam Sztuska who stole the show. The Mississauga native stood on his head, stopping all 52 shots the Steelheads tested him with. Since that matchup, the Peterborough goal has been passed on to Zach Bowen and Easton Rye. Both netminders have posted strong seasons so far, with each of them sporting a save percentage of .900 or higher, despite the team sitting in last place. Whichever goalie the Petes go with tomorrow, the Steelheads will look to put them to the test.
Thursday’s matchup will be homecoming for Steelheads captain Porter Martone. A Peterborough native, Martone is in the midst of a breakout season where he has posted a staggering 1.8 points per game. Throughout last season’s series with the Petes, the now-captain tallied eight points (3G, 5A) in just four games. It is safe to say that Martone likes to play against his home town team. Porter will look to enjoy his homecoming with a return to the win column.
You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.
Back to Back
The next day, the Steelheads return home for a rematch with the Petes. It will be the second matchup of the four-game season series with the next game coming all the way in March. Brampton will be looking to catch fire before the playoff, while a young Peterborough team will look to establish themselves as a threat. Being so late in the season, it will surely be a heated battle.
The Steelheads will be returning to the past with their Flashback Friday game. To celebrate there will be throwback highlights on the video board, your favourite tunes for the 70s, 80s and 90s, and starter jackets will be 10% off. Do not miss out on a blast from the past by grabbing your tickets here!
It will be an extra emotional game for a trio of Steelheads who were shipped out by the Petes. Jack Van Volsen, Konnor Smith, and Stevie Leskovar all started their careers in the maroon and white. The Steelheads received Van Volsen as the main piece in a trade that sent Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck to Peterborough in 2023. Shortly after that deal, the Steelheads and Petes made another swap that saw the Steelheads add Leskovar. After acquiring Beck, Smith and the Petes went on to win the 2023 OHL Championship. Last year, Peterborough started a rebuild where they sent Smith to Owen Sound before he was scooped up by the Steelheads at this past deadline. The Trout trio will look for some revenge against their former club.
Throughout the aforementioned rebuild, the Petes have built a collection of five former OHL first-round picks, as well as a CHL import draft first-round selection. Aidan Young, Caden Taylor, Nico Addy, and Martin Matijicek joined Carson Cameron last season before the Petes selected hometown kid Colin Fitzgerald in this past OHL draft. Peterborough has surrounded this young core with a strong group of veterans like Gavin Bryant, Brady Stonehouse, and Jonathan Melee to form a pesky underdog. Despite sitting at the bottom of the OHL standings, the Petes are not a team to be taken lightly. In the month of January alone they have upset top teams like Sudbury, Barrie, Niagara, and Saginaw.
Swimming in the Sound
On Sunday, the Steelheads are back on the road as they travel to Owen Sound for a rematch with the Attack (14-26-2-3). It will be the second and final faceoff between clubs this season. The first matchup of the season came two weeks ago in Brampton, where the Steelheads fell to the Attack in overtime. The Trout will look to return the favour when they head to the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
In order to secure a victory, the Steelheads will need to shut down Owen Sound’s standout rookie Pierce Mbuyi. The Mississauga native tallied a goal and two assists in the Attack’s comeback overtime win earlier this month. Mbuyi is playing his best hockey as of late, scoring his first career OHL hat trick last Saturday against the Sarnia Sting. The rookie has recorded nine points (5G, 4A) in his past six games.
The Steelheads will look for their depth to help propel them to victory against the Attack. Lucas Karmiris stepped up last game with a highlight reel goal, as well as an assist. Look for Gabe Chiarot and Kieran Witkowski to follow in his footsteps this weekend. The duo enjoyed hot streaks in late December and early January, but have slowed as their roles have shrunk in recent weeks. With the lines constantly shuffling, do not be surprised if their combination of physicality and two-way play leads to more ice time.
You can watch all Steelheads away games by purchasing CHL TV, accessible on the CHL mobile app, in addition to Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire, and online at watch.chl.ca.
