Hockey Day in Peterborough

Tomorrow is Hockey Day in Canada, and what will seemingly be the center of the hockey universe that day will not be in Toronto, but in Peterborough, ON, an hour or so northeast of Toronto.  So, to prep you for the day, today is a look at the team that occupies the city of Peterborough, the Petes.

Originally founded in Kitchener as the Greenshirts in 1951, the team would become the Canucks in 1954 before moving to Peterborough in 1956 and becoming the Petes.  At the time, they were officially called the TPT (Toronto-Peterborough Transport) Petes, and were known under that name until 1966.  The TPT was dropped after the 1965-66 season and the team would be called the Peterborough Petes Hockey Club the following season.  The current colors (they had red, white and blue to start their existence) of maroon and white were adopted in the 1974-75 season, as was the current logo.  Currently, the Petes are the longest running franchise in the OHL, and they were Memorial Cup champions in 1979 and nine-time J. Ross Robertson Trophy winners as the OHL champion.  Players who went on to have distinguished careers in the NHL include Steve Yzerman, Chris Pronger (pictured), Eric and Jordan Staal, Bob Gainey, Tie Domi, and Larry Murphy.