2020 Graduating Class: Peterborough Petes

One of the top teams in the league, the Peterborough Petes were loaded with veteran talent this past season.

They say goodbye to captain Zach Gallant and a pair of experienced blueliners in Jacob Paquette and Hudson Wilson.

Zach Gallant (Peterborough – 2015-2020)
A reliable force in the offensive zone as well as the faceoff circle, Zach Gallant rounds out a full five-year career in the maroon and white. The Oakville, Ont. capped things off with his best season yet, notching 33 goals and 65 points over his final 59 games. The power forward’s skills and leadership continued to trend upward, earning him the captaincy ahead of his third season in 2018. He was drafted fifth overall by the Petes in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection and appeared in 259 contests, producing 172 points (83-89—172). A 2017 draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Gallant signed with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent in 2019.

Jacob Paquette (Kingston, Niagara, Peterborough – 2015-2020)
The Petes looked to add more experience to the blueline in picking up Jacob Paquette for the 2019-2020 season. The Ottawa-born skater was good for 84 points over his 296-game OHL career that he splits between Kingston and Niagara before finding a home in Peterborough for his overage year. Paquette was Kingston’s second round selection at the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators at the 2017 NHL Draft and received an invite to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ rookie camp as a free agent in 2019.

Hudson Wilson (Ottawa, Peterborough – 2015-2020)
Veteran defender Hudson Wilson brought another level of depth to the Peterborough blueline for the season that was. Acquired by the Petes in October, the 6-foot-3 defenceman had spent the rest of his five-year career with the Ottawa 67’s. His 266-game OHL career saw a production of 59 points (6-53—59) that included an 18 point (1-17—18) output with the Petes over 48 appearances. The Toronto native was selected in the third round of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection by the 67’s and skated with the San Jose Sharks at their development camp last summer.

2000-born players:
There are currently 11 2000-born skaters on the Petes: Arizona Coyotes prospect Liam Kirk, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Michael Little, John Parker-Jones, Brady Hinz, Max Grondin, Los Angeles Kings pick Akil Thomas, David Maier, Matt McNamara, Jack York, and Winnipeg Jets prospect Declan Chisholm.

The 2019-20 OHL season came to a sudden end on Thursday, March 12th, with play suspended and the remainder of the playing season cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly, many of the League’s overage and graduating players never had the chance to enjoy a proper send-off from their home fans. The 2020 Graduating Class series takes a look at the OHL tenure of each team’s overage players while also recognizing other potential graduates.