Gagner Excited To Make Petes

Ryan Gagner entered Peterborough Petes camp this year with one goal in mind, making the team.

After missing all of last year, which was supposed to be his rookie campaign with the Chatham Maroons, Gagner was excited for his chance at the OHL level.

“Obviously coming into the camp I had a lot of excitement built up from waiting over a year to show them what I have,” Gagner explained. “I think what made me standout more from other players is that I had a chip on my shoulder.”

Gagner who was a sixth round pick of the Petes in 2020 has faced his share of critics in Chatham-Kent, but he went into camp ready to showcase the skill level that caught the attention of Petes scouts while he was playing for the Chatham-Kent Cyclones.

“Obviously from a small town there is a lot of people who have there own opinions and like to say you can’t do it, and I just wanted to prove them wrong and show them that I can play in this league and will continue to follow my dreams as a hockey player.”

The morning Gagner was brought in to talk to Peterborough staff and sign was an exciting one for the forward, who is slated to play centre to start the season. He knows the team is young, but he believes his Petes will surprise and outwork many in the league.

“I was excited and nervous at the same time because the moment I have been waiting for it finally here,” Gagner said about signing. “We are a young team but I know from only being around the team for a short time now our compete levels are better than most teams in the league.”

Peterborough opens their 2021-2022 schedule on the road October 7 against the North Bay Battalion, before hosting Sudbury for their home opener October 14.