The Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League have produced some great teams since being relocated from Kitchener for the 1956-57 season. Perhaps the greatest product they've developed, though, is legendary National Hockey League coaches.
A couple of great NHL players have tried their hand at coaching in Peterborough after their playing days were done. Both Ted Kennedy and Dave Dryden lasted just one year behind the bench of the Petes.
It's the big three coaches, who were never really players, that starting their coaching careers in Peterborough that the team has become known for. Scotty Bowman and Roger Neilson are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame as builders and ‘Iron Mike' Keenan is certainly a well known name in hockey circles.
After a year as head coach of the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey Association senior circuit, Scotty Bowman was positioned by the Montreal Canadiens behind the bench of their sponsored junior team in Peterborough. Then dubbed the T.P.T.'s, in Bowman's first year as head coach the team won the Robertson Cup as OHA playoff champions with a victory over the St. Michael's Majors. The T.P.T.'s went to the Memorial Cup final before losing to the Winnipeg Braves.
Bowman coached two more seasons in Peterborough before moving on to bigger and better things. In an NHL coaching career that lasted from 1967-68 to 2001-02, Scotty's teams nine Stanley Cups and went to the finals four more times. He won the Jack Adams Award twice as NHL coach of the year and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. During his NHL coaching career, he stood behind the benches of the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Roger Neilson never played hockey at the major junior or professional level. He began coaching the Peterborough Petesin 1966-67 and was head coach for ten years until the Toronto Maple Leafs organization came calling. His most successful span with the Petes came between 1970-71 and 1973-74. The team won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 1970-71 as the top team in the regular season. The following three years, the Petes went to the Robertson Cup finals, winning in 1971-72 over the Ottawa 67's. That year, they went to the Memorial Cup tournament, losing in the final to the Cornwall Royals.
After a year with Toronto's Central Hockey League affiliate, the Dallas Black Hawks, in 1976-77, Roger took over as head coach of the Maple Leafs in 1977-78. He remained in coaching until the 2002-03 season, standing behind the benches of the Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators. Neilson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mike Keenan coached just one year in Peterborough. In 1979-80, the Petes won the Hamilton Spectator and the Robertson Cup before losing in the Memorial Cup final to the Cornwall Royals. He won a Calder Cup championship with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1982-83 and won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1993-94. Three times, his NHL teams made it to the Stanley Cup finals.
Keenan coached in the NHL from 1984-85 to 2008-09. Never an assistant, Mike was the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. He won the Jack Adams Award in 1984-85, his first season as head coach in the NHL.
A couple of great NHL players have tried their hand at coaching in Peterborough after their playing days were done. Both Ted Kennedy and Dave Dryden lasted just one year behind the bench of the Petes.
It's the big three coaches, who were never really players, that starting their coaching careers in Peterborough that the team has become known for. Scotty Bowman and Roger Neilson are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame as builders and ‘Iron Mike' Keenan is certainly a well known name in hockey circles.
After a year as head coach of the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Ontario Hockey Association senior circuit, Scotty Bowman was positioned by the Montreal Canadiens behind the bench of their sponsored junior team in Peterborough. Then dubbed the T.P.T.'s, in Bowman's first year as head coach the team won the Robertson Cup as OHA playoff champions with a victory over the St. Michael's Majors. The T.P.T.'s went to the Memorial Cup final before losing to the Winnipeg Braves.
Bowman coached two more seasons in Peterborough before moving on to bigger and better things. In an NHL coaching career that lasted from 1967-68 to 2001-02, Scotty's teams nine Stanley Cups and went to the finals four more times. He won the Jack Adams Award twice as NHL coach of the year and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. During his NHL coaching career, he stood behind the benches of the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings.
Roger Neilson never played hockey at the major junior or professional level. He began coaching the Peterborough Petesin 1966-67 and was head coach for ten years until the Toronto Maple Leafs organization came calling. His most successful span with the Petes came between 1970-71 and 1973-74. The team won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 1970-71 as the top team in the regular season. The following three years, the Petes went to the Robertson Cup finals, winning in 1971-72 over the Ottawa 67's. That year, they went to the Memorial Cup tournament, losing in the final to the Cornwall Royals.
After a year with Toronto's Central Hockey League affiliate, the Dallas Black Hawks, in 1976-77, Roger took over as head coach of the Maple Leafs in 1977-78. He remained in coaching until the 2002-03 season, standing behind the benches of the Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators. Neilson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mike Keenan coached just one year in Peterborough. In 1979-80, the Petes won the Hamilton Spectator and the Robertson Cup before losing in the Memorial Cup final to the Cornwall Royals. He won a Calder Cup championship with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1982-83 and won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1993-94. Three times, his NHL teams made it to the Stanley Cup finals.
Keenan coached in the NHL from 1984-85 to 2008-09. Never an assistant, Mike was the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. He won the Jack Adams Award in 1984-85, his first season as head coach in the NHL.
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