For fans of NHL 24/7, a raw and revealing account of rollercoaster of a season of the Peterborough Petes – the oldest and largest junior hockey league in Canada and launching pad for a record number of NHL stars.

Playing for the Peterborough Petes can be a ticket to the NHL. Born in the 1950s as a farm team for the Montreal Canadiens, the Petes have graduated more players to the NHL than any other junior hockey team in the world so it’s not surprising that Walter Gretzky wanted Wayne to play for the Petes (and he did for a brief time). The oldest and largest junior hockey franchise in Canada, other greats that made their name in Peterborough include: Zach Bogosian, Scotty Bowman, Aubrey “Dit” Clapper, Tie Domi, Bob Gainey, Mike Keenan, Jamie Langenbrunner, Roger Neilson, Eric and Jordan Staal, Chris Pronger, Mike Ricci and Steve Yzerman.

But, victory is never guaranteed and after a disastrous 2011-12 season, The Petes agreed to give Ed Arnold unrestricted access throughout the 2012-13 season offering an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at one of the most-storied hockey franchise in Canada and a season marked by defections, firings, heartbreaking losses and incredible victories.

ED ARNOLD is the author of Whose Puck Is It, Anyway? and Hockey Town: Life Before the Pros. Arnold was the managing editor of the Peterborough Examiner for many years, winning several Canadian Press awards and the Ontario Medal for Citizenship for his work. Ed Arnold lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

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