The Timmins Rock have signed Christophe Petit, a 2002-birth-year, 6-3, 205-pound, right-shot D-man, who had been playing college hockey in Quebec. SUBMITTED PHOTO
With the Timmins Rock set to open training camp Monday with an initial 23-man roster, the final two names in that group have been unveiled.
Thomas Perry
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
Christophe Petit, a 2002-birth-year, 6-3, 205-pound, right-shot D-man rounds out the team’s initial seven-man blue-line.
“He is a big kid who was brought to our attention by one of our players,” said Rock coach and general manager Brandon Perry.
“He was playing for a college team in Quebec, going to school and playing hockey, has a year of Junior eligibility left and wants to play it out.
“We will see what happens, but he showed really well on video.
“He is a big, mobile defenceman and he has got instincts and a good shot.
“He is a very nice skater and it never hurts to have that kind of 20-year-old experience on your back end.”
A product of Chelsea, QC, Petit (32, 1-7-8, 2) spent the 2021-22 campaign with the QCHL’s Cégep Outaouais Griffons.
Petit joins a Rock blue-line that also includes returnees Felix Cadieux-Fredette (47, 0-14-14, 36) and Chase Longhurst (37, 3-9-12, 10), as well as fellow newcomers Kenyon Nyman (SIJHL’s Red Lake Miners), Jackson Hildebrand (GMHL’s Durham Roadrunners), David MacDonald (NA3HL’s Wausau Cyclones) and Kyle Garland (NLU18MHL’s East Coast Blizzard).
Like Nyman, Petit has plenty of size but is not a frequent visitor to the penalty box.
“Both of these kids can play,” Perry said.
“They are both big, strong kids and we are super excited to have them on our team.”
Up front, the addition of 2005-birth-year, 5-10, 161-pound, left-shot forward Lucas Lowe brings that group up to 14 heading into the start of training camp.
“Lucas is a kid who came to our June camp in Whitby and showed really well,” Perry said.
“He is a smart player who does a lot of little things well.
“He is just like the (Yenri) Jibb kid and the (Evan) Grigor kid.
“They are young guys coming out of U18 and we think there is a lot there for us to work with.
“We think he can come in right away and contribute to our lineup.
“I think he has the tools to contribute up and down the lineup, whether it is a depth role or a Top 6 role.”
Hailing from Toronto, Lowe (25, 3-12-15, 14) spent the 2021-22 season with the ETAHL U18’s Oshawa Generals.
Lowe joins a forward group that includes returnees Nicolas Pigeon (38, 12-35-47, 23), Justin Charette (47, 11-13-24, 2), Nicholas Frederick (33, 9-15-24, 16), Liam Wells (46, 13-10-23, 45) and Nolan Ring (34, 9-13-22, 16), the reacquired Daniel Beaupre (OJHL’s Trenton Golden Hawks) and newcomers Brady Harroun (SIJHL’s Red Lake Miners), Ethan Pool (SIJHL’s Red Lake Miners), Thomas Beard (GNU18L’s Timmins Majors), Liam Kelly (NLU18MHL’s East Coast Blizzard), Grigor (ALLIANCE ‘AAA’ U18’s Hamilton Huskies), Hayden Rynard (CSSHLE U18’s Okanagan Hockey Ontario) and Jibb (ETAHL ‘AAA’ U18’s Oshawa Generals).
In goal, the Rock will be relying on a new tandem — Flint Firebirds (OHL) fourth-round selection Jacob Brown (ETAHL ‘AAA’ U16’s Greater Kingston Gaels) and Patrick Boivin (NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers).
The Rock still have two open cards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be looking to add to their roster in the immediate future.
“It is nice to have a little bit of breathing room, just in case somebody comes up late, whether it is a Major Junior guy that gets let go, stuff like that,” Perry said.
“It is important to not fully load up our cards and then have to let somebody go.
“This gives us some room to bring guys in at a later date and make our lineup that much more competitive.”
The Rock’s week-long training camp, that gets underway Monday, will get the squad ready for their first exhibition contest, against the Crunch at the Tim Horton Event Centre on Sunday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m.
They will then hit the road for the Cottage Cup exhibition tournament in Collingwood, starting on Wednesday, Aug. 31.
It will see the Rock face off against Trenton on Aug. 31, at 8:20 p.m., North York on Sept. 1, at 12:20 p.m., Milton on Sept. 1, at 3:20 p.m., the host Collingwood Blues on Sept. 2, at 10:40 a.m., and Navan on Sept. 2, at 2 p.m.
They will then open up the NOJHL regular-season schedule with a home-and-home series against the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
The two East Division rivals will face off at the McIntyre Arena on Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m., before meeting at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.
