Photo supplied by: Brandon Taylor, OHL Images
The Peterborough Petes have added one of the Ontario Hockey League’s top returning forwards, acquiring Cooper Dennis from the Brantford Bulldogs.
Petes General Manager and Vice President of Operations Michael Oke announced the deal, which sees the 2007-born forward come to Peterborough in exchange for 2009-born forward Kaden McGregor.
Dennis, a native of Ithaca, N.Y., had a breakout first season in the OHL with Brantford, appearing in all 68 regular-season games and recording 34 goals and 40 assists for 74 points. His goal total ranked second on the Bulldogs.
The forward also recorded seven points in 15 playoff games as Brantford advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Dennis led the OHL with a plus-minus rating of +48 last season and is committed to continue his hockey and academic career at the University of Michigan once his OHL career concludes.
“I’m very excited to join Peterborough and play for the Petes,” Dennis said. “There’s so much history with this team, it’s really awesome to get the chance to play in front of their amazing fanbase.”
Oke said Dennis was the team’s top offseason acquisition target.
“Analytics show that he’s one of, if not the top forward returning to the OHL this season,” Oke said. “We believe Cooper is an excellent fit for our lineup and will complement our returning core well.”
McGregor, who joined the Petes last season, recorded 20 points in 39 games during his first OHL campaign. Oke thanked McGregor for his contributions and wished him success with the Bulldogs.
