Yesterday, the Peterborough Petes announced the signing of 2025 second-round pick Kieran Raynor to an OHL Standard Player Agreement. 

"It's a privilege to get to sign with such a storied franchise like the Peterborough Petes," said Raynor. "I'm still unable to process this feeling. I'm looking forward to getting to Peterborough and helping this team win."

The 2009-born Raynor, who hails from St. Catharines Ont., played 27 games with the Niagara North Stars U-16 AAA squad last season. In that time he scored 29 goals and added 23 assists for a total of 52 points. 

He got called up to play a pair of games for the U-18 team, in which he scored a goal and an assist. He also played three games for the St. Catharines Galcons of the GOJHL, where he notched one assist in three games. 

The young centerman profiles as a very skilled player with strong skating skills. At 5-foot-10 he is a little bit undersized, but considering he is only 16 years old, this doesn't seem like something to hold against him. 

"[Kieran] is a great skater with excellent top end speed, great edge control and balance that make him hard to handle," wrote OHL Director of Hockey Development Darrell Woodley about Raynor. "He makes plays at high speed in all three zones and plays a very unselfish game as e moves the puck efficiently." 

Woodley went on to praise Ryanor's hockey sense and gritty play. In short, he is a perfect player to for Peterborough who as a team have historically played a hard working nose to the grindstone kind of game. 

While Peterborough has yet to sign first-overall pick Kaden McGregor, they have locked up three young prospects, including Raynor. The team is continuing to build from the ground up, relying on the idea that in the near future, they will have a talented roster that will be able to compete for years to come. 

Raynor will certainly be part of the team's continued growth. While Petes' fans will continue to hope that this year's team can improve on last year's last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the front office continues to doggedly pursue a rebuild through youth. 

It may be a longer process than fans would like, but if it pays off, Peterborough will have put themselves in a fantastic position moving forward.