Andrew Peters (born May 5, 1980) is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
left winger
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. Peters played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
for the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
, and the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
. Throughout his playing career, Peters was best known for his role as an enforcer.
Playing career
Peters was drafted 34th overall by the Sabres in the
1998 NHL Entry Draft. Besides the NHL, Peters has also played for the
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans (colloquially known as the Amerks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Rochester, New York. They are the American Hockey League affiliate of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home g ...
in the
AHL, as well as the
OHL's
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor (commercial), sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. ...
and
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...
.
While on the Rochester Americans, Andrew got into an on-ice fight with his brother Geoff Peters. Andrew has stated in interviews that he did not know it was his brother that he was fighting.
For a short time, both Andrew and Geoff played for the same team (Rochester Americans). During one game, Andrew and Geoff collaborated on a goal. Andrew received an assist while Geoff was credited with the goal.
During his time in the
AHL, Peters led the league for most penalty minutes at 388.
Peters admitted in 2005 that he used
Androstenedione
Androstenedione, or 4-androstenedione (abbreviated as A4 or Δ4-dione), also known as androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, is an endogenous weak androgen steroid hormone and intermediate in the biosynthesis of estrone and of testosterone from dehydroe ...
earlier in his career, though there were no rules against it at the time. He stopped using it after the
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...
banned its sale in April 2004 and claimed to have not taken the supplement for three years.
Throughout his career Peters has been known more for his rough play than his scoring ability, having not scored a goal between the 03–04 season and February 20, 2007. Peters' goal in the 03–04 season was scored on an empty net. Peters fourth, and next goal would come a little over a year later, February 28, 2008. Less than two weeks later Peters received a one-game suspension for his altercation with
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
forward
Colton Orr in which he intervened in a scuffle while on the bench.
On January 6, 2009, Peters was involved in an incident with then
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
forward
Jarkko Ruutu
Jarkko Samuli Ruutu (); born 23 August 1975) is a Finnish people, Finnish former professional ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators ...
, in which Peters shoved his glove into Ruutu's face during a skirmish. Ruutu then bit Peters's thumb through the glove, piercing the skin and drawing blood. Peters was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play, however Ruutu was suspended the next day for two games.
On September 12, 2009, the
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
invited Peters to try out with the team during training camp.
On September 25, the Devils signed Peters to a one-way two-year contract worth the NHL's league minimum of
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
500,000.
The team placed him on waivers June 30, 2010
and July 2, bought out his contract.
He received US$166,667 in compensation in each of the following two seasons from the Devils. Peters signed with the
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...
August 20, 2010,
to a two-way, one-year contract worth the NHL's league minimum of US$500,000 and $75,000 in the AHL.
The Panthers traded Peters October 6, 2010, to the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...
for
Darcy Hordichuk.
The Canucks then immediately loaned Peters and
Nathan Paetsch, traded to the Canucks in a separate transaction, to the Rochester Americans. The Amerks suspended Paetsch, Peters and other players on November 1 following a team curfew violation. Paetsch was then loaned to the
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a professional ice hockey team based in Syracuse, New York. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning. They play in they home games at the Upstate Medical Univer ...
, however the
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre.
The fran ...
, the Canucks' AHL affiliate, would not accept Peters on its roster, leaving him without a team.
Peters and the Canucks agreed to a mutual release from his contract on February 8, 2011. While Vancouver had asked that he report to the AHL's Manitoba Moose, Peters instead announced his retirement from professional hockey.
Post-playing career
Peters was a contributor to the
Sabres Hockey Network
The Sabres Hockey Network is the official radio network and production company of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). The network is currently operated jointly by the Sabres (Pegula Sports and Entertainment) and Audacy, Inc.
...
and co-hosted the daily talk show ''The Instigators'' on
WGR Buffalo and
MSG Western New York
MSG Western New York (MSG WNY) is an American regional sports network that is a joint venture between MSG Entertainment and Hockey Western New York LLC. The channel (also on occasion credited as ''Pegula Sports Network'' or ''MSG Buffalo'') is ...
with fellow Sabres alumnus and teammate
Craig Rivet
Anthony Craig Rivet (; born September 13, 1974) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League, NHL, including 12 with the Montreal Canadiens. He later played for the San Jose ...
. Stepping down from the radio show in September 2021, the pair are currently working together on the podcast ''After The Whistle,'' keeping their chemistry and banter, while expanding the scope of the podcast beyond the Sabres.
He also served as head coach of the
Buffalo Jr. Sabres' under-15 squad. In March 2017, his team won the New York State Championship and qualified for the National Championship tournament played in Arizona in April 2017.
Andrew Peters is now a coach for the Amherst Knights 10U boys' team.
Career statistics
References
External links
*
Andrew Peters - Sabres.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Andrew
1980 births
Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Buffalo Sabres players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Kitchener Rangers players
Living people
New Jersey Devils players
Oshawa Generals players
Rochester Americans players
Ice hockey people from St. Catharines
21st-century Canadian sportsmen