Peters, 18, is one of 39 players invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp, which is set to begin this Friday at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke, Ont.
It marks the latest step in a rapid ascension for the Edmonton OIl Kings defenceman, who wasn’t even signed by a Western Hockey League club when the calendar flipped over to 2021.
The Oil Kings rectified that matter in early January — shortly after hockey in general had shut down in western Canada, ending Peters’ campaign with the Moose Jaw AAA Warriors — and Peters joined Edmonton for their pandemic-shortened campaign this past spring.
He quickly developed into a top-four defenceman with the powerhouse Oil Kings, playing a major role in their 20-2-0-1 record against their Central Division opponents. It wasn’t long before National Hockey League scouts began to take notice.
Peters was ranked 198th overall by the Central Scouting Bureau heading into the 2021 NHL Draft this past July but went unselected. Like Moose Jaw Warriors forward Eric Alarie — who was ranked 51st but wasn’t picked — Peters soon after heard from the Leafs with an offer to attend their camp.
He’ll be among 13 defenceman at the event, which begins Friday with on-ice development, followed by ice sessions Saturday through Monday before the team will take part in the Detroit Red Wings rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich.
