Cam Plante 1992 - 1995
Playing Participant in the Legends of Peterborough event March 16th 2008

Cam arrived in Peterborough for the start of the 1992/93 season, at the invite of coach Rocky Saganiuk, having played several seasons at AHL and IHL level as well as being a 1984/85 draft pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL.

Cam’s composure on the puck and his silky smooth skating skills made him an instant hit locally and a well respected player around the leagues. By season’s end he had racked up an impressive D-man tally of 26+89 for 115 points from his 40 games and had established himself as one of the UK’s top defensive playmakers.

That first season saw a lot of off-ice financial turmoil that resulted in coach Saganiuk returning home mid-season but Cam was always prepared to give as much off the ice as he gave on and stepped up to coach the side with fellow import Trent Kaese. Such was the character of the big man that he skated out for his side despite having a bad jaw fracture, sporting a Phantom Of The Opera style face mask !

If his debut season had been a traumatic one, his second was worse as the rink was closed down and the ice-pad dismantled. The team battled on with whatever ice they could borrow and, not surprisingly, the cash strapped Pirates were inundated with big money offers for the talents of Cam. To his credit, the big Canadian declared his loyalty to the die-hard band of Pirates battling to keep the club alive and he saw out the season with another impressive near 100 point contribution.

Season three for Cam saw him back in Peterborough as full time coach …… or at least that was the plan. Early injuries to key players left Cam with no choice but to lace them up again for his team and another 77 points were added to his Pirates record by seasons end. Sadly, although Cam returned for the 1995/96 campaign, his stay was brief as internal political disputes made light of his loyal contributions to the club and he finished the season with brief stints at Chelmsford and Humberside before returned home to play out his career with Wichita Thunder in the CHL.

Cam’s time with Peterborough hockey was riddled with one problem or another but his quality as a player always shone through on the ice just as much as his quality as a person shone through off it. Without a doubt, one of the classiest players ever to play hockey in Peterborough.