TORONTO, ON — The Greater Toronto Hockey League is proud to congratulate Peter Zheng of the U16 Mississauga Senators, the recipient of the 2026 Gord Hughes Under-16 AAA Scholarship Award. The award is a one-time $2,000 post-secondary scholarship provided by the GTHL recognizing a U16 AAA player who achieves a high standard of excellence academically and in hockey.
Established in 2012, the Gord Hughes U16 AAA Scholarship Award is named in honour of the late Gord Hughes — a long-time GTHL executive and passionate advocate for player development. The scholarship celebrates the kind of student-athlete Hughes dedicated his career to supporting.
Zheng, who has been involved in GTHL hockey for six years at the AAA level, has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to excellence in the classroom, on the ice, and beyond. A student at St. Andrew’s College, Zheng currently holds a 98.4 per cent academic average and has earned Head of School Honour Roll recognition eight times, an honour reserved for the top 10 grade averages.
Zheng has also earned a Silver Medal for the second-highest academic average in his grade, along with Music and Science Awards for achieving the highest average in those subjects across his grade. His leadership extends into music as the Leader of the School Band, where he received a provincial-level award recognizing the most leadership and work ethic shown in the band. Zheng has also been part of CISMF for four years, a band that selects top musicians from leading private schools across Ontario.
Beyond hockey, Zheng has a deep passion for music. After beginning piano at age six, he developed an interest in composition and now creates music across multiple genres, including solo piano, orchestra, band, and digital music. He later began learning trumpet, introducing him to jazz music. For Zheng, composing offers a way to decompress while developing patience, focus, and attention to detail.
Zheng has also competed in soccer at the YRSL level with Vaughan Soccer Club, where he found many of the skills developed through hockey — including competitiveness, positioning, and work ethic — translated to another sport.
Looking ahead, Zheng hopes to attend Cornell University to play NCAA Division I hockey while pursuing studies in Sciences and Biology. His long-term goal is to pursue a career in specialized medicine or a related doctoral field, while continuing to bridge the gap between academics and athletics.
Zheng was recognized during the 2026 GTHL Awards Gala presented by Nothers The Award Store on June 4 at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Peter Kourtis, General Manager of the GTHL, presented the award on stage. As part of this year’s GTHL Awards Gala, Esso also provided each recipient with a $250 gas card to help further fuel their journeys.
“Balancing academics and athletics is definitely not an easy task and to be recognized for both is truly an honour and means a lot to me,” Zheng shared in his acceptance speech.
Zheng reflected on the role the GTHL has played in his minor hockey journey and the competitiveness that helped push him forward.
“What I like about the GTHL is what differentiates itself from the other leagues, which is its competitiveness,” Zheng said. “There are no easy moments and every win is earned through hard fought [work] and determination to win the game.”
Between the GTHL and St. Andrew’s College, Zheng said he has been surrounded by competition in both athletics and academics. While that environment has challenged him to improve, it also taught him an important lesson about not allowing results to define success.
“Throughout my time in GTHL, I learned that success comes from sticking to the process and not focusing on the results,” Zheng said. “There have been many times where I’ve lost games when I played hockey. However, if I let those games and losses and results define me, then I never would have won in the end.”
Zheng also spoke about the work behind achievement, noting that while people often see top grades and championships, the preparation, work ethic, and daily commitment are what make those results possible.
“This award is definitely something that I’m incredibly grateful for,” Zheng said. “But I believe that the greatest lesson that I’ve learned throughout this is the award should never be the final goal. When we focus too much on results, we lose sight of what truly matters. Instead, if we commit ourselves fully to the daily process of working hard, getting better, and improving, then the results will speak for itself.”
The GTHL congratulates Peter Zheng on a well-deserved honour.
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