The former goalie and 1983 Vezina Trophy winner hauled in a record-breaking white sturgeon in British Columbia this week. Peeters, who coincidentally, lives in Sturgeon County, Alberta, played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals during his 13-season NHL career.
The monster fish came in at 138.58 inches (11.5 feet) fork length, which is measured from the tip of the jaw or snout with a closed mouth to the center of the fork in the tail, by 55 inches pectoral girth. It was biggest untagged and recorded white sturgeon from the Fraser River, according to Kevin Estrada, whose company, Sturgeon Slayers, is the fishing charter service that facilitated the outing. Another fishing charter company verified the measurements.
Peeters and Jake Driedger teamed up for 25 minutes to bring the huge fish in on a rod and reel,
according to The Province
. It was estimated to weigh 890 pounds and be more than 100 years old. It didn't come out of water, but they were able to pose for a picture with it and Estrada said they were fortunate to have clear conditions that allowed them to see the whole sturgeon in plain view.
"I couldn't fathom how big these fish were," Peeters told The Province. "Even when the fish came up, it was hard to believe."
White sturgeon have a reported common length of just under 7 feet, so this was a rare sighting that Estrada said was emotional event, especially as a longtime fisherman and advocate for conservation efforts on the Fraser River.
"This no doubt, has a big impact on my life, my families life and our small business," Estrada
said on social media
. "To connect with something so special and truly so rare is something more than luck or hard work. For me, I interpret this as an energy, a strong reminder about the good you do can translate and will surprise you.
"For those of you who have followed us over the years, you know the awareness and work we have put into the species to ensure they are health and abundant. Maybe the fish gods were saying thank you."
