Petroske was a member of the Hibbing High School Hockey Team starting in 8th grade and was instrumental in the team winning its first state high school hockey title as a senior in 1952. Petroske was selected to the All-Tournament Team and posted a tournament-best 11 points in 3 games. His 8 assists remained a tournament record for the next 15 years. His play in the tournament was recognized in 2019 as one of the top 100 performances in Tournament’s 75-year history. Following high school, he received a scholarship to play hockey at the University of Minnesota. He was awarded the Minnesota “M” Award in 1954, 1955, 1956 and in 1957, when he served as captain and was selected Team MVP. While at the U of M in 1956, he was summoned to play for the United States Olympic Hockey Team in Cortina, Italy. The team finished in 2nd place and took home a silver medal. Following graduation, Petroske was requested to be a member of the 1958 US Men’s National Team at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway. The team finished in 3rd place and took home the bronze medal.