vees:blog

MANDERSON MARVELOUS

What a return for Denver Manderson! Incase you forgot how slick the 18-year-old centreman was (prior to getting injured in mid-November), Denver refreshed everybody’s memory Saturday night against Salmon Arm, setting up 3 goals while scoring the other in a 4-1 Vees win. It’s hard to believe the Furgus, ON native cleared OHL waivers in early September, as the Kitchener Rangers (who cut Denver loose) loaded up to host the Memorial Cup this season. Denver certainly isn’t the biggest, strongest, hardest shooting, or fastest skating player on the Vees roster. What sets Denver apart is his incredible vision on the ice. With the four-point return to the line-up Denver now has 14 goals and 29 assists in 26 games, an average of 1.65 points per game. Stretched over a healthy 60 game schedule Denver’s total would be 99 points. How the Vees coaching staff plans to use the offensively gifted forward down the stretch remains to be seen. While Denver is healthy, he won’t likely play in each of the remaining 8 games this season as the Vees will get a look at an ‘AP’ or two and spread the ice time as judiciously as possible prior to the playoffs.

This weekend the Valley First Vees have a chance to put a strangle hold on home ice in the Interior Conference as the Merritt Centennials host the Blue, Black and White tonight before visiting Pen Memorial tomorrow. Another four-point weekend from the Vees would force Salmon Arm or Westside to run the table for a shot at top spot.

Some fantastic battles for a first round bye are getting heated in both the Interior and Coastal Conferences. In the Interior, Salmon Arm, Westside and a re-tooled Vernon club are all within four points, with Salmon Arm and Westside squaring off twice down the stretch and Vernon and Salmon Arm playing once. With Nanaimo several nautical miles up the standings out west, all three Lower Mainland teams have their eyes on second spot with Langley, Surrey and Burnaby each facing each other twice before seasons end. Clearly the head to head match-ups are key for all teams involved in the battle for the bye in each Conferences.

With 8 games remaining, the Vees are closing in on a BCHL record set by the ’05-’06 Penticton Vees. You wouldn’t have believed it at the beginning of the year, but this Vees group can go down in BCHL history as the stingiest team of all time, if they can allow fewer than 15 goals the rest of the year.

Monday’s ‘Boston Pizza Vees This Week’ features Speedster Mitch Lebreche and Tough-Guy Eli Grossmann signing autographs at Boston Pizza, a look at Vees recruiting with Assistant Coach Aaron Wilbur, and a closer look at the final Coastal roadie of the season. That’s all 6-7, Monday Night on EZ Rock AM 800. Tonight’s game in Merritt starts at 7:30, pre-game 7:00. Saturday’s tilt goes at 7:00, pre-game 6:30 on EZ Rock.

Ryan Pinder is the Play-by-Play Voice of the Vees.