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With the curtain set to close on 2008 why not take a look back at last season’s 2008 Fred Page Cup Champion Alumni. We’ve been keeping tabs throughout the year on the weekly Radio Show, but here is a full blog update.

NCAA DIVISION I

Brett Hextall, F - North Dakota Fighting Sioux (WCHA) 20GP (6-5-11) 43 PIM

Zac Dalpe, F - Ohio State Buckeyes (CCHA) 18GP (9-4-13) 6 PIM

Alex Evin, G - Colgate Raiders (ECAC) 5GP (1-2-0) 2.87 GAA, .892 SP

Austin Smith, F - Colgate Raiders (ECAC) 16GP (8-6-14) 16 PIM

Cory Schneider, F - Ohio State Buckeyes (CCHA) 10GP (0-1-1) 0 PIM

Eric Kroshus, F - Harvard Crimson (ECAC) 10GP (0-0-0) 0 PIM

Trevor Nill, F - Michigan State Spartans (CCHA) 16GP (1-1-2) 4 PIM

CIS

Nic Knudsen, D - Concordia Stingers (OUA) 13GP (0-0-0) +3, 40 PIM

GERMAN OBERLIGA (3rd Division)

Michael Hengen, D - Deggendorf Fire 20GP (1-16-17) 10 PIM

NCAA DIVISION III

Michael Guzzo, F - Curry Colonels (ECAC Northeast) 9GP (4-3-7) 10 PIM

WHL

James Bettauer, D - Chilliwack Bruins 38GP (1-2-3) -17, 14 PIM

BCHL

Nathan Westover, D - Burnaby Express 35GP (4-11-15) 24 PIM

Vinny Muchalla, F - Prince George Spruce Kings 5GP (0-1-1) 9 PIM

Anthony Perdicaro, F - Cowichan Valley Capitals 36GP (11-16-27) 95 PIM

MJHL

Bryan Mountain, G - Portage Terriers 38GP (22-4-0-0) 2.46 GAA, .914 SP

CURRENT VEES

Denver Manderson, Zack Josepher, Devon Krogh, Elias Grossmann, Curtis McKenzie, Mitch Labreche

NOT PLAYING

Ryan Wagner, Kyle McMurphy

2008… A year to remember!

Happy Holidays! The Vees Blog is ramped up for the final 21 games of the season… THE STRETCH DRIVE!

From here on out points seem to be that much more valuable, and palms that much sweatier come the third period.

What’s done is done, over the next 7 and half weeks we’ll find out who has home ice, who is clinging by fingernails, who can make the big trade, and who is the team to beat heading into the playoffs.

WEDNESDAY the Vees look to celebrate NYE by continuing their home success over the Trail Smoke Eaters. Johnny Reid is playing a NYE show at the Convention Centre following the game, and you can buy tix for both at a discount (take a taxi not your truck).

FRIDAY is a lock to be one of the biggest crowds of the season at the SOEC as CBC’s TV Cameras will be rolling in Penticton as our fair city attempts to win the annual billing of the top hockey town in the nation otherwise known as KRAFT HOCKEYVILLE 2009! Tix are just $5, and minor hockey players wearing their jerseys will be admitted free of charge (yes, you read that correctly)!

SATURDAY the Vees host the Prince George Spruce Kings and former Vees forward Vinny Muchalla. The Vees have won each of the 3 meetings between the clubs this season.

It’s nearly 2009! Hope you have some bubbly on ice.

‘Tis the season of delayed flights, wind chill, and power outages…

With the Vees Blog stuck at the Kelowna Airport at this unfathomable hour (its 05:52 PST) nursing a coffee and eyeing a multiple hour flight delay, I’ve surrendered a third of my net worth for a 24 hour wireless internet pass (thanks to the Scrooges at Rogers Hotspot) and the opportunity to update the Blog!

Merritt After Dark!

Upon arriving at the Nicola Valley Arena in Merritt last night the Vees were informed that the Arena had no power. I’d love to tell you that the Vees players and staff were shocked and dismayed, but for some reason nobody was surprised. After an hour of taping sticks by cellphone light, the game was called. The Cents have apparently enacted Murphy’s Law for the 2008-2009 campaign.

On the bright side, a world record may have been set as 1,359 people crammed into the Merritt Subway. Located just across the street, somehow Subway had power and heat (it was -30) when the rink didn’t, but they were out of Parmesan Oregano Bread. The game will be rescheduled later in the season… I CAN’T WAIT!

HNIC Experiment & Misc. Habs Info

With the game in Merritt postponed, one lonely play-by-play hack found himself with no work on a Saturday Night for the first time since October 18th (I have no social life). Curious about what a Saturday Night away from the Arena is like I ventured to Sturgeon Hall in Kelowna.

[If you are ever in Kelowna and the Habs are playing on TV I demand you go to Sturgeon Hall… They have a Maurice Richard Burger among other famous Habs appearances on the Menu and a surprisingly large contingent of Canadiens Fans]

There was no Habs game on the tube on this night, though with the Canucks hosting the Blackhawks for the 2nd game on Hockey Night in Canada I could still conduct my experiment on the effects of combining hockey on TV and Big Rock Traditional Ale. The results were fantastic!

If you haven’t been talking about the Blackhawks this year, it is time to start doing so! They have now won 7 in a row (their longest streak in nearly 28 years) and are showing poise late in games. The Hawks are dripping with young talent with Towes, Kane, Sharp, Keith (former Panther!), Versteeg & Seabrook (teammates from the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL), among others, but I was particularly impressed with depth of the club and their ability to hold off a late surge from the Canucks. The Winter Classic from Chicago should live up to it’s title on Jan 1st.

View from the Top

The Vipers and Silverbacks played round 2 of 4 straight last night, with the Vipers winning 6-4.

The Jones Twins (or the ‘Conner Twins’ as Al Formo calls them) had a night at the Sunwave Centre racking up 3 points each (as did linemate Bryce Kakoske) the whole line was named as the 3 stars.

I think Vernon is the stronger of the two clubs with a slight edge in the net and in depth up front. That makes the Vipers a tougher team to play in a 7 games series in March (and likely April and May too).

The Silverbacks now lead the Vipers by just 3 points at the top of the Interior Standings with the next 2 of the 4 consecutive meetings going down on the 29th (@SA) and 30th (@VRN).

21 +

With the Merritt game postponed until after X-mas, the Vees have 21 games left on the sched… here’s the breakdown.

4 x Vernon (2 home, 2 away)

4 x Salmon Arm (2 home, 2 away)

3 x Prince George (2 home, 1 away)

3 x Quesnel (2 home, 1 away)

2 x Westside (1 home, 1 away)

2 x Trail (2 home, 0 away)

2 x Merritt (0 home, 2 away)

1 x Nanaimo (1 home, 0 away)

With 12 of 21 left at home, post-holiday play will be exciting, who knows where the Vees will finish?!

Hextall Helping Fighting Sioux

Last year’s captain is making an impression south of the border. Brett Hextall was named the WCHA rookie of the week for the final week of pre-holiday NCAA action as his North Dakota Fighting Sioux swept the St. Cloud State Huskies (where Fred Harbinson spent 5 years as an Assistant Coach). Hextall called his former coach earlier the week for a ribbing!

Holiday Best!

With Mother Nature toying with travelers all over the continent, many Vees players are trapped in airports and/or waiting for runways to be cleared (my flight to Seattle just got moved back another hour!). Hopefully all will be safe and sound at home in short order to spend time with loved ones.

Enjoy the holidays and thanks for visiting the Blog! See you after X-mas!

Here’s a player profile with Brodie Reid that was done prior to his arrival in Penticton.

Great game tonight between South Okanagan rivals as the Warriors visit the Vees at the SOEC.

The Vees trail the Warriors by 4 points but have a game in hand in on the enemy. A Vees regulation win tonight would have the club within two points of the Warriors, a regulation loss would have them 6 back (textbook ‘four-point game’).

Considering tonight is the Warriors final game prior to the Christmas break and the Vees will finish tomorrow night in Merritt, these clubs could be tied if the Vees can get a pair of big wins.

The Warriors come in having won 5 in a row, and well rested as Wednesday Night’s match with Surrey was canceled due as the Coquihalla was closed due to chaotic weather.

The Vees are (13-3-0-1) at home and have won 5 of 7 games against the Warriors thus far this season. Ryan Johansen likely won’t play, as he has been suffering from the flu, Curtis McKenzie returns from the CJHL Prospects Game and should be in the line-up.

Puck Drop is 7:05 tonight from the South Okanagan Events Centre, be sure to bring a donation for the Salvation Army and you’ll get 2 for 1 tickets tonight. Pre-Game starts at 6:45 on EZ Rock AM 800, myezrock.com and the BCHL’s Fanzone

The Centennials are struggling mightily as they arrive in Penticton tonight.

The stats speak for themselves:

* 15 consecutive losses

* Worst PP in the BCHL (8.43%)

* Worst PK in the BCHL (75.2%)

* Last in league standings (5-30-0-2) .162 W%, 12 points

* Worst Goals For (79)

* Worst Goals Against (174)

* Last win came on October 31st (Halloween)

Here’s a great opportunity to help the needy, catch Vees action on the cheap, and enter yourself in a draw for an experience of a lifetime.

The Vees have 2 for 1 tickets to tonight’s (Merritt) and Friday’s (Westside) games if you bring a non-perishable food donation for the Salvation Army. All 2 for 1 tickets also enter you to win ‘The Ultimate Vees Experience’ that will see a Vees fan warm-up with the team, join the team at the intermission, attend practice and get seats right behind the bench with a team jersey for a game.

2 for 1 tickets are available all week at the SOEC box office.

Curtis McKenzie is gone! Yesterday, C-Mac headed East for the CJHL Prospects Game which runs Wednesday evening in P.E.I.. The CJHL has named the honorary coaches for the East vs. West showcase game.

Statistically C-Mac has been held off the board in three straight games, but he has been a physical brand of hockey and has been creating chances all season. The 17-year-old leads the team with 15 goals and 36 points in 31 games played. McKenzie will miss tomorrow’s tilt with the Cents, his 7th game missed this year, all due to showcase events.

The Prospects Game is just the latest in a series of achievements this season for the Golden product.

Curtis obtained a scholarship to Miami of Ohio this Fall, was a member of the Silver Medal winning Team Canada West at the World Jr. ‘A’ Challenge, has been named an Interior Conference All-Star, is tied for the league lead in Short Handed Goals and leads all 17-year-olds in scoring in the BCHL. Curtis was given an ‘A’ after returning from the World Jr. A Challenge and was listed as a B-rated prospect by Central Scouting at the end of October.

Raise your hand if you are impressed!

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