vees:blog

The ranks are getting thin for the Penticton Vees as the look towards two home games this weekend.

Sean Bonar and Joey LaLeggia left on Monday for PEI as members of Team Canada West for the upcoming 2009 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Departing today was Beau Bennett who is the only non USHL member of team USA at the international event. A former WJAC player Ben Sexton (he suited up for team Canada East last year) is also unavailable for to the Vees, but it’s not because he’s taking part in the WJAC.

Ben Sexton left Sunday’s game and didn’t return after suffering an upper body injury. Sexton’s will not participate in this weekend’s action with Burnaby and Merritt, while his status for next weekend is still up in the air.

With Sexton’s injury the Vees are now looking at a weekend of play without their top power play defensman in LaLeggia, their top right winger in Bennett who is 3rd in BCHL scoring, their second line centre (Sexton), and Sean Bonar who is ranked 2nd in the BCHL in wins and save percentage, and sits 3rd in goals against average. EGADS!

The above probably helps explain why Fred Harbinson welcomed Taylor Peters into the fold today. The 17-year-old forward has played a full season in the WHL, and was assigned to the Vees today from the Portland Winterhawks.

Peters is a big kid who has recorded 10 points in 78 games in the ‘dub’. Taylor was named the winner of the Winterhawks Scholastic Award (which he shared with current Vernon Viper Sawyer Mick) last season, but cracked the ‘hawks line-up just three times this season.

Peters will join the Vees tomorrow and will surely make his Vees debut this weekend. For more on Taylor, check out his blog that he had for last season in Portland.

Fred Harbinson will have more on the transaction Thursday night from the Kettle Valley Station Pub, where Coach’s Corner gets back underway after a two week hiatus. Join us from 6-7 for your chance to join the media scrum and win a pair of tickets to Friday’s game Against the Burnaby Express.