vees:blog

One third of the way into the 2009/2010 campaign, the Penticton Vees are on pace for their highest output since being renamed the Vees in 2004.

The Vees wait on the bench for another flood at practice

In fact since junior hockey arrived in Penticton in the 1961 no team has never eclipsed 100 points, though through a third of the season the Vees are ahead of that mystical century mark as 17-2-0-1 is a pace for a 105 point season. While that is just a projection, there are reasons to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Vees can continue to roll at their current pace.

For budding historians in the crowd 52 wins is the BCHL record set by the New Westminster Royals in 89-90 and the Vernon Vipers of 98-99. That New-West club also had 108 points, which stands as the BCHL record. The Royals beat Fred Harbinson (the player) and the Calgary Canucks that year in the Doyle Cup… Crazy.

Clearly this club is deep and talented. Clearly they are among the best teams in Junior ‘A’ in Canada. Clearly there are players who will be selected in the NHL Entry Draft this coming June in LA (Beau Bennett, Luke Curadi, Joey LaLeggia, Sean Bonar, and Isaac MacLeod are on scouting radars). The rest is still to be determined.

With the first 20 games in the history books, let’s pour a scotch, light the fireplace, and take a closer look at how the season has gone to this point.

1.) The Schedule

Through 20 games the Vees have played perhaps their toughest third of hockey in terms of scheduling.

Penticton has played four games with Interior contenders Salmon Arm and Westside and a pair with the mighty Vernon Vipers (who really are putting a damper on the great start the blue, black and white have had).

Also not to be forgotten, is the fact that the Vees have gotten through their longest road-trip of the year unscathed and have already made one of their two trips to the Caribou. Just two trips of three days remain as overnight journeys for the Vees – North to the Caribou in late January ***long underwear alert*** and up the sunshine coast to Powell River (they’ll also play Burnaby on the way home) in two weeks time ***dreadlock & bongo alert***.

Vees vs. Interior top tier (VRN, WS, SA) – 4-1-0-1

Vees vs. Coastal Conference – 6-0-0-0

Also the club has played more on the road than they have at home, meaning they’ve got more home games remaining (the Vees are the league’s only team who haven’t lost in regulation at home).

Vees on the road – 9-2-0-0

Vees at the SOEC – 8-0-0-1

2.) Special Teams

The power play started the season with a bang going 50% in the Vees opening weekend in the Caribou (10/20), while the PK was meager in comparison going 71% (15/21) that same trip.

Since that first week the Vees special teams have both slid toward the norms as the PP now sits at 25% (2nd in the BCHL), while the PK is up to a respectable 83% (8th).

The power play has oodles of skill but has skidded recently on their recent 6-day trip to the island, and last weekend with personnel changes due to the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge (not to mention Ben Sexton’s injury). The PP is 3/28 (11%) since hopping on BC Ferries to head to the Island, which has slowed a tremendous start to the season on the man advantage.

The penalty kill had a phenomenal month of October, allowing just two power-play markers (one on a 5-on-3 that lasted 4:40 in Alberni) in 50 opportunities for a staggering 96% kill rate. That’s insane. The Khmer Rouge never killed with such efficiency.

While 96% can’t last, enjoy the ride while the PK is hot.

3.) Man Games Lost To…

The Vees have had a few injuries and a particular international tournament that have messed with the line-up through the first third of the season. With just two more games affected by the World Junior A Challenge, the Vees are nearly out of the woods.

W.J.A.C.

The Junior A showcase event isn’t just a two weeks missed for competitors. The Team Canada West squad also missed a mid-week game in early October late September for the Canada West evaluation camp in Okotoks, Alberta.

Garrett Milan – 1 game (just the evaluation camp)

Beau Bennett – 2 games (plus 2 more to be missed this weekend)

TOTAL 9 games (plus 6 more to be lost this weekend)

Injuries

Missing the most time to injury thus far this year is 20-year-old and alternate captain Adam Zamec. Also missing time with injury was Isaac MacLeod (he missed all pre-season play and the first 3 of the BCHL season) and currently out is Ben Sexton. Not included in the list is Derik Johnson who sat out against Alberni Valley with bumps and bruises that wouldn’t have held him out if it was playoff time (or perhaps if it wasn’t the 4th road game in 5 days, and third in 48 hours).

Adam Zamec – 11 games (lower)

Ben Sexton – 3 games (flu, upper)

TOTAL 17 games

Suspension

Remember that line brawl in PG? Yeah, me too! That was swell.

Garrett Milan – 2 games

Ben Sexton – 2 games

TOTAL 6 games

WJAC + INJURIES + SUSPENSION = 32 games (38 including 6 more this weekend for the WJAC)

That’s a lot of hockey missed by the top end talent of the Vees. They’ve been quite resilient, and have shown their depth in this first third of the season.

4.) Transactions

Fred Harbinson has had his quietest Fall in his three years in terms of transactions. Keeping in mind Mitch Lebreche, Jimmy Geerin, and Erik Slemp were moved in the pre-season (among some other moves with training camp castoffs), just two deletions have been made in the regular season.

Mitch Jones never seemed to fit in with the Vees (be it on the ice or in the locker-room) and was moved for future considerations to Nanaimo. Jones is in Merritt now where he’s playing a bigger role with the enigmatic Cents. Also, Fred kicked the tires on J.C. Lirette – a 20-year-old cut from the QMJHL – before deciding to move him for future considerations after an inkling J.C. wanted to be closer to his home of Quebec City.

Along the way Fred has added some solid parts to a very talented core. Up front Jake Johnson provides depth and another veteran who steady as a rock. Undersized and unwanted in the USHL this year, Johnson has 9 points in 8 games as a member of the Vees and is riding seven game point streak. Last week hulking 17-year-old Taylor Peters was assigned to the Vees from Portland (WHL). Taylor was having a tough time cracking the Winterhawks roster (he had played just 3 times) after playing a full season as a 16-year-old last year. Taylor adds a responsible and physical game to the mix for the Vees, his understanding of systems is superb for his age, and he’s shown he can produce points too, with four points against his opening weekend with his new squad.

Also of note, the Vees swapped James Bettauer’s rights to Quesnel for future considerations as the 18-year-old who played with the Vees in 07/08 hasn’t stuck in the WHL after one rough year in Chilliwack (Bettauer’s rights have since been moved to Burnaby).

5.) Affiliated Players

Brandon Bruce played a single game with the Vees on September 29th, with the club in desperate need of players to fill jerseys (with 4 players missing for a mid-week tilt in Merritt). The 16-year-old never found his feet on that eerie night in the Nicola Valley Arena, but may get another peek if the team runs into a shortage of forwards. The speedster currently toils for the Okanagan Rockets (Major Midget).

L.A. goal-tending product Billy Faust looked sharp when he was tested in last Friday’s 4-1 win over Merritt. Faust was a late cut from camp who projects to be a member of the Vees this time next season. Faust was three and a half minutes away from recording a shutout in his BCHL debut, and will be with the club this weekend before heading back to Nelson (KIJHL, Jr. ‘B’) where he has played quite well for the Leafs.

Hayden Trupp finds his name under the ‘affiliated player’ heading now, after the team ran into some import issues and some ‘less than sound’ advise from BC Hockey. Trupp will skate with the Vees this weekend, then report to the Lakers of the KIJHL (Jr. ‘B’) where he will have a lot more ice time and a bigger role. The slight 17-year-old can be recalled up to 10 times this season by the Vees, and can join the club full-time should the Lakers season end before the Vees.

Also of note, Vancouver Major Midget Giants captain Steve Iacobellis (who is penciled in as a member of the 10/11 Vees) received a scholarship to the University of Nebraska at Omaha for 2012. UNO will be keeping tabs on future Vees teammates Iacobellis and Stephan Nicholishen in the next few years, as both will be Mavericks in their NCAA careers.

6.) Final Remarks

With the Vees sitting in the top two in the BCHL in nearly every major category (Wins, Winning %, Points, Goals For, Goals Against, Power Play, NCAA Commitments, Home Record, Road Record) the table has been set for what could be a record setting season in the South Okanagan. Unfortunately for the Vees, the Vernon Vipers have been every bit as dominant in their opening 19 games, having lost just once (at the hands of the Vees).

As the CJHL National Rankings (those omniscient sages) suggested in early October, the Vees and the Vipers may very well be the top two teams in the nation. That the two clubs play in the same division, means as hockey fans we’ve got some drama ahead.

Oh, and December 9th on the road, and December 12th at the SOEC.

You were just going to ask when the Vees play the Vipers next, right?