vees:blog

Crazy news around the team in the last 24 hours.

The Vees line-up will reflect a few changes from sick-bay. Bonar is out with SWINE FLU while Ben Sexton will return to the line-up tonight after getting injured on October 25th in Port Alberni.

These are turbulent times!

Let’s wish Sean Bonar the speediest of recoveries from the swine flu, and hope that nobody else (he billets with Logan Johnston’s family) catches the extra vicious bug.

I caught up with Fred Harbinson prior to Wednesday’s morning skate to discuss the news and the ramifications on the team for the remainder of the week.

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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.

I spoke with rookie D-man Isaac MacLeod and returning forward Adam Zamec today after Vees practice. While it appears Isaac will make his season debut tonight, Adam’s time-table isn’t so clear.

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A brief practice today closed out the final preparations for the first weekend of the regular season. I caught up with Fred Harbinson on the eve of ‘Game 1′ in Williams Lake.

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* Isaac MacLeod has watched all the scrimmages in training camp from the stands as a minor Summer injury has him on the shelf and out of contact for the short term.

I caught up with the 6′5 200 lbs. D-man this morning to discuss his decision to commit to the Boston College Eagles. See below for the interview.

* Colton Jobke is fighting for a job at Rockets camp in Kelowna. The smooth skating defender is entering his 17-year-old season, after playing last year in the BCHL with the Vees.

* Emanuel Sequiera has more Vees Training Camp coverage for the Penticton Western News.

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The new athletic therapist for the Penticton Vees, Geoff Carter, arrived in town this week.

Geoff was the Head Coach of the top Minor Midget team in Southern Alberta last year and will brings an extensive hockey knowledge to the Vees. While out-going A.T. Alana Dyrland will be missed, Geoff will be a huge asset to the team moving forward.

I caught up with Geoff earlier today.

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VERNON STAFF STAYING PUT

The Vernon Vipers recently announced that head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Jason Williamson have inked contract extentions. The deal brings great stability to the Vipers for years to come. Ferner played 15 years of Pro Hockey including 91 games in ‘the show’ and was the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers in 2005/2006 after serving as an assistant for 3 years.

GAME 4

Tonight’s Game 4 is without question the biggest contest of the season for the Vees. A Vipers win would leave the blue, black and white 2 down heading back to Vernon for Game 5, While a Vees win would saw off the series at a two wins apiece. Last night was the first ever post-season loss at the SOEC for the Vees, they were 3-0 coming into Game 3.

Another tough call for Fred Harbinson between the pipes tonight as 17-year-old Sean Bonar was solid, but did lose last night.

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No copies or reproduction without permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

MURTAGH SAVES THE DAY

With Kevin Jebson on the sidelines, the Westside Warriors got a huge 3-2 win at home last night. Devon Murtagh stopped 44 of 46 Salmon Arm shots in his first start of the post-season. The Warriors now pull within a game of the Silverbacks, with an opportunity to tie the series tonight at home.

INTERIOR INJURIES

Second season scratches are mounting in the Interior Conference. The Vees already without gifted play-maker and captain Denver Manderson and uber-talented rear-guard Matt Ridley now have AJHL pick-up Kaare Odegard day-to-day with a lower body injury. Odegard hasn’t played since Game 4 of the 1st Round in Prince George.

The Westside Warriors missed drafted defender Justin Schultz for games 1 & 2 of their 2nd Round match-up with Salmon Arm. The top D-man in the Interior Conference played last night but is far from 100%, and was used primarily on the man-advantage. Michael Quinn has pick up the slack on the blue line recording 7 assists in 6 post season games. Kevin Jebson (as mentioned above) is also nicked.

The Silverbacks Mark Zengerle didn’t play last night in Westside. The BCHL’s #2 scorer in the regular season was taken out by Brad Plumpton (who earned his second straight game misconduct last night) on the PP and may be back for the weekend.

Vernon is the only Interior Conference club at full health.

Vees Captain Denver Manderson is back in town after meeting with his surgeon in Ontario earlier in the week. I sat down with the crafty playmaker to walk through what has been a tough 2 weeks since getting injured. The Furgus, ON native is in surprisingly good spirits.

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Zac Dalpe returned to the Ohio State Buckeyes line-up this weekend after missing 4 games to injury. The Carolina Hurricanes 2nd Round Draft Pick made a huge impact this weekend recording a Goal on Friday and 3 Assists on Sunday.

ZD is tied for the lead for the lead among freshmen in the nation with 13 goals.

Here’s the team release on Dalpe’s 3rd R.O.W. Award.

Here are the Highlights of Sunday’s Monster win over 2nd ranked Notre Dame.

P.S. Dalpe has some serious hockey hair going on!