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.

Vees Assistant Coach David Small and I talk about the Vees upcoming Junior Prep Camp, Osoyoos and Dave’s lack of a tan.

Listen Now:

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Former Penticton Vees forward Zac Dalpe garnered some media attention in Raleigh earlier this week.

The 2008 second round pick of the Hurricanes has the Carolina brass pleased with his development and maturation through his first year of college.

Dalpe recorded 13 goals in 37 games in his freshman season with Ohio State, where he battled injury late in the season.

Vees Head Coach and General Manager Fred Harbinson updates us on the 09/10 Vees. Our Conversation is below.

Here’s a look at the numerous changes made since we last spoke to Fred. Follow along as you listen!

Graduations: Colton Jobke - Kelowna, WHL (CHL) , Curtis McKenzie - Miami, CCHA (NCAA)

Traded: Brodie Reid - Nanaimo, Matt Ridley - Burnaby , Brad Reid - Burnaby

Acquired: Eric Filliou - Nanaimo

Notable Recruits: Beau Bennett - LA Jr. Kings (Midget), Luke Curadi - Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack, Atlanic Junior Hockey League, Ben Sexton - Nepean, CJAHL (CJHL), Jeff Johnson - Holderness Prep School, New England Prep Div 1

Listen Now:

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Holy smokes, it’s been ages since the last update on the Vees Blog.

It seems like it was just yesterday that Kyle Bigos dangled in from the left point and toe-dragged the entire Humboldt Broncos squad enroute to the Vipers 5th RBC Cup.

Since we last spoke the Vees Blog has been scuba diving with sharks (okay, there was only one) in Malaysia, enjoying pork dumplings in Shanghai, and climbing in Yangshuo “ni-hao“!

Okay, enough storytelling. With the NHL Entry Draft taking place this weekend it’s time to get back into hockey mode.

Lots of news and notes regarding the Vees and the BCHL including:

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Dan Marshall updates us on the opening three days of the National Championships from Victoria where the Kingston Voyageurs and the Summerside Western Capitals have struggled against their Western counter-parts.

You can catch the aformentioned voice of the Nanaimo Clippers calling the non-BCHL games here.

Here’s how the action has played out thus far. We could have an all BCHL final on tap.

The staff at the Times-Colonist (Victoria fish-wrap) are all over the RBC including fashion trends, love of the snakes, and of course the home team’s rebound.

Listen Now:

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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!

The BCHL has done a feature on Vees Forward Denver Manderson.

The Vees Captain has been the MVP of the club to this point of the season and has 32 points in 17 games - including an active 10 game assist streak, the longest in the league.

It’s time to give the Sunday Poll a break.

Instead, how about a little jaunt down memory lane with current assistant coach and former player Ryan Coghlan.

‘Cogs’ has a large collection of stickers on his suitcase! A well travelled man.

Anthony Perdicaro returns to Penticton tonight with the Cowichan Valley Capitals in town for the only meeting of the season between these two clubs.

Perdicaro ended up in Cowichan Valley after being traded to Drumheller, AB for Erik Slemp, and requesting a move back to the BCHL. His rights were acquired by the Capitals for Nathan Westover (another recent member of the Vees, who got moved to Drumheller) who was swapped for Matt Ridley by the Vees. Confusing!

‘Perdy’ plays the role of pest very well. He can score, he can hit, he certainly can agitate, and although we haven’t seen it this year, he can fight.

Here is one of the East Rockaway native’s best tilts as a member of the Vees against heavy-weight Tyler Barr (Merritt Centennials) from last season. This is an epic scrap nearing 2 minutes in length. ‘Perdy’ hung in there pretty good!