vees:blog

COACH’S CORNER TONIGHT

More on the Adam Zamec trade, the Vees winning streak reaching 10 games, and the Vees new alternate captain tonight at the Kettle Valley Station Pub as Fred Harbinson gathers with the local media from 6 ’til 7. Also we’ll talk about the Westside Warriors club the Vees will play twice this weekend and the 5 members of the Vees and Warriors that were on Team Canada West at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge.

A pair of tickets for Friday’s game with the Warrriors is on the line to the best question from the audience.

SOEC PROMOTIONS… CHEAP BEER & MORE!

The folks at the SOEC have put together all the ingredients for a zany night come November 27th. All that’s left is to fill the building. On that brave Friday night the Vees face the lowly Williams Lake Timberwolves who are on to their third coach prior to the midway point of their reincarnation. The T-wolves have won just 5 games this season and have allowed 31 goals in 5 blowout losses in November.

Time to practice that goal dance.

The Vees and their potent offensive skills should make for lots to cheer about at the SOEC on the 27th… and if that isn’t enough to entice you to the rink, well… Then there is the $2 BEER.

Yes, you read that right. $2 BEER. WOW. We may have to cancel the broadcast.

Like Unicorns and the ‘pot of gold’ at the end of the rainbow, $2 Beer is talked about often, but is believed to be a mythical entity. Not on the night of the 27th my friends… See you there!

Other special offers at the SOEC this month include…

NOV 13 vs. WESTSIDE - Seniors Night - $6 tix, $1 coffee. No need to hang out at A&W and Timmy’s all day.

NOV 18 vs. SALMON ARM - $1 Hot dogs & Season Ticket Exchange - Redeem unused season tix for a $6 ticket then gorge yourself on dollar dogs.

NOV 28 vs. PRINCE GEORGE - Teddy Bear Toss & Toonie Night at the Concession. Lots more on this as the date approaches.

BEAU NEEDS A HANDLE

More Vees banter courtesy the good folks at the Kettle Valley Station Pub and Cannery Brewing.

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COACH’S CORNER

Join Fred Harbinson, the local media and myself at Coach’s Corner at the Kettle Valley Station Pub tonight from 6 ’til 7. We’ll be yaking about the success the Vees have enjoyed on the ice through their first third of the season, also some clarification on Hayden Trupp’s ‘AP’ status with the club, and how it came to be. Also tonight, a preview of the Langley Chiefs who the Vees will play a home-and-home with this weekend starting in Penticton tomorrow.

A pair of tickets to Friday’s tilt with Langley are on the line for the best question from the audience.

WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE

Beau Bennett and Team USA are through to the WJAC Semi-Finals. A 3-1 win today over Sweden put the Yankees in against the Russians tomorrow for the right to play for the Gold Medal. For the first time in the tournament, Beau Bennett was held off the score sheet for Team USA. Both Goalies were named players of the game.

The winner of the Canada West and Belarus game today will face the host team - Team Canada East - on Friday for the other entry to the Championship match which goes Sunday.

More updates to come on Team Canada West:

* Puck just dropped and Sean Bonar is in the net for Canada West for the third straight game

**It’s 4-2 Canada West in the 2nd period. Cam Reid and Connor Jones have a pair each

*** 5-3 after 40 minutes with Madison Dias getting Canada West’s 5th. Bonar is 13/16, LaLeggia was initially given an assist on the Dias goal but has since had it removed.

**** ‘MAKE THE FINAL’ 7-3 Canada West with Cam Reid notching the hat trick and Joey LaLeggia chipping in with a pair of assists (they ended up giving him that assist on the Dias goal after all). Sean Bonar made 18 saves on 22 shots in the victory. Canada West will play Canada East tomorrow (awkward) with the fans backing the Eastern boys. The two teams have yet to play this tournament.

VEES @ BOSTON PIZZA TONIGHT

Boston Pizza is welcoming everybody over tonight for a great night of hockey starting at 7PM.

The full team will be in attendance for your chance to get a signed poster or a photo with the guys. The Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers will be on the tube in a rematch of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, and there will be a mountain of prizes to be won.

Among Vees Club seats, and game tickets, two separate pairs of Canucks Tickets will be won. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals visit Vancouver on the 18th of December and we’ve got a pair of VIP seats with unlimited grub, a night’s stay in Vancouver, and $100 spending cash. Also a pair of Blackhawks tickets will be given away for later in November.

We’ll see you at BP’s at 1900 Main Street at 7PM.

WORLD JR. ‘A’ CHALLENGE

Matt Cormier, FullFrameMedia.ca

Sean Bonar stopped 33 of 36 shots, and Joey LaLeggia had two assists as the Western Canadian squad beat the Swedes 6-3 in the final round robin game in Group A. Sweden and Canada West will now wait for the evening result to come in to find out who they will face in Thursday’s Quarterfinal. Canada West will play the loser of Belarus/USA, while Sweden will have to play the winner.

Canada East and Russia have already advanced to Friday’s Semi-Final with 2-0 records in round robin play.

Amid the usual conversation at the KVS Pub regarding the week that was, the upcoming match-ups, and the storylines of the week in the BCHL was something that seemed to strike a nerve with the Vees Head Coach and GM.

On the heels of their recently released 2010 Watch List, Fred Harbinson was awfully vocal about his displeasure with NHL Central Scouting and their lack of exposure for the BCHL. Fred seemed particularly disappointed with Isaac MacLeod’s absence from the list, and I suppose you can see his point. If a 6′5 17-year-old defender who skates well isn’t a prospect, what is!?

Other topic broached include the team’s precautionary measures regarding the H1N1 flu epidemic (pandemic?!). Fred’s son Freddy (who lives in Wisconsin) is among the growing number of young athletes that have caught the Swine Flu.

Also, Fred walks us through the acquisition of Taylor Peters a big 17-year-old kid who played a full season with the Portland Winterhawks last year. The timing couldn’t be better as the Vees are facing short bench for the next two weeks with the World Jr. ‘A’ Challenge going on in PEI.

With the Burnaby Express in town featuring four former Vees, the home side missing four regulars, and the expected debut of newcomer Taylor Peters there are all sorts of reasons to be at the SOEC tomorrow.

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Joey Holka, Luke Curadi, Joel Rumpel and Byron Sorensen were all at Queen’s Park Elementary School today to read with the grade 5 class and play a game of street hockey.

The Vees will visit over a dozen schools in the South Okanagan this season to talk about the importance of reading and staying fit.

After a 3-1 win at the Bear Mountain Arena last night, the Vees enjoyed a rare day off on the road with a walk around beautiful downtown Victoria today.

Vees Athletic Tharapist (though he prefers ‘trainer’) Geoff Carter is flanked by Vees catching their first glimpse of the Harbour

Murray Maxwell aka ‘Murray Maps-well’ aka ‘Big Murr’ guides us through town

The historic Empress Hotel in the Harbour

BC’s Provincial Legislature

Steps away from governing

The Vees practiced today at 3:00 and will suit up in Duncan on Friday, Nanaimo on Saturday and Port Alberni on Sunday afternoon to wrap of their lone trip to the island this season.

Join Fred Harbinson and myself Ryan Pinder for Coach’s Corner at the Kettle Valley Station Pub at the Ramada tonight from 6 until 7.

After a 6-1 drubbing of the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Wednesday and on the eve of a battle between the top two teams in Canada with Vernon coming to the SOEC on Friday, there will be lots to talk about for the Vees head coach.

The Vees currently lead the BCHL with 20 points in 12 games and are ranked #2 in Canada, while the Vipers are ranked #1, have 8 wins and a single loss for the top winning percentage in the BCHL. The Vees shutout Vernon on Saturday and are looking to gain some breathing room in the Interior Conference.

‘Coach’s Corner’ runs from 6-7 and is open to the public and media alike.

Free beer and pizza for the media, and the best question for the Coach from the audience wins a pair of tickets to Friday’s game with Vernon.

We’ll Meet at 6:00 and get the hockey talk started at soon after! Food. Drink. Hockey Talk. Life is good!

****UPDATE****

Live audio available below. Thanks to all that attended!

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Lorna Shultz Nicholson, Neil Jamieson, 11 Vees players, members of the local media, and hundreds of rabid young Vees fans were on hand at Wiltse Elementary today to start off another winter of the ‘Read to Succeed’ program.

Throughout the winter the Vees will visit about a dozen South Okanagan elementary schools from Summerland to Oliver. The Vees have a simple message to pass on: READ!

The Vees introduced themselves to the ogling youngsters to open the day, Assistant Coach David Small spoke about the importance of success in the classroom, and Lorna Schultz Nicholson read a few passages from her hockey books that the programs uses. The kids had a look at the new Canadian Olympic jersey, learned about sledge hockey, and Neil Jamieson presented the school with vouchers to be used for Vees home games.

Elsewhere along the way, the big boys got to eat lunch with the students, answer questions, and compete in a raucous floor hockey game in the gymnasium against the grade five class!

The Read to Succeed program was started by the Vees, has been adopted by all BCHL teams and is now spreading into Alberta.

For more photos (more…)

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