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. (more…)

The Penticton Vees didn’t miss a beat with four of their top players out of the line-up on Friday Night, as they pounded the Burnaby Express 8-0 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Alex Szczechura had two assists while filling on the Vees top line

Joey Holka and Bo Dolan notched a pair of goals each, and rookie puck-stopper Joel Rumpel turned aside all 33 shot for his first BCHL shutout and the Vees sixth consecutive victory. Harrison May allowed all eight goals on 45 Vees shots in the eleventh loss in the last thirteen games for the Express.

Captain Denver Manderson added another 3 points including his 15th goal of the season, while newcomer Taylor Peters had a short handed goal and two assists in his first BCHL game since being assigned to Penticton from Portland of the WHL. Other Vees recording multi-point nights were Garrett Milan, Jake Johnson, and Alex Szczechura. Johnson now has 8 points in 7 games since arriving in Penticton after starting his junior career with the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL.

The Penticton home victory spoiled the return of former Vees Brad Reid, Jimmy Geerin, Matt Ridley and Luke Challier – who had multiple opportunities but failed to get the puck past Joel Rumpel.

With Sean Bonar and Joey LaLeggia playing for team Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge in P.E.I. and Ben Sexton out with an upper body injury, the Vees showed superior depth to their opponents who were also missing numerous players to a flu bug that has passed through their team.

When the dust settled on Friday nine Vees players had a point while seven had multi point nights. The Vees have 19 point in their last ten games with the only hiccup an overtime loss to the Vipers on October 9th. The Vees sit one point behind the Vipers for top spot in the Interior Conference, while Vernon holds a game in hand.

The Vees power play was the lone blemish on the night as the Vees finished 0/3, though the penalty kill was a perfect 6/6.

Tomorrow the Vees host the Merritt Centennials who are battling the flu and lost 10-4 to Vernon on Friday. Opening face-off is at 7:05 while the pre-game show on EZ Rock starts at 6:45.

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.

HC/GM Fred Harbinson and I kick around some news items regarding the team and the league, as training camp starts in exactly a week.

On Johansen

His 08/09 regular season numbers don’t jump at you off the screen, but don’t understate the offensive tools Ryan has. Johansen was 3rd in playoff scoring for the Vees and was worlds better in March than he was in the Fall in his first months of Junior. Crafty. Big. Skilled. He may be on TV one day.

Roger Tepper. Edge Photography. edgephoto@telus.net

I envision Ryan in a top 6 role in Portland this season and an NHL team to announce his name come the NHL Entry Draft in late June. [On a side note the Entry Draft was slated to take place in Phoenix, but could be relocated due to the Coyotes bankruptcy chaos.] Best of luck to the kid!

Szczerchura Added to Equation

Szczerchura = “Shuh-here-a”

Big Brother Paul = Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ohio State = Dalpe + Schneider + Krogh + Szczechura = Vees

Enough Math.

Here’s big brother Paul

More Mayhem in Merritt

Shawn and Brian have been following Merritt’s off-season with much more detail that I have, but if what Fred says in our interview below, is true, Merritt is entering a world of pain.

The Cents were nearly bought by more stable ownership months ago, before the deal fell through just weeks ago. Now the team may be without a Head Coach & GM, and is most certainly in a precarious financial situation.

You have to feel for the fans, players and people of Merritt as they’ve had a real rough 2+ years with rumours of sales, relocation and management changes. Never mind the 82 loses in the past 2 season. This will be an interesting situation to follow in the next few weeks.

**** UPDATE ****

Brian Wiebe at ‘Making Cents’ has confirmed Bouchard has resigned as head coach and GM.

Gonzo

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Jordan White was smiling ear to ear in the Nichola Valley Arena. Come to think of it, so were Murray Maxwell and Al Formo - who represented the only present links to Jordan’s last stint in Penticton 3 years ago.

Just after midnight in the wee Sunday morning hours Jordan was acquired in a 5-team, 8-player deal that involved the Merritt Centennials, the Cowichan Valley Capitals and a team in both the AJHL and the MJHL. The Vees surrender 20-year-old Camrose native David Andreassen (off to the AJHL) and 19-year-old rookie Goaltender Anthony Borelli (to the MJHL) in the dizzying exchange.

But, while the addition of White most certainly improves the strength of the Vees club, the club looked plenty weak on the ice in an embarrassing 4-1 loss in Merritt where the visitor seemed to feign interest and lacked any sort of intensity.

Sean Bonar got the start for the second straight game (that likely won’t be happening much anymore), as White worked the gate on the Vees bench in his ‘08 Vees debut. Odds are strong the easy-going former Portland Winter Hawk will start Wednesday in Powell River - the second of five games for the Vees on this eight day road trip. Perhaps we’ll see glimpses of why Al and Murray were so happy today!

Here’s my conversation with Jordan today prior to the game with the Cents.

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