Photo: Dylan Lynch / Hockey Canada

Yes, it’s officially one year ago that the Vees captured the 2012 RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. The Vees defeated the Woodstock Slammers 4-3 in the championship game, thanks to that man above, scoring the game-winner within the final minute.

RBC CUP Final Highlights

Team Press Release

Jack Ramsey Stats

Max Coatta Stats

The Vees Announced two new recruits for next year, as Jack Ramsey and Max Coatta, who were teammates at Minnetonka High School, will join the Vees for the 2013-2014 season. Ramsey is a right-winger and is forgoing his senior season of varsity hockey in Minnesota. Coatta, 18, is centerman by trade and just finished his four-year varsity career for “The Skippers,” where he set program career records for goals, assists and points.

The two are skilled forwards but are well-rounded and will fit into the Vees mold of being “two-way” players. Ramsey has a good frame, as he’s 6’2 and is still filling out. Despite his size he isn’t your prototypical power forward, as he himself says his game “revolves around vision and hockey sense.” A good skater as well, this is a player who can use his size to create space but also sounds like he has some play-making ability. Oh, his dad Mike played over one thousand games in the NHL for Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Detroit and was an Assistant Coach in the NHL with Buffalo and Minnesota from 1997-2010. Mike was a defenseman in his playing days  so I’m sure Jack knows a thing or two about playing without the puck.

Coatta was a consistent point producer in high school, as he scored 89 goals in 113 games and as mentioned, is the Minnetonka all-time scoring leader. He scored 23 or more goals in three of his four seasons of varsity hockey and that’s a schedule with 30 or less games. Coatta averaged 1.68 points per-game during his time with ‘Tonka and was named to the Star-Tribune All-Metro Boys’ First Team this past season. Coatta was the Captain this past season and will be a guy that can help out in the scoring department. I’m not saying he’s going to put up the same type of numbers but his experience and natural scoring ability will no doubt be a boost. Also he is a centerman and that’s an area that Vees need filled after a couple of off-season departures in Mike Rebry and Jedd Soleway; good centerman are worth their weight in gold at this level.

I will try and get some tape from Head Coach Fred Harbinson on the two players in the next coming days.

Photo: Dylan Lynch / Hockey Canada

This blog has been too quiet recently and I apologize for that, so I thought I would find some content to keep you interested. I was looking at the calendar at the office and today stuck out for me and I wasn’t sure why at first, but then I realized a year ago today was arguably the most important game of the Vees season.

On May 8th, 2012, the Vees were in a “must-win” situation, entering their third round-robin game against the Woodstock Slammers at the RBC Cup in Humboldt. The Vees dropped their first two games (2-1 to Soo T-Birds & 3-2 to Humboldt Broncos) and needed a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Joey Benik, who later on in the tournament scored a clutch goal again against Woodstock, scored the eventual game-winner in the third period to seal a 2-1 win. Benik got his stick on a Mike Reilly point-shot on the power-play early in the third period to vault the Vees into a four-way tie for second place.

Here’s how the game sounded..

Benik Post-Game

The Game Story:

Joey Benik’s power-play goal early in the third period vaulted the Penticton Vees to a 2-1 win over the Woodstock Slammers on Tuesday night. The win is the Vees (1-2) first of the tournament and moves them in a four-way tie for second place.

Benik redirected a Mike Reilly point-shot past the glove of Slammers goaltender Matt Murphy just before the three minute-mark in the third. The goal marked two first for the Vees: their first power-play goal and their first lead of the RBC Cup.

 The Vees controlled the pace in the first period, continually pressuring the Woodstock zone and doubled the Slammers in shots. However despite the advantage in play, the Vees couldn’t open the scoring, missing on several in-close opportunities.  Mario Lucia had arguably the best chance, when he stick-handled through the Slammers defense and around the goalie but couldn’t shovel the puck past the post.

In the second period the Vees continued to pour on the pressure, putting puck after puck on goal but none of the nineteen shots beat the Slammers goaltender. The Vees had two power-play chances and again couldn’t convert on several quality opportunities.

The Slammers turned the tide, all be it briefly, when they opened the scoring on a turnover behind the Vees net. The goaltender and defenseman got their signals crossed, allowing Chris Rygus to center a pass to Andrew Langan out front; the forward snapped a quick shot through the legs of Mike Garteig at 15:21.

The Vees didn’t waiver and quickly squared the game at one’s off the stick of Ryan Reilly. The future Minnesota Golden Gopher let go a wrist shot that handcuffed Murphy from just inside the blue-line at 16:41; eighty seconds after the Slammers opened the scoring.

In the third the Vees were given an early power-play when Tim Campbell was sent to the penalty-box for interference. On the man-advantage, Joey Benik broke the deadlock on a tip in front of the Slammers net; Mike Reilly took a shot from the blue-line which Benik managed to redirect past the glove of Murphy at 2:41.

The Vees ran into penalty-trouble throughout the third, handing the Slammers four power-plays in the final fourteen minutes but managed to hold the Woodstock off the scoresheet. Mike Garteig stopped all seven shots he faced in the period, including a handful of key stops in the final minutes whilst the Vees were short-handed.

A video tribute to the 2012-2013 Penticton Vees.

And another video looking back at the Vees off the ice.

The Penticton Vees gathered one last time before they dispersed for the off-season. Thursday night at the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, the Vees handed out their 2012-2013 year-end awards.

Troy Stecher, Cam Amantea, Louie Nanne and Travis Blanleil all were multiple award winners, with Stecher taking home three himself. 15 awards in total were handed out in front of a healthy turnout of fans, sponsors and media partners.

My conversation with Stecher on his three awards and the finality of the season.

I also spoke with Blanleil, who talks about his Playoff MVP and Most Inspirational Awards.

2012-2013 Award Winners

Robert Skinner Courage Award: Troy Stecher

Most Improved Player: Louie Nanne

Best Conditioned Athlete: Jedd Soleway

Academic Achievement Award: Sam Mellor

Humanitarian Award: Louie Nanne

Unsung Hero: Brad McClure

Most Inspirational Player: Travis Blanleil

Fan Favourite Award: Cody DePourcq

Most Sportsmanlike: Cam Amantea

Leading Scorer: Wade Murphy

Vees-on-Vees Most Popular Player: Cam Amantea

Best Defenseman Award: Troy Stecher

Rookie of the Year: Ryan Gropp

Playoff MVP: Travis Blanleil

MVP: Troy Stecher

NHL Central Scouting released its final draft rankings today, ahead of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in New Jersey in June. Jedd Soleway and Chad Katunar were two of seven BCHL’ers who made the the grade.

Soleway is ranked 131st among North American skaters, joining Adam Tambellini (42nd), David Pope (67th), Luke Ripley (86th), Nolan De Jong (111th) and Kevin Guiltinan (162nd).

Chad Katunar is ranked 28th among North American goalies, five spots up from his mid-season ranking of 33rd. Katunar was one spot behind Adam Clark of Salmon Arm but he’s no longer on the list.

Congrats to both Jedd and Chad and maybe, just maybe, they get their names called in June.

CJHL Release:

Fifteen CJHL players were identified in the Final Rankings for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft released today. Surrey Eagles forward Adam Tambellini is the recipient of the Top NHL Prospect Award as the highest ranked CJHL player at 42^nd on the North American Skaters list. 
 
The BCHL has the most players recognized in the list among Junio A league with seven. Tambellini was ranked 62^nd overall in the Midterm Rankings and climbed 20 spots.  The NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings included fourteen CJHL Players. 
 
Tambellini was a BCHL 2^nd Team-All Star and led the BCHL in goals during the 2013 Playoffs.  Tambellini scored the double-overtime goal for the Surrey Eagles to capture the 2013 Fred Page Cup.   Tambellini, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, has committed to the University of North Dakota (NCAA Division I) for the 2013-2014 Season.  He also earned a tryout with Team Canada West for the 2012 World Junior A Challenge.  Tambellini and the Surrey Eagles captured the BCHL Title and will now compete in the 2013 Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup in Nanaimo, BC from April 27 – May 5^th.  

Astonishing.

What else can be said about the Vees captain junior career? Troy Stecher was named on of five finalists for the CJHL’s newly created Top Defenseman Award Wednesday. I will catch up with the outgoing Captain about his three-year BCHL career, in the coming days.

CJHL Press Release

Vees Release:

The Penticton Vees Jr. ‘A’ Hockey Club is pleased to announce defenseman Troy Stecher (94) has been named one of five finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) 2013 Top Defenseman Award. This is the first time the award is presented on a national level and is one of five newly created national player awards.

Stecher, 19, just concluded his three-year BCHL career with the Penticton Vees. This past season, Stecher set career highs in goals (8) assists (36) and points (46) in 52 regular season games, and was named Interior Conference Defenseman of the Year. The Richmond, BC native was also named a First Team All-Star in the Interior Conference. In the post-season, Stecher led his team to their second consecutive Fred Page Cup Final and collected six assists in 15 playoff games.

Stecher is one of the most decorated players in the BCHL in recent memory. In 2012 Stecher was named a Second Team BCHL All-Star, and he was a double medalist with Team Canada West at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge tournament. Stecher won gold in 2011 in Langley, BC and silver in 2012 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Stecher is one of just three players to win a WJAC gold medal and the RBC Cup in the same season; the other two former Vees in Travis St. Denis and Curtis Loik. Stecher was named the Top Defenseman at the 2012 RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

Over his three-year career, Stecher amassed 22 goals and 130 points in 198 career games with the Penticton Vees. Including the 2012 Doyle and RBC Cup, Stecher played in 209 games. Stecher is off to the University of North Dakota this fall and will be joined by teammate Wade Murphy.

The first ever recipient of the CJHL Top Defenseman award will be announced during the week of May 6^th-10^th. The five new national player award categories include Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, Top Defenseman and Top Goalie.

What You Need to Know

The Penticton Vees are holding a year-end awards / fan appreciation night this Thursday at the BC Hockey Hall of Fame at the SOEC. The event gets going at 4pm as that’s when the Fan Appreciation event gets going and wraps up at 5:30pm

During that time, the public, free of charge, is welcomed to stop by the rink and make their way up the the BC Hockey Hall of Fame to mingle with the Penticton Vees. Players and staff will be on hand for a meet and greet, answer your questions, take pictures and sign autographs.

At 5:30pm the awards ceremony part of the night gets going, as there will be a stage at the back of the BC Hockey Hall of Fame. The public is welcomed to stay and watch the Vees handout their year-end hardware. This is FREE TO THE PUBLIC; absolutely no charge. Again, come down anytime after 4pm to meet up with your favourite players and have the opportunity to say goodbye!

I understand there is some concern about the start time as this falls within working hours for some. I understand the frustration but there are some extenuating circumstances at play. One, the SOEC has been booked up for a major trade show this week, so our options are limited. Two, the players will be departing this weekend so the event has to be before Friday. It’s a time crunch and a  double-edged sword, as if we started the event later, there would be a group that had issue with a late start time. I hope this doesn’t effect to too many fans and I hope to see a lot of you on Thursday afternoon.

For complete event details, follow the link at the top of the page, as that will give you all the information on the event.

See you Thursday!

WATCH HERE

Just another feather in the cap for Ryan Gropp on a memorable rookie season. Congrats Gropp’er!

CJHL Press Release

The Penticton Vees Jr. ‘A’ Hockey Club is pleased to announce forward Ryan Gropp (96) has been named one of ten finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) 2013 Rookie of the Year Award. This is the first time the award is presented on a national level and is one of seven newly created national awards.

Gropp, 16, was named the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) Rookie of the Year last month, after tallying 12 goals and 31 points in 50 games. The Kamloops native was the youngest player in the BCHL in 2012-2013 and finished ninth in team scoring. In the Fred Page Cup Playoffs, Gropp kept up with his regular season pace, scoring four goals and finishing with nine points in 15 games, as the Vees fell to the Surrey Eagles in the Fred Page Cup Final.

Gropp also dawned the maple leaf this past season, suiting up for Team Pacific at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Gropp finished with two goals and three points in five games, helping Pacific to a top-five finish in Drummondville, Quebec.

The CJHL will pair-down the Top 10 to a group of five finalists for the national award this week. The first ever recipient of the CJHL Rookie of the Year award will be announced during the week of May 6^th-10^th. The seven new national award categories include Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, Top Defenseman, Top Goalie, as well as Coach of the Year and Top NHL Prospect.