2012 Vees were on fire
EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, over the next 150 days, The Herald will be publishing historic stories from the South Okanagan, starting at the present and working our way backwards.
It was a magical season in which the Penticton Vees steamrolled the opposition, shattered a 22-year B.C. Hockey League record for wins and set a North American record 42-game winning streak and were the favourites to win the 2012 RBC Cup.
The Vees were the No. 1 ranked Jr. A team for half the season and set several BCHL records, but the goal throughout the year was to win a national championship.
After losing to the Soo Thunderbirds in the tournament opener, the Vees experienced a heart-breaking 3-2 overtime loss to the host Humboldt Broncos.
With their season virtually on the line, the Vees had to win their third game if they wanted any chance at claiming the city’s first Junior A National title since the Penticton Knights in 1986.
Joey Benik’s power-play goal at 2:41 of the third period snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Vees a crucial 2-1 win over the Woodstock Slammers and moved them back into contention with one game remaining in round-robin action.
The next game they trailed the Portage Terriers 1-0 going into the third, but pushed through adversity to take a 3-1 victory and a berth in the semi-final.
There they avenged their previous 2-1 loss to the Thunderbirds shutting out the flock 3-0.
It was expected the Vees would be playing the host Broncos, who were 4-0 in round robin, however, the hosts were upset 4-3 in overtime by the gutsy Slammers.
The Vees jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead in the championship, but the Slammers responded with three straight goals including the go-ahead marker early in the third.
But as they’d done throughout cup play, the Vees stuck with their game plan and pushed through adversity. First, Bryce Gervais tied it at three with less than nine minutes to play.
Then, when it appeared the teams would be heading to overtime, the Slammers took a penalty, setting the scene for more Benik magic.
Benik took a feed from Travis St. Denis and fired a close-range shot that found the back of the Slammers’ goal, and, as they say, the rest is history.
Vees forward Cody DePourcq was able to share the victory with his dad, John, who was a member of the 1986 national championship team.
The Vees 4-3 victory capped off a season in which the squad finished with an overall record of 7410-0-2, including 20-6 in the playoffs.
The team and coaching staff appeared in a victory parade along Main Street a couple days later.
Virtually everyone went on to play at the collegiate level, while three members of the championship team were picked in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Of those, only defenceman Mike Reilly is in the NHL. Drafted in the fourth round, 98th overall by Columbus, Reilly was dealt to the Minnesota Wild, where the rookie has a goal in 16 games this season.
Forward Mario Lucia was drafted in the second round, 60th overall by Minnesota, and is currently playing for the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League.
Forward Steven Fogarty was taken in the third round, 72th overall by the New York Rangers and is currently with their top AHL affiliate (Hartford Wolf Pack).
Three other members of the team — defenceman Troy Stecher, forward Joey Benik and goalie Michael Garteig — signed freeagent deals with NHL teams, and came back to Penticton to represent their new teams at the annual Young Stars Classic tournament this past September at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Richmond, B.C. native Stecher after winning a NCAA Division 1 national championship with North Dakota in the spring of 2016 — signed with his hometown Vancouver Canucks and has played 47 games with the Canucks in 2016-17, registering two goals.
Benik signed with the Edmonton Oilers and is currently playing for their affiliate in the East Coast Hockey League (Norfolk Admirals) after starting out with Bakersfield of the AHL.
Garteig signed with the Canucks, played briefly with Utica in the AHL, and is now with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL.
Forward Bryce Gervais signed a two-year contract with Chicago Wolves of the AHL and is hoping to garner some interest from NHL teams.
Local favourite Cody DePourcq played three more seasons with the Vees after winning the national title and is currently in his sophomore season at Bentley University.