Pre-season games important too
It might not count in the standings, but the Penticton Vees only pre-season home game is far from meaningless.
The Vees take on the West Kelowna Warriors tonight in a 7 p.m. puck-drop, with Penticton not playing at home again until they face the same Warriors team in the BCHL regular season homeopener Sept. 29 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
“We talked about it at length with the guys,” said Vees president, GM and head coach Fred Harbinson. “It might not count in the standings but it always does when you’re on the ice. It’s going to be a while before we’ll get to play in front of our fans again.”
Harbinson said the Vees will dress close to the same lineup that will open the regular season Sept. 8 in Merritt.
With key forwards Massimo Rizzo and Grant Cruikshank sidelined through the first week or two of the regular season with upperbody injuries, the Vees have 21 players available. Only 11 of those are forwards, meaning seven of the eight defencemen will dress.
Harbinson said the Vees will sit one defenceman tonight, as well as in the other two road pre-season games Friday and Saturday against the two-time defending Alberta league champion Brooks Bandits.
Harbinson said Cruikshank – the Vees goalscoring leader of a season ago – is projected to return right after the Bauer Showcase Tournament in Chilliwack Sept. 20-24.
“We’ll know more with Rizzo by the end of this week but we’re hopeful it won’t be as long for him,” said Harbinson.
The coach said the silver lining with the injuries is it gives some other players the chance to take on an expanded role right away.
Defenceman Kenny Johnson, who missed the entire playoffs with a shoulder injury, played in the Peaches Cup intra-squad game Friday.
“Kenny is ready to go,” said Harbinson. “He packed on lots of muscle in the off-season and he tested real well, looked great on the ice. There is no concern there at all.”
All the Vees returnees produced better results in the fitness testing on Saturday than they did before last season.
“The guys put in the work and the first-year guys tested well, too,” said Harbinson. “We’ve been trying to get all our systems work in and the new guys have done a superb job picking it up. We’ve had some terrific video and teaching sessions. It’s coming together real well.”
Harbinson said the goaltending with returnee Nolan Hildebrand and Adam Scheel has been exceptional early, and added the defence looks deep and solid.
“Obviously things will change when you get two top-end guys like Cruikshank and Rizzo back, but I like what we have up front,” said Harbinson. “(Cassidy) Bowes has been great in camp and has the versatility to play centre or wing. (Centre) Jared Nash has been fantastic from the get-go. A kid like (rookie) Jack Barnes had a very good camp and exceeded what we had expected of him coming in.
“But there is a long, long way to go. Can guys continue to elevate when the game elevates? It’s a process and we’ll have to continue to work with these guys and demonstrate patience.”
Meanwhile, a number of Vees alumni members have been skating with the team during the preseason. Defenceman Griffin Mendel, bound for University of Denver this fall, played in the Peaches Cup game.
Defenceman Dante Fabbro, a first-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2016 who is entering his sophomore year at Boston University, skated with the Vees on Monday and Tuesday.
Forward Cody DePourcq – a local product who had the distinction of playing in two RBC Cups with the Vees (winning in 2012) – has also been suiting up as he prepares for his junior season at Bentley University.
“We’ve always said, once you’re part of the Vees program, you’re always a part of it,” said Harbinson. “It only upgrades the quality of the camp and practises, and it gives guys a vision of where you need to be to get to that level, and that it’s possible to get there by playing (in Penticton).”