Vees embarking on regular season as defending champions
Penticton adds more firepower ahead of facing Merritt tonight
The defending-champion Penticton Vees have bolstered their forward ranks ahead of their 2017-18 B.C. Hockey League regularseason opener tonight (7 p.m.) in Merritt.
Henry Enebak, a 1998-born right-handed shooting winger from Prior Lake, Minn., was signed after a stellar four seasons with Lakeville North High in the U.S. High School Hockey League.
Enebak is eligible to return to the Vees next season before heading to St. Cloud State University on a scholarship in the fall of 2019.
Vees president, GM and head coach Fred Harbinson was a long-time assistant coach at St. Cloud and that connection enabled Penticton to secure the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder.
“He gives us another big body, another right-handed shot that can play a strong two-way game,” said Harbinson. “He’s a former captain from a real good program that checks out as a great character kid.”
Enebak racked up 85 goals and 178 points in 157 games and played in two of the prestigious Minnesota State high school tournaments, scoring twice with four assists in eight games.
Enebak will be in the Vees’ lineup tonight wearing No. 25.
With injuries ruling out forwards Grant Cruikshank, Massimo Rizzo and Jack Barnes, the Vees will dress 11 forwards and seven defencemen. The Vees now have a full 23-man roster.
Harbinson said the players are pumped going into the season after winning all four of their pre-season games.
“The younger guys had ear-to-ear smiles after those two games on the weekend against Brooks (Bandits) that were so intense and physical,” said Harbinson. “It gets ramped up even more now with points in the standings on the line starting (tonight).”
The Vees — shooting for an unprecedented seventh straight Interior pennant — pride themselves on being a structured team, but Harbinson said a lot of that goes out the window in Merritt.
“You’ve almost got to dummy the game down, just filter pucks and funnel bodies to the net,” said Harbinson. “You’re not going to score a lot of end-to-end highlight-reel goals off the rush. You’ve got to be prepared to get some dirt under your fingernails.”
The coach said the forwards lines will be “a bit of a mish-mash” because of the 11 and 7 configuration.
“With guys like (Ben) Allen, (Cassidy) Bowes and (Jackson) Keane who can play centre and wing, we’ve got some versatility. Going 11 and 7 is no big deal. A lot of NHL teams do it. We’ll be fine,” Harbinson said.
As for Merritt, Harbinson said they have had some player turnover, but still a solid nucleus from the team that pushed the Vees to seven games in the second round of last year’s playoffs. Penticton product Tyrell Buckley, a 20-year-old defenceman, is among the returnees.
He said the Centennials are always a hardworking, grinding team that is historically very strong at home, and are led by outstanding returning 20-year-old goalie Jacob Berger.
“We always get everyone else’s A-game and that’s the way it should be,” Harbinson said. “We’re not going to sneak up and surprise anyone.”
The injuries to three key forwards aside, Harbinson is excited about the skill, speed, depth and upside on this year’s edition of the Vees.
He said the Vees have a great mix of forwards — rookies, returning veterans, size, skill, speed and versatility — that will also have lots of competition from within when Cruikshank, Rizzo and Barnes return in the coming weeks.
“You saw it last season . . . that depth helps you win in a long playoff series,” said Harbinson. Harbinson agreed mobility, skating and puck-moving are the operative words on the young blueline, led by Jonny Tychonick, Luke Reid and NHL draft picks Nicky Leivermann and Ryan O’Connell. Returning vets like Kenny Johnson, Joe Leahy and Grey Brydon provide stability, size and some snarl.
It was no small compliment when Harbinson said the group of seven on defence offers the most upside of any group the Vees have had.
“There is going to be a learning curve early for sure, but I don’t know that we’ve had a group that can grow like this,” Harbinson said. In goal, there is no clear-cut No. 1 yet, with Harbinson planning to rotate second-year man Nolan Hildebrand and prized rookie Adam Scheel in the first month or so of the season.
“Both guys have looked real good — Hildebrand looks way more composed and comfortable this year, and Scheel came back with a real strong game against Brooks,” said Harbinson, adding he hasn’t decided who will get the start against Merritt.
The Vees also play a road game in Salmon Arm on Sept. 15 and games against Alberni Valley and Chilliwack at the annual Bauer BCHL Showcase Tournament on Sept. 22-23 in Chilliwack before finally playing their home opener Sept. 29 versus West Kelowna.
“Our division, with a real quality Wenatchee team joining this season, is going to be stronger than ever,” said Harbinson. “It’s going to be a huge challenge. We’re going to have our ups and downs, but we’ve got the building blocks to work with and I think we’ll have a really exciting and entertaining team for the fans of Penticton.”
ICE CHIPS: Eight games are on tap to start the season tonight, including Vernon Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks launching a home-and-home series in Salmon Arm, and West Kelowna Warriors travelling to Trail. Wenatchee is the only team idle on opening night, with the Wild opening Saturday in Merritt.