Struggling Vees no longer ranked in CJHL’s top 20

Riding a three-game losing skid, the Penticton Vees fell out of the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings for the first time in recent memory.

The Vees opened the season at No. 1 and lived up to the top billing by starting off with eight wins and a tie. Since then, the Vees have gone 2-5-1 in their last eight.

The Thief River Falls Norskies, undefeated in Superior International league play, maintained their No. 1 ranking.

Carleton Place Canadians (Central Canada league) moved up two spots to No. 2, Battleford North Stars (Saskatchewan league) dropped one slot to No. 3, Les Cobras de Terrebonne (Quebec league) fell to No. 4, while the Okotoks Oilers (Alberta league) jumped two spots to No. 3.

The only BCHL teams ranked are the Trail Smoke Eaters at No. 15 after coming into the week unranked, and the Vernon Vipers at No. 18 after coming into the week with an honourable mention.

The Vees (10-5-1-1) will look to get back in the win column as they face Vernon in a home-and-home this weekend, with the Interior arch-rivals meeting Friday at 7 p.m. in Penticton and Saturday at 6 p.m. in Vernon.

The teams have met twice this season, with the Vees winning at home and settling for a tie in Vernon on Oct. 6-7. The Vees will be without forward Massimo Rizzo and defenceman Luke Reid again this weekend, as the 16-year-old stars are playing for Canadian entries at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge that wraps up Saturday in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

ICE CHIPS: The Vees suddenly are just three points ahead of last-place Merritt and one point up on sixth-place Salmon Arm in the Interior Division. The Vees do, however, have four games in hand on both clubs . . . . The Vees’ power play is up to eighth in the BCHL at 17.9 per cent, while the penalty killing is No. 1 at 87.2 per cent . . . . The Vees have scored the fewest goals of the seven Interior teams with 52, while also allowing the fewest at 43.