Vees continue to tinker during the off-season
It’s been a busy week for the Penticton Vees, who swung a handful of trades to land a player at each position.
The moves started Tuesday with the acquisition of goaltender Kaeden Lane from the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Going back the other way was overage goaltender Carl Stankowski, who got into 18 games with the Vees last season as backup to starter Yaniv Perets.
Lane, who turns 19 in October, spent the past two seasons in Grande Prairie. He appeared in 30 contests last season and turned in a 3.07 goals-against average and 0.899 save percentage.
The five-foot-11, 170-pound native of Medicine Hat picked up 31 wins in 74 career games in Grande Prairie, after playing minor hockey with the Burnaby Winter Club.
The deals continued Wednesday with a three-team trade that saw the Vees add 19-yearold BCHL veterans defenceman Ben Wozney and forward Ryan Upson.
Wozney recorded four goals and 22 assists to go along with 30 penalty minutes in 58 games last season with the Powell River Kings. The six-foot-two, 170-pound native of Richmond got into 27 games in the 2018-19 campaign with the Kings. He’s committed to Bowling Green University for 2021-22.
Upson suited up for 54 games last season with the West Kelowna Warriors, recording three goals and nine assists. The left-handed shot, who measures five-foot-11, 170 pounds, played minor hockey with the West Vancouver Academy.
In exchange for the new pair, the Vees dealt forward Liam Noble, a local product, and defenceman Carson Hemenway to the Notre Dame Hounds of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Noble carded one assist last year in 38 games with the Vees, while Hemenway failed to record a point in six games with the Vees after arriving in a trade from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
ICE CHIPS: Josh Niedermayer (D) has been invited to the Hockey Canada virtual U-17 development camp, July 19-25, which will use the internet instead of ice to teach the game. The 16-year-old is set to join his brother, Jackson, on the Vees in 2020-21…. Incoming import player Stefano Bottini (F) has been selected for Switzerland’s national U-20 camp, taking place July 14-25. He’ll be vying for a spot on the Swiss team that is set compete in the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championships in Alberta. Bottini, 18, has already suited up for his country 14 times at various tournaments, and spent last season on a U-20 club team.