Arnott respects tradition
VEES SCOUTING REPORT
Name: Grayson Arnott Height: 5’9 Weight: 150 pounds Position: Defence Shot: Right Home: Toronto Age: 20
COACHING REPORT
An exceedingly cerebral player, whose hockey sense is elite. Rarely does Grayson make a poor decision, and will pick his spots offensively. Defensively, he uses a great stick and excellent body positioning. After being named the team’s top defenceman for the 2021 pod season, the coaches expect Arnott to be a leader, as he returns for his second season.
PLAYER BACKGROUND
From Toronto, Arnott played his midget hockey years with St. Andrew’s College. St. Andrew’s is one of Canada’s top hockey development programs and the Vees’ seem to recruit at least one player from the Aurora-based prep school every season.
Arnott’s favourite hockey moment came while playing there in his graduating season, “winning what we called the ‘Triple Crown,’ which had not been done for eight to 10 years at my school. We won the CIS league championship, our prestigious MacPherson tournament, and then the final part of the triple crown was the national championship, which was known as NISIC. The team we had that year was so tight, and we felt we just couldn’t lose. I had that similar feeling with the Vees team this past year.
“Hockey and the NHL have always been a big part of my life. Being from Toronto, I cheer for the Maple Leafs, and was lucky to go to games once in a while. The NHL players I try to model my game after are (Miro) Heiskanen on the Stars or (Jared) Spurgeon on the Wild.
“The person that inspires me would have to be my uncle Jason who played over 1,200 games in the NHL. I watched him play growing up, and now he’s always open for a chat and is a great resource to use and help me further my game.”
RECENT HOCKEY HIGHLIGHTS
“I joined the Vees last year around New Year’s, after my OJHL team never really got the season started. My top highlight had to be the first game of our three-team bubble, with Trail and Cranbrook. It was my first game in over a full calendar year, and it felt pretty amazing to be back. On top of that feeling, we had not only one but two D men leave the game. I had my cardio really tested for the first time in too long — it was so much fun.”
BEING A VEE
In response to what he appreciated most is his bubble season with the Vees, Arnott answered, “Definitely the culture — the culture of winning and tradition runs deep not only in the Vees dressing room but all around the arena and town. It had to be my first week in Penticton and it was at the end of a practice and we were going to do a little skate, and every time we stopped, we had to face towards the championship banners. At first, I didn’t understand why, and I was later told it’s to remember the teams before us who put in the work.
“In the locker room there’s photos of guys who have played for the Vees in the past and gone on to play college and some pro. The tradition of winning in Penticton is hard to ignore and why I love playing here.”
The Vees will begin their 2021/22 season on Friday, Oct. 8 in renewing a historic rivalry against the Vernon Vipers at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Season tickets for the upcoming campaign are now available to purchase with ticket packages available for as low as $9 per game. Laura Carleton by phone at 250493-8337, ext. 4 as well as email: laura@pentictonvees.ca This feature profiling this year’s team runs weekdays in The Herald.