Vees’ victory would be sweet in Penticton
As the Penticton Vees prepare to host the Nanaimo Clippers in tonight’s opening game of the Fred Page Cup final, two B.C. mayors have made a friendly wager.
The losing city’s mayor promises to wear the winner’s jersey during a public meeting.
Additionally, the losing mayor will make a $100 donation to a local charity of the other’s choice, Penticton’s John Vassilaki said.
On the line are Nanaimo bars and a bottle of South Okanagan wine.
The first two games in the championship series are tonight and Saturday at the South Okanagan Events Centre, both beginning at 7 p.m. The series then shifts to Vancouver Island for Games 3 and 4 scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Nanaimo.
A fifth game, if necessary, is Friday, May 20 in Penticton with a sixth game Sunday, May 22 in Nanaimo and a seventh game Tuesday, May 24 in Penticton.
Both teams enter what will be their final series of the season on 12-game winning streaks. For the first time, the BCHL champion will not challenge for the Canadian junior A championship.
“Blue is going to look good on Mayor (Leonard) Krog and I’m looking forward to those tasty Nanaimo bars,” Vassilaki said in a press release. “This is just a fun way to support all the hard work that the players on both teams have put in over the last year. Each team has faced a lot of obstacles and both Councils are proud of all they’ve accomplished. But there can only be one winner: Go Vees, go!”
This could be a low-scoring series. Goaltender Cooper Black, 20, has been a brick wall for Nanaimo. He leads the BCHL with a .953 save percentage and three shutouts. He is also tied for the top goalsagainst average with a mark of 1.54. He posted three straight shutouts between rounds two and three, going over 11 periods without surrendering a goal.
Kaeden Lane is tied with Black for the best goals-against average in the playoffs at 1.54 and has the second-best save percentage with a mark of .939. The teams last met in the BCHL finals in 2015 when Penticton won the best-of-seven final in six games.