Game Preview: (GM 1) Vees at Spruce Grove Saints
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 6:00 pm PDT
Location: Grant Fuhr Area, Spruce Grove
Radio: Bounce 800 AM
Webcast: Flo Hockey
Season Series
September 20 Penticton Vees at Spruce Grove Saints
October 20 Penticton Vees at Spruce Grove Saints
February 28 Spruce Grove Saints at Penticton Vees
March 14 Spruce Grove Saints at Penticton Vees
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2024-25 Record: GP 0 0-0-0-0, 0 PTS
Last Game: 6-0 win versus Salmon Arm, September 14 (preseason)
Home: 0-0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0-0
GF: 0
GA: 0
Power Play: 0/0
Penalty Kill: 0/0
Scoring Leader:
The Vees open the 2024-25 BCHL regular season tonight against the Spruce Grove Saints at Grant Fuhr Arena. It’s a two-game opening weekend road trip for Penticton, as they face the Sherwood Park Crusaders tomorrow.
The Vees wrapped up their BCHL exhibition schedule last Saturday, knocking off the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 6-0. Penticton went 2-1-1-0 over their four-game preseason schedule.
Penticton has returned 11 players from last season’s squad that finished two wins short of a third consecutive Fred Page Cup title. Leading the returning crop is newly minted captain Conyr Hellyer. The 20-year-old is entering his fourth and final season of junior hockey. Hellyer is one of five returning forwards. Also back upfront is Simon Meier, Max Heise, Carson Lesiuk, and Anselmo Rego.
Back on the blueline are Matthew Biotti, Brock Reinhart, and Nolan Stevenson. Penticton also returned all three goaltenders from last season: Will Ingemann, Andrew Ness, and Sharky Nowek.
Thursday, the team announced Rego as an Alternate Captain, as he rounds out the leadership group. Rego joins Captain Conyr Hellyer and fellow Alternates in Brock Reinhart and Nolan Stevenson.
Ingemann gets the start in goal tonight. The 19-year-old had a great rookie campaign a year ago, posting a 22-6-1-0 record, with a 1.85 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. He also had six shutouts.
Tonight is the debut of a dozen fresh faces, including 15-year-old Eli McKamey. In May the BCHL granted his exceptional status, the first player to receive such an honour in the league’s history. McKamey will be on line with Conyr Hellyer and Ryden Evers.
Tonight, is the first of four meetings between the two teams, as the BCHL has a fully integrated schedule with the five Alberta teams that joined midseason last season. There is history between the Vees and Saints. These two teams met at the 2015 Western Canada Cup in Fort McMurray. The Vees beat Spruce Grove 11-3 in the round robin. The Saints were coached by now Vees’ Assistant Coach Jason McKee.
Spruce Grove Saints
Head Coach: Ryan Marsh
2024-25: GP 0 0-0-0-0, 0 PTS
Last Game: 7-1 loss at Sherwood Park, September 15 (preseason)
Home: 0-0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0-0
GF: 0
GA: 0
Power Play: 0/0
Penalty Kill: 0/0
Scoring Leader:
The Saints open the 2024-25 season as one of five new Alberta teams that joined the league las January. Spruce Grove, Sherwood Park, Okotoks, Brooks, and Blackfalds are now a part of the 11-team Interior Conference.
The Saints finished the 2023-24 season with a 26-34-5-1 record, fifth out of the five-team Alberta Division. The were swept in a best-of-five series by Okotoks in the playoffs.
Spruce Grove has nine returning players back from last season’s squad. They also added Max Seguin in the offseason. Seguin, 20, played for the Bonnyville Pontiacs last year, where he had 50 points in 55 games, third best on the team.