The Penticton Vees in action against the Portage Terriers Tuesday, April 28, 2015.
Image Credit: Penticton Vees
March 24, 2025 - 6:00 PM
The Penticton Vees and Kelowna Rockets are set to be an entertaining rivalry now that both teams are in the Western Hockey League as of next season.
The Vees leadership and Penticton’s mayor had some fighting words for the Rockets at a press conference today, March 24, about the team joining the WHL.
“I really want to kick Kelowna’s butt,” Vees owner Graham Fraser said.
Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield mentioned the $7.9 million in direct economic impact and $14.9 in indirect economic impact, but he also mentioned wanting to beat the Rockets.
“We can enjoy the rivalry with Kelowna and Kamloops and create some new ones,” Bloomfield said. “We're playing Kelowna in the first game, right? So, you know, we're looking for that victory there, right there. And that'll be the start of the way that we're going to carry on.”
The Vees are going to be participating in the WHL Expansion Draft on May 7 as well as the WHL Prospects Draft, WHL U.S. Priority Draft and CHL Import Draft. The team is recruiting 15 players to expand the team to 50 players in the hopes of starting its tenure in the league off strong with the first game against Kelowna in September.
Since the Rockets are a fierce competitor and the host of the next Memorial Cup, Vees head coach Fred Harbinson made a sarcastic remark about the team's first match being a dive into the deep end of the WHL.
“It's going to be be pretty special. Just the way we do things, we just ease into everything, right? The host for the Memorial Cup. Let's get right into it,” Harbinson said.
The Vees are known for affordable tickets and that isn’t supposed to change now. Harbinson said there are going to be various flex passes, payment plans and kids 12 and under are still going to get in for free.
A big reason for the team’s expansion now is the fact that the National College Athletics Association changed a rule.
In August, the NCAA allowed players in the WHL to go on to play in college and prior to the rule change players had to stay in the BCHL in order to play in college.
WHL commissioner Dan Near said the NCAA change is incredibly significant since players no longer have to choose between the WHL and higher education.
“Some would argue more has changed in junior hockey in the last six months than the last six years. And make no mistake, it's not done changing,” the WHL commissioner Dan Near said.
The Vees are expanding to join the WHL but it still owns a BCHL franchise and has plans to find another location to stay in the league.
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