Big crowd greets victorious Vees on return home from latest Cup conquest

It was a déjà vu love-in.

Almost one year ago to the day, the 2021-22 Penticton Vees arrived home by bus from a Vancouver Island city (Nanaimo) after winning the BCHL's top prize, the Fred Page Cup. Waiting for them were a couple hundred of their staunchest fans. And the love-in began.

Thursday night the joyous scene was replicated. Just after 6 pm the Vees bus pulled into the SOEC parking lot following another amazing 16-1 post-season that ended with them hoisting the Cup in a Van Isle city. And again the love-in began.

Amongst the hardcore fan group were folks like John Anderson, who said he worked for the team for six years as a "Jack of all trades." He spent 2015 through 2020 with the Vees and calls the time "the most wonderful working years of my entire life."

Also on hand were hubby and wife Bob Morrison and Shelley Chambers, who said they showed up on this night rather than waiting for an official celebration because "they're bringing the Cup home tonight."

Morrison and Chambers have been season ticket holders for eight years, ever since they moved to Penticton from the lower mainland, and will continue to be next year when half the team will be newcomers and stars like the Nadeau bothers have moved on to college.

"They've lost players before and they're always good," said Morrison.

Allen Page and son Clark both wore Vees sweaters and called themselves part of "Vees Nation."

"They're just an amazing team," said Allen. "They always rise to the challenge. They have great coaches who get them that way."

What's more, the Pages were one of two groups we spoke with Thursday night who said they'll be getting their first-ever season tickets in 2023-24, during a rebuild year. That sort of commitment must be music to the ears of those in the Vees head office.

A smiling Alex Fitchett wore a homemade uniform with Josh Nadeau's name and number on the front and bother Bradly's name and number on the back.

"I started to go to Vees games with my school when I was younger," she said. "Then last year my friend and I would go all the time. We like the dream team -- Bradly, Josh, Luca, Smitty, Beanie and Cal."

Fitchett's grandma said they'll be getting seasons tickets next year, even with the exit of several star players.

"Fred's still here," she explained, referring to team coach and architect Fred Harbinson, who many credit with the team's seemingly never-ending dominance. "So we'll be there too."

Also in the crowd was Pentictonite Gary Scatchard, who with wife Shelie Best has billeted Vees players each of the past ten years. This year it was goaltender Luca Di Pasquo, who Scatchard called "an awesome kid."

When the Vees bus finally pulled in, the place went understandably crazy. Exiting first, proudly carrying the cup, was centre Spencer Smith. Smith was knocked out of the final game and into hospital after a vicious first period hit, but has since staged a miraculous recovery.

Several other players paraded the Cup through the crowd before the team and fans alike gathered, like they did last year, for a giant-sized group shot on the SOEC stairs.

And then it was time to chat with Harbinson, who'd lost most of his voice during and after the Wednesday Cup-winner.

"I didn’t get to bed last night," he laughed.

We wanted to know what makes the Vees the Vees. What is it that keeps them at or near the top year after year?

"It's because we work hard," he said. "Like, I'm tired today, but I'll start work early tomorrow. We've already built our team for next year. We don’t sit down and sit back on what we've already done.

"When a player wants to come here, they look at what the coaches will do for them, what the fans are like, what the facility and the town is like, what the billets are like. And we have a unique situation here. This is something that's been built over a long time."

Harbinson believes that even in a year where most of the team's top performers will age-out and/or graduate to the next level, the Vees will continue to be strong.

"There's a new group coming in," he said, "and we'll be inexperienced. But we'll have a ton of talent again. People will count us out, but I have a sneaking suspicion we'll be a good team."

At 19 years of age, right-winger Josh Nadeau, one of the BCHL's finest players over the past two seasons and the top point-getter league-wide during the just completed playoffs, is one of those who'll be leaving.

He's headed for the University of Maine, where he says he'll study business and play college hockey.

"I'm definitely going to miss it here," he said Thursday between posing for pics. "I'll miss it a lot. All these great fans. The weather. It's just a great city."

Nadeau's brother Bradly, nearly two years his junior and just as proficient on the ice (he won the regular season scoring title and the playoff MVP trophy in 2022-23), is also headed to the University of Maine University, meaning the two could end up playing together well into the future.

Or not. Either or both could be drafted by a pro team.

"It's been great playing with Bradly," said Josh, adding that the two owe some of their success thus far in their careers to brotherly familiarization.

"Usually we'll make eye contact on the ice and know which play were going to run, " he said. "It makes our jobs easier on the ice."

Wednesday's Cup victory, he maintained, was just as sweet as that of 2021-22.

"Spencer's injury was definitely scary," he said. "All the guys were down a bit in the room. We came out a little flat in the second (period), but we finished with the win and that’s all that matters. We've been pulling games out all year.

And he had a few parting words for the town too.

"Thanks for all the support, Penticton," he said. "You've been great for us. We appreciate you guys."

As for bro Bradly, who turned 18 just last week and could conceivably stay in Penticton another year, the lure of moving up the ranks proved too great.

"I wish I could stay," he said with a smile. "The fans here are really good. But I think I'm ready to go into college next year. And I talked to the coaches and they said I was ready, so that's what I decided to do."

2022-23, he said, when he more than doubled his 2021-22 regular season point total -- an amazing jump from 46 to 113! -- was a breakthrough year.

"My confidence was really there this year, and that's a big thing in hockey. When that happens, you can tell you're ready for the next level. I wasn't the youngest guy on the team anymore and I knew what to expect and what the league was like. And that helped my confidence.''

And although he looks forward to joining Josh again next year at Maine, he's more excited about what opportunities await in the pros. He's currently ranked as a late first-round NHL pick.

"The biggest thing for me now is to get stronger physically," he said. "Faster skating, more explosive, stronger on the puck."

Still, he'll never forget his two years in Penticton.

"It's the best hockey I've had by far," he said. "The fans were really great for both years. And after we won this year, to see all the people here who really cared, it means everything to us.

"And to bring them two championships, that's the least we could do for them."