GAME DAY: GM 36 Vees at Vernon Vipers
Photo: Jack Murray
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Game Time: 7:00 pm PT
Location: Kal Tire Place
Radio: Bounce 800 am
Webcast: Hockey TV
Penticton Vees
GM & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson
2022-23: GP 35 32-3-0-0, 1st Interior Conference
Home: 17-0-0-0
Away: 15-3-0-0
GF: 190
GA: 65
Power Play: 37.1% (1)
Penalty Kill: 83.7% (4)
Top Scorer: Bradly Nadeau (29-40-69)
Top Scorer vs. Vernon: Josh Nadeau (2-3-5)
| Last 5 Games | Next 5 Games |
| 5-3 W vs. Cowichan Valley (Jan. 14) | Jan. 28 at Cranbrook, 6:00 pm |
| 7-2 W @ Trail (Jan. 13) | Feb. 3 at Surrey, 7:00 pm |
| 3-0 L @ Prince George (Jan. 7) | Feb. 4 at Victoria, 7:00 pm |
| 3-0 W @ Prince George (Jan. 6) | Feb. 10 vs. Coquitlam, 7:00 pm |
| 6-3 W @ Vernon (Jan. 1) | Feb. 17 vs. West Kelowna, 7:00 pm |
| Season Series |
| 8-2 W @ Vernon, Oct. 15 |
| 6-2 W vs. Vernon, Nov. 11 |
| 6-3 W @ Vernon, Jan. 1 |
| Jan. 25 @ Vernon, 7:00 pm |
| Mar. 24 vs. Vernon, 7:00 pm |
Last Game: The Vees beat the Cowichan Valley Capitals 5-3 back on Jan. 14, before the week-long BCHL All-Star break. Bradly Nadeau, Josh Nadeau, and Spencer Smith each had a goal and an assist in that win. Brett Moravec and Nic DeGraves also scored for Penticton. The Vees won both games before the All-Star break, as they beat Trail 7-2 a night earlier.
Tonight’s Game: Penticton is back in action after an 11-day break. The Vees sit first in the Interior Conference, 15 points ahead of the second place Cranbrook Bucks. The Vees visits the Bucks on Saturday. Tonight, is the fourth if five meeting with the Vipers. These two teams last met New Year’s in Vernon, with the Vees winning 6-3. The Vees have won all three meetings against the Vipers this season, outscoring Vernon 20-7.
Penticton has been hit with the injury bug of late, but get some good news in Thomas Pichette. The veteran forward returns to the lineup tonight after missing the last nine games with an upper-body injury. Cal Arnott, Ben Brunette, and Billy Norcross remain week-to-week. Penticton will have a new face in the lineup in 15-year-old Jack Bakker. The forward, who plays at Delta Hockey Academy, will make his Vees debut tonight. Bakker recently committed to the Vees for the 2023-24 season.
Vernon Vipers
GM & Head Coach: Jason McKee
2022-23: GP 35 16-15-0-4, 6th Interior Conference
Home: 13-5-0-2
Away: 3-10-0-2
GF: 92
GA: 114
Power Play: 21.5% (6)
Penalty Kill: 86.7% (1)
Top Scorer: Reagan Milburn (11-18-29)
Top Scorer vs. Vees: Lee Parks (2-1-3)
| Last 5 Games | Next 5 Games |
| 5-2 L @ Cranbrook (Jan. 15) | Jan. 27 at Wenatchee, 7:05 pm |
| 4-1 W vs. Cowichan Valley (Jan. 13) | Jan. 28 at Wenatchee, 6:05 pm |
| 6-3 W vs. Merritt (Jan. 7) | Feb. 3 at Trail, 7:00 pm |
| 3-0 L @ Salmon Arm (Jan. 6) | Feb. 4 at Cranbrook, 6:00 pm |
| 6-3 L vs. Penticton (Jan. 1) | Feb. 11 vs. West Kelowna, 6:00 pm |
Last Game: Vernon had their two-game win streak snapped by the Cranbrook Bucks back on Jan. 15, losing 5-2 at Western Financial Place. It was a tight game through 40 minutes, as the teams were tied 1-1 going into the third period. The Bucks scored back-to-back goals to go up 3-1, before Walker Erickson made it a one-goal game for Vernon. Cranbrook sealed the win with two empty net goals inside the final two minutes. The Vipers have lost their last three road games, as they last won away from home on Dec. 10, against Salmon Arm (4-3 OT).
Up next: Vernon has won just three times on the road this season and after tonight, they play five of their next six games away from Kal Tire Place. The Vipers head across the border this weekend, as they take on Wenatchee in a doubleheader. Then, they go to the Kootenays for two games against Trail and Cranbrook next week. Entering this week’s action, the Vipers are two points back of the fifth-place Salmon Arm Silverbacks and just four points up on the eighth-place Trail Smoke Eaters.