Vees Get Big Gun Back For Visit To Vernon:

This is in the Penticton Herald newspaper:

Vees get big gun back for visit to Vernon

David Crompton/Penticton Herald

Jan 14 2020

The Penticton Vees are getting healthy at the right time.

Penticton will get top scorer Jay O’Brien back for Wednesday’s road game against the Vernon Vipers after the 20-year-old centre missed 11 games due to injury.

Vees GM/head coach Fred Harbinson said the team was being cautious with O’Brien, who is now tied for the club lead in scoring with David Silye and Lukas Sillinger at 47 points.

O’Brien was a 2018 first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers.

“We wanted to give it the full six weeks after the initial prognosis,” said Harbinson. “We’ll have a full lineup of 12 forwards and six defencemen (for tonight).”

Forward Drew Elser, signed by the Vees before Friday’s roster deadline, is expected to suit up on Friday at home against Merritt.

“He’s looked great in practice,” said Harbinson. “Drew hasn’t played since last season (due to concussion issues) so we give him another full week of practice here and bring him back in a home-ice environment.”

Centre Danny Weight, who leads the Vees in goals with 19, will also make it back in time from playing in the CJHL Prospects Game in Hamilton on Tuesday night.

“It worked out well … we’ll be picking him up at the Kelowna airport on the way to Vernon,” the coach said.

The only injured player is defenceman Cade Webber, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

The Vees added some defensive depth by acquiring 17-year-old Carson Hemenway from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at the trade deadline. Hemenway is expected to arrive in Penticton today.

“He’s a young kid with some experience and ability who gives us depth and would be able to return with us next season,” said Harbinson.

The Vees are coming off an emotional “World Championship Weekend” where they split a home-and-home series with the Trail Smoke Eaters.

“It was a terrific weekend,” said Harbinson, noting the Vees created a strong buzz in the community with the 1955 world-championship replica jerseys and legendary Vees goaltender Ivan McLelland dropping the puck for the ceremonial faceoff.

“From the game standpoint, it was kind of like a playoff weekend where we didn’t get rewarded for our efforts in the game in Trail, but we were able to man up, adjust and play a real strong game at home and get a big two points.”

It leaves the Vees (32-11-1-1) 10 points ahead of Trail as they bid for a ninth straight Interior Division pennant, with the Vees also holding the tiebreaker. Trail hosted Merritt on Tuesday.

“We got the split and that really puts the pressure on them now if they’re going to catch us,” said Harbinson.

Harbinson is expecting a tough test from a Vernon team that has won three straight games, added a key player at the trade deadline and is also getting healthier for the stretch drive to the playoffs.

Vernon picked up Max Bulawka in a deal with West Kelowna Warriors. Bulawka has 16 goals on the season, while another former Warriors forward, Matt Kowalski, leads the Vipers with 23 goals and 44 points (tied for ninth in the BCHL).

Vernon (23-17-1-1) is in third place, eight points behind Trail and two points up on both Wenatchee and Salmon Arm.

“They’ve got some more depth now and they’re scoring more goals,” said Harbinson.

Still, games between Vernon and Penticton have been low-scoring this season. The Vees have a 3-1-1 record against the Vipers, with the teams meeting one more time Feb. 1 in Penticton.

“It’s always a chess match when you play (Vernon),” said Harbinson. “They don’t give you much so you have to play a bit of a patient game. Scoring the first goal is important.”

Harbinson said a 2-0 loss in Vernon on Dec. 13 marked the start of a turnaround of sorts for the Vees. Penticton has gone 7-1-1 since, including 4-1 and 3-1 wins over Vernon.

“We’ve just done a lot of better job of getting to the net ever since that game,” said Harbinson. “We got 42 shots on goal and didn’t score and it showed everyone the importance of getting more bodies and pucks to the net.

“In general, I just like the way we’ve been playing. We’ve just got to stay focused and keep integrating the things we’ve worked on into our game. We know the playoffs aren’t that far away now.”

After Wednesday’s game, the Vees will have just one of their remaining 12 games on the road – a visit to West Kelowna next Tuesday. The Vees finish up with nine straight home games – 11 straight considering they will open the first round of the playoffs at the SOEC.

ICE CHIPS: Game time Wednesday at Kal Tire Place is 7 p.m... Fittingly, the Vees first goal in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Trail was 19 from 55 (Liam Malmquist from Carson Kosobud) at the 7:09 mark of the first period … Trail has the top three players in the scoring race with the Vees having the next four (Silye, Sillinger and O’Brien with 47 points and Weight with 45).