With Denver Manderson and other quality players leaving the Penticton Vees, the shelves need restocking.
Fred Harbinson and his staff were pleased with the talent pool (160 players) at their spring camp, which started Thursday and wrapped up on Sunday.
Not only are the coaches excited about the players but the veteran and graduating Vees who helped out liked what they saw, said Harbinson.
“They were excited to see how much talent was there as far as who they were going to be playing with,” he said. “We should end up with a pretty good main training camp in August.”
Harbinson wouldn’t reveal names but said he was pleasantly surprised in what he saw in every position. Harbinson added there are always players they may not have seen much of who jump out.
Along with using the camp to keep the clubs’ on-ice future bright, the Vees also educated the players on the BCHL and the Vees with the options to consider — whether it’s playing junior A or major junior.
Between 40 to 48 players, including returnees, will attend training camp, which begins Aug. 23. Among the players returning are goalie Joel Rumpel, forwards Garrett Milan, Joey Holka, Logan Johnston and Stefan Nicholishen. On defence, it will be new captain Derik Johnson, Joey Laleggia and Byron Sorensen.
For video coverage of the camp, go to www.pentictonwesternnews.com.
Vees notes: Former Penticton Vee Andrew Pickering has earned an National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I scholarship with the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves for next season. The Vees blog reported that the 20-year-old will join the Seawolves for the 2010-11 season. Also earning a scholarship for next season is defenceman Bo Dolan who will join the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers.
Penticton Vees fans got a glimpse of some future players during the junior A club’s spring camp held in the Okanagan Hockey Academy Training Centre last weekend. There were 160 players attending.