Beautiful goals may get all the attention for the Penticton Vees, but a critical piece for the hockey club isn’t about to fly under the radar
“You are right, but it does all start in the defensive zone,” said Vees blue liner Dixon Bowen. “To get those nice highlight goals, the coaches know it is not all about offence. The guys back on defence are doing their jobs really well which leads to those success on the scoreboard.”
As the saying goes, the best offence is a good defence. While having NHL-draft prospect Dante Fabbro and veteran Colton Poolman has helped the Vees succeed, a 17-year-old defenceman is also doing his part. Griffin Mendel, one of only a handful of 1999-born players left amongst BCHL playoff teams, lives to stop the BCHL’s best in their tracks.
“He is a solid defenceman that can shut down top lines consistently,” said Bowen, who has logged a lot of minutes with Mendel in the past month. “If we are on the rush and the puck accidentally gets turned over, I know he will be back there to shut down the other team.”
In times of emergency being the first responder is exactly how Mendel fell into the position.
“My first year playing hockey was as a forward, but my coach told me I would be a natural defenceman because I was always the first player back in our zone to help,” said Mendel, an honour roll student who plans to pursue medicine at Denver University where he committed to the Pioneers earlier this year.
Chosen in 2014 by the Kootenay Ice in the first round of Western Hockey League draft, Mendel decided to join the Vees this season. After all he was use to the place, having played right next door with the Okanagan Hockey Academy’s Prep White team who he won a Canadian Sport School Hockey League championship with.
“I got to see how things were run with the Vees and it played a part in my choice to join the team. I wanted the opportunity to expand my game, playing in different situations,” said Mendel.
Plenty of opportunity for the 6’4 defenceman to do that this year. He was selected to play for Team Canada at the U17 world championships, where he won a gold medal. Not his first crack at international competition either. In his bantam year he competed with a Kelowna team at the International Children’s games held in Russia.
“Playing against those top players from all different countries really pushed myself to become a better player,” said Mendel.
Penticton Vees coach/GM/president Fred Harbinson said he has seen Mendel’s confidence grow over the season with the extra ice time he has logged having defenceman Gabe Bast injured for a good chunk of the year.
“Not a lot of 16-year-olds get that kind of time and it has benefitted him greatly. It thrust him into a bigger role than most kids get at that age,” said Harbinson. “Poolman and Fabbro get a lot of responsibility for us but we aren’t shy to put Griffen out against any player.”
As Mendel put it, he grabs on to any opportunity that presents itself and works hard to prove he should be there.
“He just keeps getting better. He understands what it takes to be recognized as one of the top players in his age bracket throughout the country and is not one of the kids to sit back happy with it once he gets there, he will continue to work to get even better,” said Harbinson.
Ice Chips:
Home ice seems to be the advantage for both the Vees and West Kelowna Warriors in the second round of the BCHL playoffs.
The Vees handily dispatched the Warriors in Game 1 and 2 at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Heading up Highway 97 to West Kelowna for Game 3 the Vees lost 2-1.
Game 4 of the series was played in West Kelowna on Tuesday after press deadline. The Vees will host the Warriors on Friday for Game 5 at the SOEC at 7 p.m.
For game stories and more photos visit pentictonwesternnews.com/sports.