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Penticton men’s hockey team reforms after 28 years, returns to Memorial Arena

Penticton Silver Bullets begin their quest for the Coy Cup against Powell River on Oct. 14
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The Silver Bullets are back in Penticton and their home opener couldn’t have been sweeter with back-to-back wins against the Powell River Regals.

Another chapter in the storybook history of Memorial Arena was written Friday night, Oct. 14, when the Okanagan’s only Senior AA team reformed and hit the ice for the first time in nearly 30 years.

The Penticton Silver Bullets, consisting of former NHL, AHL, college and junior hockey talent, hosted the Powell River Regals on both Friday and Saturday for the team’s first opening weekend since 1994.

After a thrilling 5-4 win Friday night, the Silver Bullets cruised to a 6-1 victory one night later against the Regals.

There was once a group of men who suited up for the Silver Bullets and proudly represented the Peach City across the province from 1989 until the team’s disbandment in the mid-1990s.

Matthew Fraser doesn’t want them to be forgotten.

“A good chunk of the players who played back then have remained in the Penticton community and they were extremely excited when they found out I brought the program back,” said Fraser, the Silver Bullets’ current captain, and former assistant coach of the Penticton Vees from 2016 to 2021. “We have a lot of pride in Penticton when it comes to hockey, whether it’s the Vees or the 1955 world championship, and the alumni that have remained in town really made me realize how special hockey is in our community.”

The reformed 2022-23 edition of the Silver Bullets consists of 18 skaters, ranging in age from 21 to 41. Just like 28 years ago, the roster features players from Kelowna to Osoyoos with professional, collegiate or junior experience. Though it remains unclear why the team disbanded, Penticton’s Central Interior Hockey League team from the 1990s enjoyed provincewide success on two different occasions.

Before winning a regional championship in 1994, the Silver Bullets captured the Coy Cup after the 1991-1992 season, the trophy distributed by BC Hockey to the Senior AA Amateur champions.

Fraser, who led the team’s efforts to reform and also owns a local athletic centre named after himself, says the Silver Bullets are back to recapture the prestigious senior men’s trophy after a three-decades hiatus.

“We’ve been talking to the former captains of the team, hearing special stories about the past and the championships they’ve won,” Fraser said. “Let the road to the Coy Cup begin.”

The Silver Bullets will play in a three-team conference this season with Powell River and the Rossland Warriors. Officially known league-wide as the Independent Division, the winner of the three-team will automatically advance to the 2023 Coy Cup tournament in the spring.

All home games at Memorial Arena are free admission and played on weekends.

The team’s full 2022-2023 schedule can be found here.

READ MORE: Penticton Vees sweep Thanksgiving weekend home stand


@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com