The Penticton Vees roster for next season continues to fill out with the additions of Dante Fabbro and Tyson Jost.
Fabbro, who turns 16 in June, is being counted on to be an impact player.
“Our organization is very fortunate to land a talent such as Dante Fabbro,” said Harbinson in a team statement. “Dante will be looked at to provide offence from our back end. He possesses a skillset that makes him a threat on every shift.”
Named the Hockey Now B.C. Minor Hockey Player of Year in 2013, Fabbro led all B.C. Major Midget League (BCMML) defencemen in scoring this past season with 22 goals and 61 points in 38 games with the Northwest Giants. Those numbers put the Burnaby Winter Club grad sixth overall in the BCMML scoring race, but he was also 22 points ahead of the second highest scoring defenceman. Fabbro added two goals and 10 points in six playoff games as his Giants lost in the BCMML final to the Okanagan Rockets.
The Whistler product, drafted eight overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2013, was named to the BCMML all-star team.
Fabbro and future teammate Tyson Jost won a silver medal with Team B.C. at the 2013 Western Canada U16 Cup in Calgary last November; Fabbro and Jost were named to the tournament all-star team.
Jost is another 16-year-old the Vees are thrilled to have. He comes from the Rockets of the BCMML. Jost, a product of the Pursuit of Excellence program, was the league’s scoring champ in his first and only season netting 44 goals to finish with 88 points in 36 regular season games. In the playoffs, the Leduc, Alta., product racked up nine goals and 18 points in seven games, leading the Rockets to their first BCMML championship. Jost also potted three goals and six points in seven games at the Telus Cup in Moose Jaw, Sask., as the Rockets took home the bronze medal.
“Tyson Jost simply had the best season in the history of the Okanagan Rockets program.” said Rockets general manager David Michaud in a team statement.
Jost, a seventh overall selection of the Everett Silvertips in 2013, was named to the BCMML all-star team and was named the Rockets Most Valuable Player, Top Scorer and Rookie of the Year.
Harbinson said he believes Fabbro and Jost are going to make “massive impacts.”
“They are probably two of the best 98s in all of Western Canada,” said Harbinson, adding that Jost broke the scoring mark of Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who tallied 40 goals and 87 points in 36 games with the Vancouver Northwest Giants. Harbinson said Fabbro is the same type of player as former Vee Mike Reilly, who helped them win the 2012 RBC Cup and scored as many goals in one season as former Vee Joey Laleggia, who was an all-star and considered one of their best defenceman, had in two BCMML seasons.