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Bar down with Ben Dalpe

New arrival to Penticton Vees writes first installment of season-long column that will provide insight into junior hockey

Sports editor’s note:

Throughout the season,  Ben Dalpe, brother of former Penticton Vee Zac Dalpe, will write a column for the Western News giving readers insight to his life on the ice and away from the rink.

I can remember being 13-years-old and visiting Penticton.

My older brother Zac was playing out here at the time and to me it felt like he was playing in the NHL. That trip, we stayed for about a week and watched three games.

My brother was someone I always looked up to and seeing him play in a junior A game in front of 2,500 people at Memorial Arena made me want to do the same one day. That trip my brother bought me a Penticton jersey and I used to wear it around the house and sometimes even to school.

I always wanted to make it a goal to one day play here in Penticton. I finished my minor hockey in Brantford Ont., which is near my hometown of Paris. Then I went on to play junior B in Brantford as well. After that, I made the jump to junior A in a town west of Ottawa called Pembroke. I really enjoyed my two years there, but some news came to me about an opportunity of being traded to Penticton at the end of last season.

I could remember the day I got traded and I talked to Fred (head coach/GM). This was a very exciting moment for my family and me. So far being in Penticton for about two months, I’ve had an experience of a lifetime. The way we get treated and just the daily lifestyle is what makes it so special. Alan and Jackie Profilli are my billet parents and they have been an important part of my stay here so far.

The energy at the South Okanagan Events Centre every night is electric and it’s no doubt that we have the best fans in the league. It’s pretty special to know that dreams can come true if you work hard enough. Glad I get to have the chance to represent the same organization my brother once did.