Wheat Kings: Penticton Primer
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Facts about the Western Hockey League’s newest team, the Penticton Vees, who are in their expansion season.
• ESTABLISHED — 1951 as a senior team, 1961 as a junior team.
• COLOURS — Blue, black and white.
• WHAT DOES THE NAME MEAN? — Vees refer to the varieties of peaches grown in the Okanagan Valley, the Vidette, Victory and Valiant.
• OWNERSHIP — The partnership includes operator Graham Fraser with Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter and Penticton businessmen Joe Walters and Gord Kovacik.
• HEAD COACH/GM — Fred Harbinson, since the 2007-08 season.
• ARENA — South Okanagan Events Centre, which seats 5,000. It opened in 2008.
• PAST LEAGUES — Okanagan-Mainline Junior A Hockey League, which became the British Columbia Hockey League in 1995.
• WESTMAN PLAYERS IN THE PAST — Duncan Campbell of Brandon (2016-17), Taylor Sanheim of Elkhorn (2016-17).
• ADMITTED TO WHL — March 24, 2025. At the same time, a franchise was also awarded to Chilliwack for the 2026-27 season.
• EXPANSION DRAFT — On May 7, the Vees selected one player from 13 WHL teams and made trades with seven other clubs. (Medicine Hat and Spokane were in the final and weren’t involved yet.) The Vees took 2008-born forward Isaac Davies from Brandon. He later became ill and hasn’t played this winter.
• SPECIAL RULES — Expansion teams get a fourth overager. Penticton’s 2005-born players are defenceman Nolan Stevenson and forwards Brady Birnie, Ryden Evers and Matteo Danis.
• TEAM CAPTAIN — Nolan Stevenson of Shaunavon, Sask.,
• BRANDON CONTENT — The Vees acquired local goalie Ethan McCallum from the Saskatoon Blades on Dec. 4, 2025 for a fifth-round pick in 2026 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2029.
• ROSTER BY PROVINCE/COUNTRY — Manitoba (1, McCallum), Saskatchewan (4), Alberta (2), British Columbia (6), Minnesota (5), California (2), Colorado (1), Czechia (1), Denmark (1).
» Bergson