Penticton Vees (BCHL)


The Penticton Vees were a junior ice hockey franchise in the British Columbia Hockey League based in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. As a charter member of the league, the Penticton franchise had been named, at different times, the Junior Vees, the Broncos, the Vees, the Knights, the Panthers and the Vees. After the establishment of a Western Hockey League franchise called the Penticton Vees in 2025, the BCHL franchise was placed on hiatus while seeking to relocate.

History

The Junior Vees were one of the inaugural teams in the Okanagan-Mainline Junior Hockey League, launched in 1961. The league became the British Columbia Junior Hockey League in 1967.
The Penticton Vees were named for the Veteran, Valiant, and Vidette varieties of peaches grown in the Okanagan Valley.
The Vees were Mowat Cup champions in 1968, 1973, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, as well as in 1986, when they were also Centennial Cup champions. After 26 years since their last RBC Cup appearance, the Vees advanced to the championship game in the 2012 RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, defeating the Woodstock Slammers 4–3 on a goal by Joey Benik to win the Canadian National Junior A Championship.
In March 2025, the City of Penticton was awarded an expansion franchise in the Western Hockey League, which also was called the Penticton Vees, and the BCHL franchise was placed on indefinite hiatus pending its relocation to another market.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''

Western Canada Cup

Western Canada Cup was the Western Canada Junior A Championship held from 2013 to 2017. The champions from the AJHL, BCHL, MJHL, SJHL, and a host team competed in round-robin tournament. After the round-robin, the first and second place team played for championship, the loser then played a runner-up g game against the winner of a third vs. fourth semifinal game. The champion and runners-up would then qualify to compete for the RBC Cup and the National Junior A Championship.
YearRound-robinRecordStandingSemifinalChampionship gameRunner-up game
2015W, Spruce Grove Saints 11–3
W, Fort McMurray Oil Barons 6–0
W, Melfort Mustangs 3–1
L, Portage Terriers 2–3		3–1–01st of 5—W, Portage Terriers 4–3
Champions		—
2017
Host		OTW, Battlefords North Stars 2–1
OTL, Brooks Bandits 1–2
L, Chilliwack Chiefs 2–4
W, Portage Terriers 5–3		1–1–1–13rd of 5W, Battlefords North Stars 4–0—W, Chilliwack Chiefs 3–2

National Junior A Championship

The National Junior A Championship, formerly known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018, is the annual championship tournament for Hockey Canada's junior A hockey leagues. Depending on the year, various regional champions, qualifiers, and hosts participate in the championship tournament. The tournament usually consists of opening in a round-robin with the top four teams then advancing to a semifinal were the winners compete a championship game.
YearRound-robinRecordStandingSemifinalChampionship Game
2012L, Soo Thunderbirds 1–2
OTL, Humboldt Broncos 2–3
W Woodstock Slammers 2–1
W, Portage Terriers 3–1		2–1–13rd of 5W, Soo Thunderbirds 3–0W, 3-2
Woodstock Slammers
National Champions
2015L, Portage Terriers 2–3
W, Melfort Mustangs 4–0
W Carleton Place Canadians 4–3
W, Soo Thunderbirds 5–2		3–1–02nd of 5L, Carleton Place Canadians 1–2 —
2017OTL, Brooks Bandits 1–2
OTW, Cobourg Cougars 3–2
W, Trenton Golden Hawks 4–0
L, Terrebonne Cobras 1–3		1–1–1–14th of 5L, Cobourg Cougars 1–3—

NHL alumni

Forty-three alumni of the junior Penticton team have moved on to play in the National Hockey League.
In the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Bradly Nadeau was drafted in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes as the only first-round BCHL player selected and Aydar Suniev was selected #80 by Calgary Flames. 19 2022-23 players have committed to NCAA Hockey teams, including the two NHL draftees.
Penticton Broncos
Penticton Vees
Penticton Knights
Penticton Panthers
Penticton Vees