The BC Hockey Hall of Fame announced Monday that the 2012 Penticton Vees will be part of the 2020 Hall of Fame class to be inducted on July 24 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The 2012 Vees had a historic season that year, posting a 54-4-2 record during their 60-game regular season, outscoring their opposition by a mark of 334 to 133. Part of those 54 wins included a 42-game winning streak, which stands as the longest in BCHL, CJHL and North American Junior Hockey history. The team also broke records for points with 110 and wins in a season with 54.
“This is a proud moment for our entire organization and community,” said Vees president, general manager and head coach Fred Harbinson, who has been with the team since the 2007-08 season. “The 2012 players and staff were a part of a magical season that will now be part of the fantastic history of hockey in B.C. This group of young men did so much to create what the Penticton Vees are today.”
The 2012 Vees team featured six of the league’s top-10 scorers in Joey Benik, Mario Lucia, Travis St. Denis, Connor Reilly, Mike Reilly and Steven Fogarty. Their goalie Michael Garteig posted the eighth-best goals-against average all-time with a mark of 1.93 as well as a season-best .927 save percentage and five shutouts.
The team went 12-3 in the BCHL playoffs, defeating the Powell River Kings 4-0 to capture the Fred Page Cup. They went on to beat the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits in five games to win the Doyle Cup and eventually captured the National Championship at the RBC Cup in Humboldt, Sask.
Three players from the 2012 Vees team went on to play in the NHL, including Mike Reilly (currently with the Ottawa Senators), Fogarty (New York Rangers) and Troy Stecher (Vancouver Canucks).
Also being inducted this year are former Canucks defenceman Mattias Ohlund, former NHLer Eric Brewer, former NHL referee Jay Sharrers, former Junior B hockey President Ray Stonehouse and the 2002 Kootenay Ice of the WHL.
