Penticton Vees forward Brendan Harrogate spent three season in the CHL’s Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and before that he played in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL). After he wraps up the 2018-19 season with the Vees, the 21-year-old will be heading back to his home province as he has committed to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs for the 2019-20 season.
Harrogate had an immediate impact upon arriving in Penticton this year, scoring two goals and adding an assist in his first game in the league on Sept. 28 in a 6-3 win over the Merritt Centennials. In his first and only BCHL season, the Chatham, Ont. native scored nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 37 regular-season games.
Western is a Canadian USports program playing out of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West conference. The Mustangs finished the 2018-19 regular season in third place in the conference with a record of 15-12-1. They recently lost to the University of Guelph in the OUA West final and will take on Carleton University in the OUA Bronze Medal Game this weekend.
Western’s 2018-19 roster features several former BCHL players, including Griffin James (Vernon Vipers), Mitchell Brooks (Penticton Vees), Rylan Bechtel (Cowichan Valley Capitals/Prince George Spruce Kings/Chilliwack Chiefs), David Eccles (Penticton, Nanaimo Clippers) and Adam Sinclair (Langley Rivermen).
Harrogate is the first current BCHLer to commit to a USports program this season.
