When the hit the ice tonight at South Okanagan Events Centre, the Penticton Vees can put their name right up next to a mark that's stood 22 seasons.
The 1989-90 New Westminster Royals rattled off 29-straight wins on their way to a 38-game unbeaten streak, 52-3-4 record, BCHL title, Doyle Cup title and Centennial Cup finals appearance. The Vees go for #29 tonight with the Chilliwack Chiefs in town.
Hockey in the late 80s was a different entity altogether. Butterfly goaltending had not yet taken root, goals and fights were much more commonplace and there were just 10 teams in the then-BCJHL.
Here are some comparisons:
The Royals scored 444 goals in 59 games which is 7.5 goals per game, the Vees have scored 251 goals in 45 games which is 5.6 goals per game.
The Royals top three scorers were Mark Karpen (64-61-125), Blaine Moore (44-63-107) and Kelly Jones (41-65-106). The Vees are led by Wade Murphy (29-47-76), Connor Reilly (32-42-73) and Mario Lucia (30-42-72)
Royals number-one goalie Cory Cadden was 33-2-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. Vees starter Michael Garteig is currently 34-2-0-2 with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
The Royals had 13 players with 100+ penalty minutes and were led there by Dave Soukoroff who had 188 PIMs. Penticton is led in that department by Zach Urban who has 80 PIMs in 43 games. He and perhaps one other player, Kyle Beaulieu who has 72 PIMs, may break triple digits.
The Royals went on to the 1990 Centennial Cup final in Vernon and lost to the host Lakers. Only time will tell if the Vees have what takes to bring home the RBC Cup which is the only win they really care about.
