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The Penticton Vees will get their opportunity to celebrate.
The BC Hockey Hall of Fame recently confirmed that the 2020 inductees, including the Vees 2011-12 championship teams, will be honoured in July of 2021.
The event was to place two weeks ago.
The biggest names in hockey in British Columbia should have been on the concrete floor of the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton to celebrate the 2020 inductees into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, the induction dinner became a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a difficult decision, but it was a pretty easy decision. We were obviously excited to celebrate our 2020 inductees and it’s always such a highlight for the organization to run that event. We’ll look to have a great event in 2021 for these 2020 inductees,” said Blain Ford, executive director of the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, confirming . “We're not going to make any efforts to conduct any additional people in 2021, we’re just going to roll over the 2020 inductees into the summer of 2021.
“We want to make sure they get the celebration they deserve. We’ll look to come back with a bigger and better event next summer.”
The fact the Vees 2012 championship team will still get its induction ceremony, albeit a year later than planned, will thrill many Penticton hockey fans.
“That Vees team, with the amount of records they broke for consecutive wins, and wins in a season, they are obviously well deserving,” said Ford. “We’re looking forward to celebrating them locally, and I know they’ll have some really good support locally as well.”
The 2012 Vees set a new Canadian Junior Hockey League record by rattling off 42 straight victories during a 60-game regular season. The Vees had seven of the league’s top nine scorers. Penticton also set new records in the BCHL for most wins (54), points (110) and winning percentage (.917) in a regular season.
The Vees beat the Woodstock Slammers 4-3 to claim the RBC Cup.
Other 2020, and now 2021 BC Hockey Hall of Fame inductees include: the 2002 Memorial Cup-winning Kootenay Ice, former NHL players Mattias Ohlund and Eric Brewer, former NHL official Jay Sharrers, and Ray Stonehouse in the Build Category.
For further information on the BC Hockey Hall of Fame, click here.
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