It's been rumored for weeks. And Monday morning at approximately 10:45, those rumours were officially confirmed.
The Penticton Vees, the most successful team on and off the ice in British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) history, are moving on up. In September of 2025, the Vees will begin play in the upscale Western Hockey League (WHL).
Monday's announcement came in front of a packed crowd of 100 or so – mostly media reps, politicians and invited guests – at the South Okanagan Event's Centre's BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
On hand were people like WHL commissioner Dan Near, who said it was "an exciting day as the Western Hockey League takes its next steps as the world's finest development league for junior hockey players" and certainly seemed sincere in his rave commentary on the SOEC facility and the city.
Also speaking at the event was Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield, who suggested local hockey fans will get to see "some of the most talented players in the country" and that the team will "create significant economic activity for the community throughout the entire year."
According to an accompanying City of Penticton press release, the "estimated economic impact of a WHL franchise, for a mid-market team, is approximately $7.9 million in direct impact and $14.9 million in indirect impact."
But the star of the show was Vees owner Graham Fraser, who took his time at the mic and got a wee bit emotional a couple of times as he relayed stories and names from the past.
Fraser also spoke honestly on the genesis of the WHL concept, which materialized just last November when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced changes to its rule system that would allow former CHL/WHL players into NCAA hockey.
Previously, the organization had considered CHL/WHL players professionals and banned them from NCAA play due to its stance on amateurism. Meanwhile, ex-BCHL players were a-okay.
The rule change was, and is, a blow to the BCHL. Suddenly, players with an eye on high-end collegiate hockey could spend their junior days in either league.
"It's the biggest change to junior hockey since we’ve been involved and probably ever," he told the crowd Monday.
"We had to decide as an organization where we wanted to go. We've always had good players here. We've always had players who go on to higher levels – college, the NHL – so we looked at it and said 'We have to go.'
"We have such a beautiful building here and such great fans that we deserve that. We've earned that – for our fans and our community."
Fraser, as he often does, spent much of his mic time as a Penticton-area ambassador, extolling the virtues of the region to everyone in attendance.
But he did admit the obvious – that Penticton and nearby environs has nowhere near the population base of other WHL outposts like Seattle.
Ultimately, he credited a solid relationship with the City, which includes, he said, a "very unique lease arrangement where we're both invested," and equally solid financial partners like Peter Bros. Construction (which will continue to facilitate freebie game passes for those under the age of 12) for helping turn the idea into reality.
Later, he told PentictonNow that fans can expect a "modest" ticket price increase to help cover the higher budgets of WHL hockey.
"Ticket prices will only go up modestly…maybe ten percent," he said. "You have to remember though that we'll have eight more games. So when you buy a season ticket, you're paying for eight more games because we play more hockey than the BCHL."
According to Fraser, the team will be fine going forwards if it can maintain current attendance numbers of 3,000 to 3,500 per game.
We asked him if he's concerned over a potential honeymoon phase hangover.
Truth is that the Vees have been incredibly dominant in the BCHL, particularly since the hiring of current head coach/GM/president/wunderkind Fred Harbinson. But that dominance will likely dissipate substantially when the team begins swimming in the much bigger, much more ominous pond of the WHL.
But Fraser believes the draw of the WHL will help propel them through any gaps.
"Time will tell," he said. "And certainly we've thought about all of this. But one thing about Penticton is that people here really like hockey.
"And something that's different about the WHL is the talent level. In this league, if you have a Connor Bedard showing up, you're coming to watch.
"But we will have a younger team and fans will hopefully understand that we're building to the next years."
And he hopes fans will appreciate that the Vees are competing in the highest echelon of junior hockey.
"I do think the community is ready for this," he said. "Why wouldn’t you want to be in the best of something?"
But the news doesn’t mean Vees ownership is done with the BCHL. Indeed, said Fraser, they continue to have "membership" in the league.
What that'll mean in the future is up for grabs.
"We'll look at what we do in the future," he said. "It depends what happens with the BCHL and Hockey Canada. But if it works out, we could actually have a BCHL team that's a farm team for the WHL team."
The Penticton Vees of the WHL will play its very first home game at the SOEC September 26, 2025 versus their automatic rivals, the hated Kelowna Rockets.
