PENTICTON, B.C. – The West Kelowna Warriors played their first game since winning the national championship, losing 2-0 in a pre-season match-up against their BCHL rivals, the Penticton Vees.
But the team that hit the ice for the Warriors Wednesday evening at the South Okanagan Events Centre had nothing to do with that historic victory in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.
Rookies were outfitted in West Kelowna’s team colours to start the pre-season, as the Warriors look to rebuild.
“You want to see how hard guys work and that’s pretty simple,” head coach and general manager Rylan Ferster said. “You want to see how smart guys are too and how quick they pick up things.”
Only seven Warriors veterans returned to the lineup this season but did not play Wednesday night, according to Ferster.
Ferster said the Vees remain a force to be reckoned with.
“They’ve been the perennial powerhouse, obviously, in our division. To win it, you have to go through them.”
Vees head coach, general manager and club president Fred Harbinson said despite a long off-season for the team this year, they will be moving forward with six or seven veterans.
“We think we’ve got a good group here,” Harbinson said. “We’ve added size. We’ve added age. And I think we’re going to be a team that should be able to compete in a very tough division.”
The West Kelowna Warriors are back on home ice at Royal LePage Place Friday night against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Vees hit the road and play the Vernon Vipers Thursday night as pre-season play continues.
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