If there鈥檚 any guarantee about this year鈥檚 BCHL Finals, it鈥檚 that a storybook ending is on its way.
The Penticton Vees are looking to win back-to-back Fred Page Cup titles for the first time in 37 years. They will battle the Alberni Valley Bulldogs, a franchise that is making its first-ever finals appearance.
鈥淲hen I first got here, the Vees hadn鈥檛 won since 1986,鈥� recalled Fred Harbinson, the team鈥檚 head coach, general manager and president. 鈥淲e won the finals in 2008 and at the time, I remember the city was hungry for it鈥鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 what Alberni Valley is going through right now.鈥�
Game No. 1 of the fourth-round series goes Friday night, May 12, at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Since Harbinson鈥檚 arrival in Penticton, the Vees have won five Fred Page Cup titles.
The team鈥檚 bench boss became the all-time BCHL playoff series wins leader (30), following the Vees鈥� series-clinching victory against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks last Friday, May 5.
Alberni Valley, led behind the bench by former Merritt Centennials coach Joe Martin, is riding high themselves after completing a sweep of the Chilliwack Chiefs en route to their history-making conference title.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an accomplishment, but it doesn鈥檛 feel like one yet,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚 have a lot of respect for the opponents that we did play, but it鈥檚 the past and here we are moving forward.鈥�
The Bulldogs returned home last week to a large, celebratory crowd outside its bus on Vancouver Island. Games No. 3 and 4 of the finals held in Port Alberni were sold out within a matter of days of tickets going on sale.
鈥淚 hope our city isn鈥檛 complacent and I don鈥檛 think they are鈥ur fans are awesome and we鈥檙e going to need everyone鈥檚 support here over the next couple of days,鈥� said Harbinson.
Penticton, a team no stranger to being labeled as the 鈥渇avourties,鈥� posted a league-best 50-3-0-1 during the regular season. They downed Alberni Valley twice in as many games in the process.
Since Christmas, though, the teams ranked No. 1 and 2 in BCHL regular-season play.
鈥淲hen you get to the finals, it鈥檚 not about upsets, favourites or underdogs,鈥� Harbinson said. 鈥淭he two best teams are playing in the finals and that鈥檚 good for our league.鈥�
After the first two games of the series in Penticton on Friday and Saturday, the finals will shift to Vancouver Island for the third and fourth games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
