Some might be shocked to see the Penticton Vees at the top of the WHL’s B.C. Division standings, but Max Heise isn’t.
The Prince Albert Raiders forward spent two seasons with the Vees in the Junior A ranks before the franchise made the jump to the WHL. Based on what he saw over those two years, Heise said he’s not surprised by their performance.
“They’ve been really exciting to watch,” the lanky centreman said before suiting up for practice at the Art Hauser Centre on Wednesday. “I’ve tuned into some games (and) they’ve got a lot of familiar faces on this team. I know how Fred (Vees coach Fred Harbinson) does things there. He runs a really tight ship and does things really professional, so I’m not surprised by how they’re doing.”
The expansion Vees are 10 points ahead of the second place Prince George Cougars heading into Friday’s contest with the Prince Albert Raiders. They’re also closing in on a piece of history.
With their 3-1 victory over Swift Current on Tuesday, Penticton has tied the 1982-83 Longueuil Chevaliers for most wins by an expansion team in an inaugural season. The Vees narrowly missed their chance to make history with a 5-3 loss to Saskatoon on Friday.
Heise said it’s a great development for a great hockey community.
“They’re passionate there,” he said. “Their rink and all their facilities were meant to be in the Western League. I think the fans really like having a team there, and I know the games have been really packed and exciting.”
The jump to the WHL—and the cyclical nature of junior hockey—led to plenty of roster turnover, but the Vees still have a few faces from Heise’s BCHL days. The two biggest are forward Ryden Evers and defenceman Nolan Stevenson.
Evers led the BCHL Vees in scoring last season, and sits second on the WHL Vees with 31 goals and 38 assists in 57 games. Stevenson was an assistant captain on the Junior A club. This year’s he’s wearing the ‘C’ while leading all Penticton defenceman in goals, assists, and points.
Meanwhile, Heise has thrived on the prairies. The Calgary product is fourth on the Raiders in scoring with 24 goals and 31 assists through 53 games this season.
So will Heise’s status as a former Vee earn him a break from his former teammates? Not likely.
“They’re all telling me it’s pretty cold out here and asking me how I do it,” Heise said with a chuckle when asked about any trash talk ahead of Friday’s meeting in Prince Albert. “It’s been pretty calm between us. I’m sure it will pick up in the next few days.”
While he’s impressed by what the Vees have accomplished in their first year, he’s confident the Raiders, who are searching for their fifth win in a row, have what it takes to slow them down.
“I think we just need to play our game,” Heise said. “I think that our depth is tough for a lot of teams to handle. We’ll roll all four lines and we’ll come out playing a north-south game—and heavy—and welcome them to the Hauser.”
The Prince Albert Raiders and Penticton Vees meet at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
News and Notes:
• Penticton selected one player from each club in the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft last May. The Raiders lost 2007-born forward Liam Bursaw to the Vees. Bursaw played 29 games in BC this season—all of them with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. In January, he signed with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats.
• The Penticton club still has one former Raider on their roster. Defenceman Doogan Pederson suited up for a combined 76 regular season games over two seasons with the Raiders before being traded to the Red Deer Rebels. He also dressed for one playoff game. Pederson has 20 points in 55 games with Penticton this season.
• Raider defenceman Matyas Man is expected to be back in the line-up on Friday after serving a four-game suspension.
@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca
