The Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League have been the talk of the country this season in the Junior A ranks and that continued, as they claimed the Fred Page Cup.
The Vees won the BCHL championship in four games over the Powell River Kings. One of the Vees' many offensive leaders is the Battlefords' own Bryce Gervais.
Gervais was traded from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Vees earlier this season and in the playoffs he picked up six goals and five assists in 15 games on his way to a league championship.
Gervais had 16 goals and 11 assists with the Silverbacks in the regular season in 20 games and with the Vees his point totals continued to add up. He finished the season with 42 goals and 33 assists in 59 games. That was good enough for 12th in the BCHL. Seven other members of the Vees were ahead of Gervais in points during the regular season.
The Vees, who were ranked number one in the country through most of the season, had a 40-game winning streak spanning from Nov. 11 to March 10, which ended on their final game of the regular season.
The Vees were 12-3 in the playoffs and were 54-4-0-0 during the regular season.
Gervais and the high-powered Vees will be up against the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in the Doyle Cup. That series is likely to start this weekend with the winner earning a berth to the RBC Championship in Humboldt May 5 to 13.
Gervais, a 20-year-old forward, committed to an NCAA division I scholarship already last season and will suit up with Minnesota State next season. Gervais will play in the same conference as childhood friend and junior A hockey star Blake Tatchell, who committed to University of Alaska Anchorage earlier this season after a career year with the Battlefords North Stars.
