Shortly after the Penticton Vees were announced as the WHL’s 23 franchise in spring of 2025, General Manager and Head Coach Fred Harbinson made one goal clear.
“The biggest thing is if there’s a way that we could fight to try to find a way to make the playoffs,” Harbinson told WHL.ca ahead of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft. “When you look at the National Hockey League or the Western Hockey League, those are the type of leagues (where) if you can make the playoffs, anything can happen.”
Nearly one year later, the Vees haven’t just put their best foot forward- they’ve enjoyed a historical season.
The B.C. Division leading Vees have become the second Western Conference team to qualify for the 2026 WHL Playoffs with a 3-1 thriller against the Swift Current Broncos.
Former Bronco and League veteran, Brady Birnie gave the B.C.-based Club a spark in the second frame, before teammates Matteo Danis and Ryden Evers added two more tallies in the third..
With a 37-12-4-4 record, Penticton has set a new WHL record for wins by an expansion team in its inaugural season and tied the CHL record.
The Vees lineup features 12 players acquired through the 2025 WHL Expansion Draft.
Entering Tuesday’s action, Penticton ranked sixth among all WHL squads in goals for while sporting the third-fewest goals-against.
The team features five different 20-plus goal scorers, led by New York Islanders Prospect Jacob Kvasnicka and including one of the league’s longest-tenured veterans in Brady Birnie, the former Swift Current Broncos forward who has suited up for 324 regular-season contests.
Kvasnicka, 18, has earned Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week honours three times and was recognized as the WHL Player of the Month for February.
Penticton’s blueline is anchored by Captain and first-year WHLer Nolan Stevenson and California product Ethan Weber.
Between the pipes, Ethan McCallum and Andrew Reyelts have earned Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Week recognition once each.
Penticton’s regular season is set to conclude on Saturday, March 21, with a rivalry tilt against the Kelowna Rockets.
Follow the road to the 2026 WHL Playoffs by streaming every game for free on Victory+.
