Penticton Vees
Arena Name: South Okanagan Events Centre
Capacity: 4,701
Built: 2008
Address: 853 Eckhardt Ave W, Penticton, BC, V2A 9C4
Telephone: (250) 490-2460
Ice Surface Size: Regulation
Franchise Date: 2025-26 in WHL, 1961-62 in BCHL
WHL Championships: None
Memorial Cup Championships: None
Colours: Blue, Black & White
Official Web Site: PentictonVees.com
Venue Web Site: SOEC.ca
What's the Arena Like?
Yet to Visit
In the aftermath of the ground-breaking NCAA eligibility ruling in 2024, the Penticton Vees, long the jewel in the BCHL's crown, saw which way the wind was blowing and approached the WHL about an expansion team. That team was granted, and the Vees will begin play in the fall of 2025. I have never been to Penticton, but I have tentative plans to visit for a game in March 2026. If I don't make it then, I will for sure make the trip in 2026-27 and see the new Chilliwack expansion club on the same weekend.
Future Developments
There are no plans to renovate or replace South Okanagan Events Centre.
Franchise History
The original Penticton Vees were founded in 1951 as a senior hockey team, playing out of the then-new Penticton Memorial Arena. The senior team folded after the 1960-61 season, and a new junior Vees team was founded the same year, beginning play in one of the forerunner leagues to the BCHL. Though their name changed here and there throughout the years, the Vees were highly successful over the years, winning two national championships in 1986 and 2012.
In the aftermath of the NCAA eligibility ruling in 2024, the Vees defected from the outlaw BCHL and joined the WHL. While the BCHL would consider the Vees franchise dormant and the WHL considers the Vees to legally be an expansion team, the old and new Vees have the same identity, ownership, lease, and pretty much everything else. Despite the legal wrangling, the WHL Vees claim the history of their predecessor clubs, much like the Cleveland Browns or AFC Wimbledon.
In the aftermath of the NCAA eligibility ruling in 2024, the Vees defected from the outlaw BCHL and joined the WHL. While the BCHL would consider the Vees franchise dormant and the WHL considers the Vees to legally be an expansion team, the old and new Vees have the same identity, ownership, lease, and pretty much everything else. Despite the legal wrangling, the WHL Vees claim the history of their predecessor clubs, much like the Cleveland Browns or AFC Wimbledon.
Retired Numbers
None
Feedback
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Last Revised: August 31, 2025