Penticton Vees meeting Nanaimo Clippers in final round of BCHL playoffs

The Penticton Vees will be representing the Interior Division of the BCHL in the final round of the 2022 playoffs.

They’ll be taking on the winner of the Coastal Division – the Nanaimo Clippers – to compete for this year’s Fred Page Cup.

The two teams advanced past the semi-final round of the B.C. Hockey League last night, May 4, defeating both of their opponents by a score of 6-1.

The matchup is going to see an unstoppable force meet an immovable object, as both clubs advanced through the first three rounds of the playoffs with ease. The Clippers are undefeated having won all 12 of their playoff games so far, and the Vees have lost just one of 13. 

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The Vees will get home-ice advantage as Penticton finished first in the BCHL regular season with a record of 43-8-1. Nanaimo placed third in the Coastal Division with a record of 33-17-3.

This will be the seventh time the two teams have met up in the finals. 

To reach the final round of the playoffs, the Vees defeated the Trail Smoke Eaters in round one, the Prince George Wheat Kings in round two, and the West Kelowna Warriors in round three.

This will be the first BCHL championship of the 2020s as the pandemic caused the last two playoff tournaments to be cancelled.

The winner of the Fred Page Cup will advance to play for the Centennial Cup, where they play against the winning teams from three other Canadian hockey leagues.

This year’s Centennial Cup tournament will take place in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Last year’s event was schedule to take place in Penticton before it had to be cancelled due to COVID.

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