PENTICTON, B.C. – The Penticton Vees Hockey Club is pleased to announce a new contract extension for President, General Manager & Head Coach, Fred Harbinson.
The five-year contract extension will keep one of the winningest coaches in BCHL history in Penticton through to the end of the 2028-29 season. Harbinson had one year remaining on his current contract.
“We are so pleased to have Fred commit six more years to our program,” said Vees’ owner, Graham Fraser. “Fred’s tireless efforts and professionalism have built a program the city of Penticton can take great pride in. His dedication to the players, on and off the ice, has produced a legacy of winning and developing young men who move on ready for the next stage of their hockey careers and lives.”
Harbinson is in his 16th season behind the Vees’ bench and has his team sitting first overall in the BCHL standings with a 35-3-0-1 record. Penticton is 15 points ahead of second place in the Interior Conference. The Vees have seen unprecedented success with Harbinson at the helm. Since the 2007-08 season, the Vees have won five Fred Page Cups, one Doyle Cup, one Western Canada Cup, and won the 2012 RBC Cup in Humboldt, Saskatchewan.
“I want to thank Vees’ ownership as well as my entire staff; I understand how fortunate I am to have built such a great relationship with Graham and Sue Fraser during my tenure in Penticton,” began Harbinson. “I feel this is one of the premier coaching jobs at any level of hockey and I embrace the challenges it continues to present. This extension, along with my outstanding staff, will allow me the opportunity to further the growth of our program. There are organizational goals, both on and off the ice, I want to achieve and I look forward to what the next six and a half years will bring.”
Harbinson has the most wins in Vees’ franchise history and sits third all-time in the BCHL, with 640. Overall, Penticton has posted a record of 640-174-15-39-7 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) under Harbinson. It only took him 829 games to reach 600 career wins and he owns an impressive .766 career win percentage in the BCHL. Harbinson has won an additional 144 career playoff games, which ranks him first in BCHL history.
The Vees return to action tomorrow against the Coquitlam Express at the SOEC; puck drop is at 7:00 pm. It’s the 8th annual Pink the Rink night, sponsored by COBS Bread. Tickets are available at the Valley First box office, or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com
