Vees alum Bradly Nadeau invited to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp: Vees trade for Landen Hilditch

Penticton Vees alum Bradly Nadeau has been invited to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp, which takes place December 10-13 in Ottawa, ON.

Nadeau is one of 18 forwards among the 32 players invited to the camp, ahead of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

Nadeau, 19, is currently in his first season of professional hockey, as he is playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Chicago Wolves, the Carolina Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate. In 17 games, Nadeau has collected five goals and nine points, as he sits third in team scoring. The St-Francois de Madawaska, New Brunswick, product just had a two-point effort, Sunday in the Wolves 6-3 loss to Rockford.

Last season, Nadeau was a standout at the University of Maine, where he led the Black Bears in scoring as a freshman. Nadeau compiled 19 goals and 46 points in 37 games, as he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and Second All-Star Team. Nadeau was also a nominee for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award.

Nadeau spent two seasons in Penticton, winning back-to-back BCHL Fred Page Cup championships in 2022 and 2023. In two seasons with the Vees, Nadeau amassed 159 career points in 103 career regular season games. The 5’11, 172-pound winger was the BCHL Top Scorer, BCHL MVP, and was named an BCHL First Team All-Star in 2022-23, after he posted 45 goals and 113 points in 54 regular season games. He was also the inaugural recipient of the BCHL Playoff MVP award, after he tallied 35 points in 17 playoff games, leading the Vees to the league championship that spring.

Nadeau was drafted by the Hurricanes in the first round, 30^th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, including Canada taking on Finland. For more information about the National Junior Team selection camp, go to www.hockeycanada.ca

Up Next: The Vees (19-6-0-0) return home to the SOEC to face the Sherwood Park Crusaders (15-9-0-0) on Friday, December 6^th, at 7:00 pm. It’s the Vees  Bannister Chevrolet Teddy & Toque Toss in support of the Salvation Army Penticton Community Food Bank and Shop of Wonders.

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VEES ACQUIRE VETERAN DEFENCEMAN FROM KINGS

The Penticton Vees Hockey Club have acquired the BCHL playing rights to 2005-born defenceman Landen Hilditch from the Powell River Kings, in exchange for future considerations.

“Landen brings experience, size, and leadership to our blueline. He has played over 100 games in this league, was the captain of his former team, and comes from a hockey family. We look forward to adding him to the fold,” said Vees’ President, General Manager, and Head Coach Fred Harbinson.

Hilditch, 19, most recently spent parts of three seasons with the West Kelowna Warriors and was named their captain at the start of the 2024-25 season. Hilditch’s playing rights were traded to the Kings on November 24^th. The 6’3, 199-pound defenceman played in 18 games this season for West Kelowna and had a pair of assists. Last season, the Surrey, B.C., product played in 51 regular season games and posted three goals and 15 points. Hilditch played for the Interior Conference in the BCHL’s 2024 Top Prospects Game at the SOEC. He also has four assists in 17 career BCHL playoff games. Hilditch is committed to Rensselaer Polytech Institute (R.P.I.). in Troy, New York.

The newest Vees defenceman will be the second member of his family to play junior hockey in Penticton. Landen’s father, Todd, was a defenceman and played two seasons for the Penticton Knights from 1986-1988. Todd was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the eighth round of the 1988 NHL Draft, and went onto play four seasons at R.P.I.

Hilditch is currently sidelined with an upper-body injury that will keep him out of the lineup until February.