Following a blockbuster trade on Wednesday, Gio Pantelas is a Penticton Vee.  

 The 18-year-old defenceman comes to Penticton following a move that saw the Vees give up the player rights to Carter Morris, a 2028 3rd round pick, a 2029 1st round pick and a conditional 2030 1st round pick to the Brandon Wheat Kings in return.  

 Pantelas’ move out west will get him closer to his family, with his brother playing hockey as well, right next door.  

 “I’ll get to live with my family and my little brother, who is going to attend OHA,” he explained. “I get to be close to my family, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to play near them so being able to be in Penticton for another year, I think I’ll really enjoy it.”  

 The 6-FOOT-2 defenceman played one season with OHA himself coming up through the youth ranks and has great things to say about the city of Penticton.  

 “It’s a beautiful city,” Pantelas said. “Being around it so much I got to experience the Vees facilities and tour quite a bit. It was wonderful being there and I really enjoyed every bit of it. All the people in Penticton are really nice. It really shows the true beauty of British Columbia.”  

 Vees head coach and general manager Fred Harbinson and his staff have been working hard to revamp the roster heading into the 2026-27 season and Pantelas is looking forward to joining a group he thinks has a chance to be very competitive.  

 “I don’t know too many guys but I’ve played with Cameron Norrie and Cal Stone and really enjoyed their presence,” said Patenlas. “Last year the Vees had a historical year, they did amazing, especially as a first-year expansion team, they were really hard to play against when I was in Brandon. 

 “As of now it’s looking to be equally as good or even better, and I think that if we can push past and become better than last year, I think it will be a huge accomplishment, and I think we can really show how good the Vees can be.”  

 Pantelas was drafted in the fifth round by the LA Kings in this past NHL Entry Draft and cherished the opportunity to hear his name called.  

 “It was a great experience, I am so honoured to be selected by the Kings,” he said. “I got to go there for development camp and loved every minute; it’s a great spot. Hearing my name called was once in a lifetime. It wasn’t just cheering for me though; it was cheering for my teammates and past friends. Just listening to everyone’s name get called, it was a really exciting day and I had a great time.” 

 The Laval, QC native is a large presence on the ice with his 6-FOOT-2, 214 lbs frame. He says he wants to add some more offensive touch to his already stout defensive game.  

 “I’ve always brought big defensive responsibility and the ability to play big D-man minutes,” explained Pantelas. “I love to play as well as I can in my zone and keep the puck out of our net as well as possible. This year I want to bring some more offensive aspects to my game and try to be more of a difference maker all over the ice. 

“I want to try and be a winning player. Someone who teams look at and say, we have to shut him down or it’s going to be a hard night for us.”