Penticton Vees made hockey history at the expense of the Chilliwack Chiefs Tuesday at Prospera Centre.

The Vees trounced the Chiefs 7-0 to win their 30th consecutive game and break the New Westminster Royals' 22-year-old record.

It didn't matter that Mayor Sharon Gaetz did end up betting a box of corn on the Chiefs success (after getting Penticton mayor Dan Ashton to add a pair of local wines to the bet).

It didn't matter that Prospera Centre was filled with scouts and media from Vancouver and beyond.

It didn't matter that a couple hundred Penticton fans who hopped busses to cheer on the Vees. And it didn't matter that Chiefs fans didn't pack Prospera Centre for their team.

Mitch Gillam's early heroics didn't matter nor did Malcolm Gould's missed breakaway late in the first period.

What mattered was the Penticton Vees roster of stars and the Chiefs relative lackthereof.

That's not to discount the Chiefs. They are a solid BCHL hockey team that has performed well this year.

But the Vees are the best Junior A team in Canada. They boast big, strong, talented players destined not just for American college programs but also—for at least a couple—the glitz and glamour of the National Hockey League.

And all that talent as on full display in the first period of Tuesday's game. The Vees stormed from the gate and barely let the Chiefs touch the puck. Were it not for Gillam, Penticton could have posted four or five goals in the first 15 minutes.

As it was, Penticton sniper Wade Murphy notched his 31st goal of the season nine minutes into the first period.

The rest seemed inevitable.

Chilliwack tried to bully the Vees, mixing it up in multiple goalmouth scrums. But Penticton wasn't deterred and Travis St. Denis scored with three minutes left in the first period to stretch the lead to two.

Gould missed an opportunity to cut the lead in half late in the period when he broke in on a breakaway and flicked his backhand wide. But to call the Chiefs unlucky would be to ignore the shot clock, which showed Penticton outshooting Chilliwack 17-4 after just 20 minutes.

The Vees proceeded to cruise to their record, scoring early and late in the second period and then putting three more goals on the board in a final stanza punctuated by a pair of fights with just over five minutes left in the game.

As the buzzer sounded, the Vees mobbed their goalie, saluted their rowdy fans, and then headed to their dressing room to celebrate and pose for a team picture.

But while all the media coverage will surround the Vees win, the Chiefs' loss may be more significant in the long run.

The Vernon Vipers beat the Trail Smoke Eaters Tuesday to tie the Chiefs for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Interior Conference. The two teams square off twice more this season, including Saturday at Prospera Centre.

Both clubs are three points back of the Prince George Spruce Kings. All three squads have just 13 games remaining.

tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com