Penticton Vees GM & Head Coach Fred Harbinson: Expansion season success, building a balanced team and influencing player development

In episode 326 of the Glass and Out Podcast we sit down with the President, General Manager, and Head Coach of the WHL's Penticton Vees, Fred Harbinson. Now in his 19th year with the team, Harbinson has the Vees on track for a historic season as the Western Hockey League's newest franchise in its first season after departing the BCHL. In late January of 2026, Penticton sat 2nd in the Western Conference, were riding an 11 game win streak, and recently cracked the CHL's top 10 ranking, landing at number 9. With 26 games left to play in the regular season, the Vees are only 10 wins away from breaking the win record for an expansion team, set by the Everett Silvertips in 2014. With Penticton, Harbinson built one of the most storied franchises at the Jr A level in Canada, leading the Vees to multiple championships, including six Fred Page Cup titles, a Western Canada Cup, a Doyle Cup, and an RBC Cup National Championship. He has recorded over 700 career wins in the BCHL and has been honored multiple times with the Joe Tennant Memorial Trophy as BCHL Coach of the Year. He also holds the distinction of the most playoff series victories in league history. Listen as he shares the championship mentality that has resulted in expansion success, putting an emphasis on the defensive side of the game, and why selling development is about providing your players with a layer of tools. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ofzE7lGH_70 Learn more about our presenting sponsors: Biosteel: BioSteelTeams.com/Glassandout Hudl: hudl.com/tcs