It took just a little more than a period of preseason hockey for Peter Vandermeer to grab the inside track on "fan favourite" status in the eyes of the Abbotsford Heat faithful.

Midway through the middle stanza of the Heat's exhibition debut against the Manitoba Moose on Sept. 25, Vandermeer found himself a marked man after stapling Moose forward John Swanson into the end boards from behind.

After serving his penalty, Vandermeer emerged from the sin bin to find Manitoba tough guy Matt McCue waiting for him. Gloves hit ice, and a violent-but-entertaining tango ensued.

As Vandermeer was being ushered to the dressing room by the linesman, the veteran enforcer turned to the crowd, flashed a gap-toothed grin, and gave a little thank-you-very-much wave. It was a cheeky bit of showmanship, and the fans roared.

"I was just saying hi," Vandermeer explained with a grin later. "I was wired up after a big tilt, and playing so many years down in the States, the show was a big part of the game."

At the age of 33, Vandermeer is in a different place in his career than most of his 20-something teammates.

On the ice, the Heat need Vandermeer to stick up for his teammates when the game gets out of hand. Off the ice, the Caroline, Alta. native is responsible for setting an example for the youngsters in what it takes to be a pro, in terms of conditioning, nutrition, mental preparation and interacting with the community.

Vandermeer's role as a veteran mentor is reminiscent of Crash Davis, Kevin Costner's classic character in the baseball movie Bull Durham.

"For all the guys here, myself included, the end goal is to get back to the NHL," said Vandermeer, who suited up for two games with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007-08. "But realistically, I'm an older guy, and my chances of that are on the outside. It's my job to help these guys to there, and make sure they feel comfortable at the rink and away from the rink so they can do what they need to do.

"Would I like to play in the NHL again? Absolutely. I got my little taste of it, and I enjoyed it. It's something every kid dreams of growing up. But every time I help one of these guys get there, it's a pat on my back, I think."

Vandermeer's pro hockey odyssey has sent him criss-crossing the continent for the past 13 years. His stops include Richmond, Va.; Rochester, N.Y.; Providence, Mass.; Trenton, N.J.; and Grand Rapids, Mich.

And by any measure, Vandermeer has been a willing combatant during that journey. According to hockeyfights.com, Vandermeer has 148 fights in the last seven seasons. Dating back to his junior hockey days with the Red Deer Rebels, he's spent 4,762 minutes in the penalty box. That's 79.4 hours, or more than three days.

Given the amount of time he spends there, the sociable Vandermeer tries to make the best of his time in the sin bin.

"Usually the off-ice officials are some great guys to spend some time with," he said. "And season ticket-holders usually gobble up all those seats (around the penalty box), so you get a bit of interaction back-and-forth with those folks. It's a great place to watch a game."

Vandermeer's scrap book features bouts with such noted NHL heavyweights as Derek Boogaard, Georges Laraque, Chris Neil, John Erskine and current Calgary Flames tough guy Brian McGrattan.

"Everybody's that's there (in the NHL) now had to come through this league," the longtime AHLer noted.

Over the years, Vandermeer has developed a classic hockey grin. His front four teeth are missing – "Three different fights and one cross-check, over eight or nine years," he says – but he's got a false-teeth insert that he wears away from the rink.

Over the last few years, there's been plenty of media buzz that hockey enforcers are going the way of the dinosaur. Vandermeer, predictably, disagrees.

"Being as it's my job, I'm always going to say no," he said with a chuckle. "It has changed, especially over the last five years since the lockout. The big enforcers have to be able to keep up and play. And it's been a good thing for the game.

"But honestly, (enforcers) are necessary. Over the course of a season, if you have a team of skilled guys and nobody's looking after them, they'll wear down by the end of the year.

"But if you have a couple of guys who will tap on (opponents') shoulders every time they bump those guys, they're going to take a lot less hits over the course of the year. That adds up."

The Heat aren't the first brand-new franchise Vandermeer's played for – he was also an original member of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels in 1992. Connecting with the community, he says, is essential to establishing a solid foundation for a team.

"It's very important for us to get out in the community, and not just expect people to come and watch us because we're here," he said. "We have to be a positive influence, whether it's at schools or minor hockey practices, places we can pass on good information and be positive role models.

"It's (the fans') hard-earned bucks they've got to spend in order for us to have jobs, and if we don't realize that, we're pretty stupid."