I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!! The Vipers got back from their holidays on Sunday...and they were already back on the ice for practice Sunday night! They have a game in Trail on Tuesday, then a game in Salmon Arm for New Years Eve then a home game January 2, 2010!!! They will host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and I hope the fans can come out and cheer on there team! Once again the Vipers are Number 1 on theCJHL Top 20 Rankings...here is the list
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week's rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season - The CJHL Top 20 Weekly Rankings will return on January 11, 2010.
The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, December 21st:
1. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (3) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
4. (4) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
5. (5) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
6. (7) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
7. (6) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
8. (8) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
9. (11) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
10. (HM) Brockville Braves (CJHL)
11. (12) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
12. (9) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
13. (16) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
14. (17) Westside Warriors (BCHL)
15. (18) Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL)
16. (15) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
17. (16) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
18. (19) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
19. (13) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
20. (NR) Les Cobras de Terrebonne (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Olds Grizzlys (AJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL), Aurora Tigers (OJAHL), and the Toronto Junior Canadiens (CCHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada.
The Vipers have held onto the top spot in Canada for almost the whole season so far!! It is so great to have the best team in Canada right in your own back yard...If only we could sell out the building every game!!
See you soon!
Sniper
First Game In 2010!
Teddy Bear Toss A HUGE Success
Vipers Hold Top Spot
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.
1. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
4. (3) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
5. (4) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
6. (10) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
7. (8) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
8. (9) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
9. (6) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
10. (7) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
11. (13) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
12. (11) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
13. (14) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
14. (16) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
15. (15) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
16. (12) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
17. (17) Westside Warriors (BCHL)
18. (18) Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL)
19. (19) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Powell River Kings (BCHL), Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Brockville Braves (CJHL), and Le Titan de Princeville (LHJAAAQ).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website. www.cjhlhockey.com
All in a Week of Fun With the Vernon Vipers - #28 Adam Thompson
Well the past couple of weeks we’ve been lucky to primarily have games held on the weekends (with the exception of Merritt last Tuesday), therefore the guys and I got to participate in some good team bonding sessions. First on the fun menu was the team bowling at Lincoln Lanes. This fine establishment has held a few Vipers bowling competitions over the years, but its safe to say that the more I bowl, the worse I get. My luck is running out to say the least. Anyhow, at around 9 PM we all laced up our styling bowling shoes and hit the hardwood. First, I have to mention how easy it is to Michael Jackson moonwalk in these shoes. Even a hard-pressed dancer such as myself can pull off some moves, or I like to think at least. The teams were dealt out and two practice frames/rounds were played. My team consisted of newcomer Curtis Gedig, Braden Pimm and Patty Mcgillis. For the life of me I couldn’t get a strike, while Pimmer bowled strikes like it was his day job. I was somewhat surprised Bryce Kakoske wasn’t awesome at bowling because he seems to be really good at useless or less common sports. Anyhow, for the life of me I can’t remember the other teams but regardless, we were all divided into teams of four and two teams of three and some serious bowling was initiated.
After some intense moments followed shortly by disappointing gutter balls, we were in the final frame. Its important to note that the last placed team has to buy the first place team Marble Slab ice cream. This is a key point because the competition level picks up immensely as Marble Slab ice cream can be an expensive treat and no one has the pay roll to afford such gifts. After everything was said and done, my team finished second, closely behind Kevin Kraus, Connor Jones, Cole Ikkala and Mike Collins. We probably should have been first but my disappointing score cause a significant drop in the team average. Team leader Braden Pimm bowled the best round score after getting something like 5 strikes in a row and 6 strikes in 7 frames. This kid had great form and a good technique, which he attempted to teach to me, but failed miserably. The night was highlighted however by a team of four who cheated their way out of last place. Henceforth, they were automatically given last place and the marble slab tab was handed off to their wallets. All in all it was a good night and good chance for team bonding.
The following night was our annual “Rookie Dinner” held at Boston Pizza. Goaltending coach Sean Matile and his family manage this fine establishment, where a quick, affordable and delicious meal is always available. Rookie dinner is always a good time, unless of course you’re a rookie. Quite simply, this is a time for all the veteran players to order whatever they want and however much they want. The catch however, is that the rookies have to divide and conquer the bill for themselves, which is often fairly expensive. “Tiller” usually gives us a good deal in the spirit of things, which helps the rookies immensely. This tasty meal is followed by some rookie initiation of some sorts where the rookies are required to sing classic children’s songs such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “I’m a little Tea Pot.” This is usually quite hilarious and embarrassing. I distinctively remember last year’s event and how red I got in the face when my turn was up. The funniest moment of my rookie dinner was watching Steve Weinstein, Kory Kane and Cole Ikkala shadow box in the middle of the restaurant. Shadow boxing requires a person to pretend he is boxing his shadow, which ends up looking a lot like he is sparring. It is equally funny as embarrassing to say the least. All in all it was a fun night and again a good team bonding session.
Lastly, I would like to congratulate and thank all the fans that came to the teddy bear toss game last night. Everyone who managed to donate food and contribute to a good cause deserves a pat on the back. I know I would have loved to score that first goal to get the teddy bears on the ice, but it was good to see Micker get it. It’s always good to see the ice littered with bears and knowing that someone somewhere will receive a cuddly bear this Christmas. On that note, I want to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Enjoy the holidays and more importantly stay safe.
Teddy Bear Toss & Food Drive...TONIGHT
Bulldogs, Warriors join Vees and Vipers in CJHL's Top 20 Rankings
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting.
Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis. The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, December 7th:
1. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (3) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
4. (4) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
5. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6. (6) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
7. (9) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
8. (7) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
9. (10) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
10. (12) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
11. (8) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
12. (11) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
13. (14) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
14. (15) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
15. (16) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
16. (13) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
17. (HM) Westside Warriors (BCHL)
18. (HM) Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL)
19. (19) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Surrey Eagles (BCHL), Olds Grizzlys (AJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL) and Les Cobras de Terrebonne (LHJAAAQ).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website. www.cjhlhockey.com.
Vipers Make Visit To Lavington School
Walchuk Named to Team West Roster for Prospect Game
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 - Submitted by Hockey Canada
December 1st, 2009 - The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today the roster for Team West at the 2009 CJHL Prospects Event. Winkler, Manitoba will host the 5th Annual CJHL Prospects Event from December 7th – 9th, 2009.
Team West includes players from the CJHL's five Western leagues, including 8 players from the BCHL, 5 AJHL players, 4 SJHL players, 3 MJHL players, and 1 player from the SIJHL. Player selection is a joint initiative of the CJHL and NHL Central Scouting. Team East and Team West will each consist of two goaltenders, six defensemen and twelve forwards.
The CJHL Prospects Game was created to showcase the top 40 NHL draft eligible players in the Canadian Junior Hockey League. In October 2009, 27 players from the Canadian Junior Hockey League were recognized on the NHL Central Scouting "Players to Watch" List for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Ten players on the Team West roster and nine from Team East were amongst those identified.
The CJHL Prospects Game will see players from the CJHL's five Western leagues, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Hockey League (MJHL) and the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) compete against the best players from the CJHL'S Eastern leagues, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJAHL), Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL), Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Quebec (LHJAAAQ), and the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL).
GOAL
SAM BRITTAIN* CANMORE EAGLES AJHL
SEAN BONAR PENTICTON VEES BCHL
DEFENCE
PETER STOYKEWYCH WINNIPEG SOUTH BLUES MJHL
LEE CHRISTENSEN* MELFORT MUSTANGS SJHL
TIM DALY* LANGLEY CHIEFS BCHL
CRAIG BOKENFOHR* CAMROSE KODIAKS AJHL
JOEY LALEGGIA PENTICTON VEES BCHL
NICK AMIES COWICHAN VALLEY CAPITALS BCHL
BEN GALLACHER*+ CAMROSE KODIAKS AJHL
FORWARDS
GRAYSON DOWNING* WESTSIDE WARRIORS BCHL
BRENDAN O’DONNELL WINNIPEG SOUTH BLUES MJHL
CLARKE BREITKREUZ* YORKTON TERRIERS SJHL
DANIEL CARR* ST. ALBERT STEEL AJHL
ANDREW JOHNSON* FLIN FLON BOMBERS SJHL
TREVOR CAMERON NOTRE DAME HOUNDS SJHL
BEAU BENNETT* PENTICTON VEES BCHL
CARSON COOPER SPRUCE GROVE SAINTS AJHL
BRAYDEN JAW NANAIMO CLIPPERS BCHL
DYLAN WALCHUK VERNON VIPERS BCHL
JORDAN NEDUZAK WINKLER FLYERS MJHL
CODY FRASER FORT WILLIAM NORTH STARS SIJHL
* NHL Central Scouting Watch List
+ Unable to participate due to injury
For the first time, the CJHL Prospects Teams will play a two-game series. The event has become popular for local area hockey fans and scouts from the NHL and Canadian and American colleges and universities. Team East and Team West have each won two games in the four year history of the event:
· 2008 - Team East defeated Team West 6-3 in Summerside, PEI
· 2007 - Team East defeated Team West 5-3 in Winkler, Manitoba
· 2006 - Team West defeated Team East 6-2 in Vernon, British Columbia
· 2005 - Team West defeated Team East 5-4 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan
The roster for Team East was announced on Monday and is available at www.cjhlhockey.com.
CJHL Prospects Game #1 will be played on Tuesday, December 8th at 1:00 PM, followed by CJHL Prospects Game #2 on Wednesday, December 9th at 7:30 PM. Games will be played at the Winkler Arena. Tickets are available for only $10.00
CJHL ANNOUNCES THE TOP 20 WEEKLY RANKINGS
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week's rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 30th:
1. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (4) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
4. (3) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
5. (6) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6. (7) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
7. (5) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
8. (8) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
9. (12) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
10. (11) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
11. (9) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
12. (14) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
13. (15) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
14. (NR) Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL)
15. (16) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
16. (18) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
17. (10) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
18. (13) Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
19. (19) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL), Westside Warriors (BCHL), Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL), Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL), and the Brockville Braves (CJHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada.
The “Who Is The Best” Blog – Adam Thompson # 28
Before I get started on this extremely biased and potentially controversy article, I’d like to take a moment to thank my parents for everything they have given me in life. Recently I was able to obtain a scholarship to Yale University and it wouldn’t have been possible to do such a thing without their constant help, support and guidance throughout my hockey career and life. Yale is a very prestigious University and therefore it doesn’t come cheap. I am lucky enough to have parents that worked extremely hard in their lives earning a living and instilling good morals and ethics upon my brothers and I. I consider this scholarship a great family achievement and I am happy to share it with them. On that note, I’d also like to thank our coaches, especially Willy, for helping me through the whole process.
Anyhow, our game tonight was unfortunately canceled due to power outages; as I’m sure my fellow blogger Garret Noonan will tell you. Therefore, I have been given a good opportunity to take some time and write another blog article. Thus, the “Who Is The Best” blog is about to be created. For most of these categories, I’m sure I will stir up conflict and arguments, but that’s half the fun. I’m still looking for an equal challenger in NHL10…
THE BEST PING PONG PLAYER –And the acknowledgment goes to… Cole Ikkala. Ikky has managed to climb to the top of the Vernon Vipers “BCS Poll/rankings” for his exceptional ping-pong skills. The top 8 or so players on the team every now and then switch spots, but I think its clear to say that Cole is the best player. Connor and Kellen Jones are close seconds and thirds even though at the moment I retain the 2nd spot on the list and the top contender for the belt. Kak (Bryce Kakoske), Mike (Collins) and Stevie (Weinstein) are also commendable with the paddle.
THE BEST PASSER- This one might be up for great debate, but I’d have to give this award to Stevie Weinstein. If you ever watch Stevie, his head is always up when he is carrying the puck, looking for that good headman pass. I’ve seen some pretty sick passes from Stevie that are almost always tape-to-tape and usually have a lot of zip on them due to his massive Pectoral muscles.
THE BEST SAUCE PASSER- Bryce Kakoske. I think everyone will agree that Kak throws some pretty filthy sauce. Usually Caesar. One of the funniest quotes of the year came from Kak as he threw a lopsided, yucky sauce pass and exclaimed, “That was plum sauce... And I hate plum sauce”.
THE BEST NHL10 GAMER – We haven’t gotten the chance to have a big full team NHL tournament, however I have won the last two 5 man tournaments and maintained the title. My neck hurts a lot these days because the crown is so heavy… Honorable mention goes to Garret Noonan because he held the crown before me.
THE BEST WRIST SHOT- Cory Kane. Kaner has probably the hardest wrist shot that I have ever seen for this age group at least. Most Vipers fans will probably recall Hunter Bishop as having the hardest and most accurate wrister, which is probably true. However, Kaner is the first player I have ever got the chance to skate with that has stuck a puck in the net 5s+ times in warm-ups before games. Makes for a good laugh watching Krauser or the goalies try and hit the puck out.
THE BEST (FASTEST) SKATER- I have to give this one to Jonathan Milhouse or Rob Short. Milly is silky smooth and when he wants to go, he goes. Milly has scored numerous goals this year where he has just flat out burned by defenseman and left them in his dust. On the flip side, Shorty probably has the most back door tap in goals in BCHL history simply because he skates so hard to the net and catches defenseman off guard. A skate off might be in order to get the decision, but until then I have to call it a tie.
THE BEST DRESSED PLAYER- And the honor that has no award goes to…. Patty McGillis. I knew Patty had to potential to be a model when on the first exhibition game of the season, he showed up with white dress shoes on. Boy did he hear it from us! To no ones surprise, he hasn’t worn them since. Nowadays he just wear some flashy crocodile skin dress shoes and a nicely trimmed beard. To say the least, he is always looking good, as most boys from Calgary do.
THE BEST HITTER- The Jones twins have been known to throw a lot of solid body checks, but overall I have to give this honor to your captain, Kevin Kraus. Krauser can throw a pretty mean hip check and believe it or not, they are very difficult to initiate. Regardless, it takes a lot of skill to line these hip checks up and time them right.
THE BEST AT BEING A GOOF (FUNNIEST PLAYER)- Braden Pimm is hands down the smelliest goof of the team. Large emphasis on smelly. Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend the fact that Pimmer 20 years old, however everyone loves the guy. He is almost always up to something but is one of the funniest guys I have ever met. I will always remember the first time I met Pimmer as he told a hilarious story about his adventures on the way back to training camp last year. I distinctively remember Chris Crowell proclaiming how big of a dummy he was and my first impressions did not disappoint.
THE BEST JOKES – Mike Collins is probably my leading candidate for the best humor. For a lot of reasons I can’t fully describe the sniper from Boston’s antics, however he does bring up a lot of funny lines in court and always has a quick, witty reply to personal attacks. Gotta love Mike’s Aunts as well and his accent. Hearing him and Noonan talk about paaarking their carrr always gets a good laugh.
THE BEST FIGHTER- Garret Noonan and Darren Robak have some good dusts in practice (as jokes) however, Krauser has had the best fight this year so I’ve got to give him the nod thus far.
That is basically about as much as I can think up in regards to the Best of the Bests. Hope I didn’t cause any problems. Until next time.
!GO VIPERS!
I would like to thank Garrett Noonan for writing on my blog while he and the team were on the road! He did an awesome job of letting us know what everyone was up to, and giving us an inside scoop of what the players do while they are traveling!
There is still no word on when the Powell River game will be rescheduled, it is going to be hard to find a date that will work for both team…not the easiest team to get to! I know the fans in Power River were looking forward to hosting the Vipers but you can’t control Mother Nature and Powell River can be an incredibly gorgeous place most of the time but there is no such thing as “a little” wind on the coast!!
Outside not playing that game the Vipers went 3-0 on the road…a total of 27 wins and only 1 loss this season! One word...UNBELIEVABLE! This is one on the most amazing teams I have ever seen hit the ice! The season is only going to get harder for the Vipers as well…not only are they the reining National Champions and currently rated number 1 in Canada, they have also won 20 games in a row!! The target on there backs keeps getting bigger and teams keep getting stronger and more focused to beat our team!!
With a team like this to watch I would hope Vernon would realize they have something very special in their own backyard and hockey fan or not everyone should come out to support this team…they are doing more then there part to get Vernon noticed!! In fact with 142 Junior A teams in Canada I can guarantee that all of them are talking about the Vipers!! In fact just in our league people are filling other arenas to get a look at the notorious Vernon Vipers when they are in their town!
Get out to a game and make some noise for this incredible team! The Vipers will host the Prince George Spruce Kings Thursday night and then host the Westside Warriors on Friday night!!
See you at the game!
Sniper
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis. 3. (3) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
4. (6) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
5. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
6. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
7. (8) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
8. (7) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
9. (9) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
10. (10) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
11. (13) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
12. (12) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
13. (11) Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
14. (16) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
15. (NR) Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL)
16. (17) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
17. (14) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL
18. (18) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
19. (15) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL), Westside Warriors (BCHL), Canmore Eagles (AJHL), Flin Flon Bombers (SJHL) and Truro Bearcats (MJAHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website. www.cjhlhockey.com
Game Days Blogging
The last couple of days I haven’t been able to blog much because to be honest on game days there isn’t much to blog about. On Friday night we played the 11th ranked Surrey Eagles, and the number one team in the coastal conference. Surrey plays on an Olympic sized rink, so it was really fun as a defenseman to jump in the play and have that much room to make plays. The game was a high paced game, with both teams having great scoring chances early. Finally we cashed in on a shorthanded effort by Rob Short and we really didn’t look back after that. We ended up winning the game 6-1. As the score got bigger Surrey got a little more frustrated as a semi brawl ensued in the third period. Although not being on the ice for it, the ref claimed I started it all and I had to serve 2 minutes for roughing. Graeme Gordon played very well in between the pipes for us, he made big saves all night. Although the score did not show, Surrey was a very good hockey team, and anytime we play them we will have our hands full. On Saturday night we got the opportunity to go into the brand new Langley Events Centre and take on the Langley Chiefs. The chiefs came out and tried to get us off our game early. Although having a sloppy first period, we bounced back and won our second game of the road trip 6-2. Langley is a very good team as well, they really frustrated us at times, and stuck too there game plan of finishing there checks and playing tough. The new rink in Langley was really something special. Before the game they played the CBC game of the night on the new big screen at the rink, and it was great. I am not sure if it all done yet, but it was a treat to play there. Today we take on the Burnaby Express, before we get back on the bus and head back for Vernon. I would like to thank you all for reading my blogs, I am sorry for not updating the past few days, as I said earlier there isn’t much we do on gameday’s.
Garrett Noonan
Day 3: Back on the Road
Today was a bit of a boring day for the team. Everyone was pretty upset about the power outage last night in Powell River but there was nothing anybody could do about it. The team woke up at around 6:30 to eat breakfast and get on the road. We packed our bags at the rink knowing there would not be a make up game today. We left the rink at around 7 because we had to make sure we caught the first ferry out of town at 9am. The bus to the ferry was pretty quiet as everybody caught up on some more sleep. Fortunately, we caught the ferry at 9. While all of the guys usually get off the bus that is in the cellar of the ferry. Today was different as most of the guys stayed on the bus and slept some more. Myself included. The ferry was pretty short as it took around 45 minutes. The long part of the trip to Langley was the ride on the in-between ferries. This took around an hour and a half. The team was a little more active on this bus ride as everyone started to talk and wake up a little bit. We got to the ferry and had to wait around 20 minutes for the ferry to come. Everyone talked for a little while then boarded the ferry, as we all went up and got lunch. The food on the ferry was pretty good. As I told you on my first blog of the week the rookies had a scavenger hunt and the loser would have consequences. The “prairie dogs” compiled of the Albertan and Saskatchewan rookies were the losers. So in front of a group of people on the ferry they had to introduce themselves to these random people and shadow box in front of all of them. The harder they worked the shorter they would be up there. Patrick Mcgillis gave 100% and wasn’t up there for too long. On the other hand, Darrin Robak the Red Deer, Albeta native didn’t give it his all and sat down immediately on his own to save the embarrassment. I’m sure he’ll be hearing about that little stunt in court on Monday. After that we got back on the bus and drove through Vancouver and into Langley. As we arrived at two we checked into the hotel and went and settled in. While watching some Wild “N” Out and playing a few pranks on our roommates for a few hours, we got back on the bus and went and dined at East Side Mario’s for dinner. After that a bunch of the guys went to watch a movie at the theater a few minutes down the road. I personally would have liked to go and watch the Westside vs. Langley game but was not able to because it started at 8:30 due to a banquet at there rink. Adam, Cole and I stayed in and watched Adams’s beloved Calgary Flames lose in big fashion to the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole and myself’s fantasy hockey team had a huge night so that brought a grin to our faces, as we regained first place from the coaches team. After that we shut the lights off and got some rest for tomorrow's big matchup vs. the Surrey Eagles.
Garrett Noonan; Day 2: The Power Outage
Blogging on the Coastal Road Trip with Garrett Noonan
Hi, my name is Garrett Noonan this is my first year with the Vernon Vipers. I am From Norfolk, Massachusetts about thirty minutes outside of Boston. I have really enjoyed my time in Vernon thus far. Over the next few days on the teams five day, four game coastal road trip, you will be hearing from myself as well as my two roommates Adam Thompson and Cole Ikkala. Also I would like to congratulate my awesome defensive partner Adam Thompson as he recently committed to the prestigious Yale University about 3 hours outside of Boston in New Haven, Connecticut. Although, I would like to take some credit for his commitment to Yale, I was informed that he was offered there before we were partners. Believe it or not.
Kakoske & George Visit With Students
Vipers Back To Number 1 Spot
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 16th:
1. (2) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (1) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (4) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
4. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
5. (3) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6. (5) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
7. (10) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
8. (7) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
9. (8) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
10. (11) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
11. (9) Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
12. (16) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
13. (15) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
14. (12) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL)
15. (17) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
16. (14) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
17. (19) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
18. (18) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
19. (NR) Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)
20. (20) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAAQ)
Honorable mention goes to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL), Westside Warriors (BCHL), Kindersley Klippers (SJHL), Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL), and the Brockville Braves (CJHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website at www.cjhlhockey.com
A Response To Adam Thompson...
In response to Adam’s “Friendship” blog, we, as his billets, truly enjoy being part of his experience as a Vernon Viper and his life in Vernon.
This young man is an example of the quality people that Duncan, Mark and Jason have recruited to be on their team.
Life as a billet is entertaining as you watch them grow from boys to men and all the different adventures that come along with it.
As billets with no children of our own, it’s become one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives to help guide, support and mentor the young men that come thru our home every year.
Tamara & Mike
Hammond emerging in goal for Falcons
Written by By KEVIN GORDON Sentinel Assistant Sports Editor
Friday, 06 November 2009
Andrew Hammond is starting to emerge as a solution to Bowling Green's goaltending problems.
The Bowling Green freshman has a 2.61 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in his last three games.
Hammond has started the last three games and is expected to start tonight at Ferris State in the opener of a Central Collegiate Hockey Association series. The teams play tonight at 7:05 and Saturday at 5:05.
"He's looked very solid," BG coach Dennis Williams said. "He challenges the shooter and is square to the puck. He's making the saves he should make and he's making the tough saves that are difference-makers."
Hammond has a 3.46 goals-against and a .908 save percentage in five games, including four starts.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder stopped 37-of-41 shots in his debut at Minnesota-State Oct. 10. He wasn't sharp in his next two appearances against the U.S. Under-18 Team and in a relief stint against Providence, but he's been outstanding since.
BG was last in the CCHA last season with an .875 save percentage and junior Nick Eno is off to a tough start with a 4.94 goals-against and a .877 save mark.
Hammond's been busy, facing 37.6 shots every 60 minutes.
The Falcons are 0-5-1 overall, while Ferris is 5-3.
"I just hoped to get some starts," Hammond said. "It's taken a lot of hard work to get this far and it's going to take even more hard work the rest of the season. I want to take advantage of every start I get.
"I've been comfortable all along with the whole environment. I don't think there was much of an adjustment. Everything about coming here has been very positive."
Pimm named BCHL Player of the Week
Vernon Vipers forward Braden Pimm has been named the British Columbia Hockey League's Player of the Week for the week ending November 8th, the league announced Monday.
Pimm scored four goals and totalled seven points last week, helping to lead the Vipers to four consecutive road wins while improving the team's league-leading record to 21-1. On Friday, Pimm set up Mike Collins' third period power-play marker that proved to be the eventual winner in a 5-2 victory over Prince George.
The 19-year old then picked up First Star honours in back-to-back games to close out the weekend. On Saturday, Pimm scored once and assisted on goals by Collins and Jonathan Milhouse in a 7-1 win over the Quesnel Millionaires. On Sunday, he took charge with a hat trick in the second period of a 6-0 victory over the Williams Lake Timberwolves.
Pimm, who is committed to attend Northeastern University next season, currently sits second on his team and eight in the BCHL in scoring with 36 points in 22 games played. He is on pace to shatter his career high of 24 goals and 54 points set during the 2008/09 campaign.
The Vipers, who currently sit second in the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings, return to the ice on Tuesday when they look to wrap up a perfect six-game road trip in Merritt.
Important Aspects of Hockey - Friendship (by Adam Thompson #28)
There are a lot of good things that come from hockey and the events surrounding the game and in the next couple of blogs I will talk about a few of those area’s. The first and possibly most valuable aspect that comes with hockey is friendship and the relationships you build with fellow teammates, coaches, owners and team representatives, billets and of course the fans. These relationships make lasting impressions and while sometimes they’re not always positive, I think it’s important to experience them first hand.
When it comes to making friends, there is no easier way to meet people and build relationships than being stuck on a team full of twenty-four “beauties”. Sometimes personalities clash but you learn to accept things and come together as a team. I personally find it challenging to meet people and engage in conversations but being on a team makes it really easy. Almost all of my friends are ex hockey teammates and I have even been fortunate enough to play with some guys that have been drafted in the NHL. I personally believe the best thing about hockey is the friendships you make, the people you meet and the life lessons you gain from experiences in hockey. Obviously last year I was blessed with the opportunity to win a National Championship and had probably the best year of hockey in my life. I will always remember last year and the guys on the team from the Captain Chris Crowell down. I got to be apart of probably the “most lethal defense core” in junior hockey and played in front of two awesome goalies. Cody Ikkala and I had good chemistry as Defense partners as well, which is important in keeping the pucks out of our net. However, that is in the past. This new season has introduced me to a lot of new people and 19 games into the year, I have already made some good friendships. Garret Noonan and I have developed a strong D partner bond, a bond that is strong enough that he now just acknowledges me as “partner”. The team really has a lot of good personalities and a good makeup of everything needed to be successful. I think a large part of that is due to our awesome coaches Jason Williamson and Mark Ferner.
Now I am not trying to just suck up to the coaches. They really are awesome mentors that instill the right attitudes for winning and instruct us to be better as hockey players, but also as individuals in life outside of hockey. Ferns makes the hockey rink a fun place to be and it makes everyone want to be at the rink, ready to practice hard and play harder in the games. Ferns may be plummeting down the team ping-pong rankings, but the fact that he’ll enjoy a game of ping-pong in front of the whole team in the room is truly something special. Willy is usually doing to dirty work behind the scenes, but I have gotten the opportunity to witness them as a doubles tandem and been surprised to say the least. In hockey its important that your coaches are respected by the players because then working hard doesn’t really feel like working hard, its more of just a way to go about things on a regular basis. I distinctly remember the first time I met Willy and Ferns when they recruited me two years ago and was impressed right of the bat. It was an easy decision to come to Vernon just because of the coaches, let alone the great city, great fans and the great arena.
Dr. Duncan Wray truly is one of the greatest guys I have personally ever met in my whole life. He makes it a treat to be on the Vipers and is a very kind, approachable man. I also remember meeting Duncan for the first time when I came for my fly down as we ate at Boston Pizza before the Vipers home game that Friday night. I remember laughing with my Dad at the amount of diet Coke he drank, but more seriously, he told us that one of his greatest enjoyments in hockey was watching us young men gain scholarships and move on in life. Duncan has been known to take some awesome pictures with his ridiculously big camera and is always around contributing to the team in some way. This summer I met two players that had once previously played for Vernon and they both asked me if Duncan Wray was still around. It just goes to show how special he is, as he made lasting impressions on the two players, impressions great enough to be remembered years later. I can’t forget mentioning Heidi, Todd Miller, Don Klepp (Klepper), Rod Knopp, Lon Fraser and Hoon as well. They are all great people as well and make the team what it is, whether that’s marketing the Vipers, being the Voice of Vipers, running study halls to help out the guys in classes or just taking care of injuries and equipment.
Lastly, I am left to talk about our supportive fans and my loving, care giving Billets. Here in Vernon, we are lucky enough to have the best fans in the league. Last year really made a mark on me in regards to the fans, as the whole National Champion RBC Cup fever struck the city of Vernon. The town parade and the goodbye celebration in the arena after words was a spectacle that will always last in my memories. My other favorite fan moment amongst the many was playing in the Civic arena, which was sold out for warm-up in game 1 and 2 of the Doyle Cup. I remember getting chills the whole game as the fans were ridiculously loud, yelling at the opposing goalie or celebrating our two wins that led to a sweep and a birth to the National Championship. My billets are amongst the fans in every home game and occasionally the close away games against the rivals like Salmon Arm and Westside. The sacrifice they make to have me in their home and to support me in my hockey endeavors is really special. I can’t thank them enough for all the support, nourishment and the overall great hospitality they offer to me. A general thanks goes out to all the Billets as I myself, would probably find it very difficult to allow a stranger into my home for a full season.
Hockey has been apart of my life since as long as I can remember. It isn’t hard to look back and remember all the great experiences I have enjoyed because of hockey and for that, I encourage everyone to start their kids up in hockey or another great team sport. Great relationships are built due to hockey. There really isn’t much better than living in Vernon, playing hockey for a Junior A dynasty and just overall living “the dream”.
WJAC - Canada West 7 - Belarus 3
Cam Reid scored the first hat trick by a Canada West player since 2007 and John Dunbar tied a WJAC record with four assists as the Canadians set up a semifinal date with Canada East (Friday, 7 p.m. AT) with a 7-3 win over Belarus on Thursday night.
The two Canadian teams have not met at the tournament since the 2007 gold medal game, won 4-1 by Canada East. The westerners also took the only other meeting, a 4-3 victory in the final game in 2006.
Both Canada West and Belarus came out firing in the opening period, and the end-to-end hockey produced five goals in a span of 6:05.
After Connor Jones has restored the Canada West lead at 12:42 he struck again 2:21 after that, deftly deflecting a shot from Cody Kunyk through the legs of Artynski. Belarus struck back quickly again, though, as Aliaksandr Famin shoveled a loose puck past Bonar after a scramble in the Canadian crease to again get the deficit back to just one.
Nursing a one-goal advantage heading into period two, the Canadians threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Belarus goal, with Reid’s second of the game 3:45 into the period chasing Artynski from the net.
The change didn’t seem to matter to Canada West, which outshot the Europeans 20-7 in the second period and went up 5-2 when Ben Gallacher’s seeing-eye point shot beat Dzmitry Volkau.
Siarhei Karolik got that one back for Belarus very late in the period, making it 5-3 after 40 minutes.
Canada West made sure there would be no drama in the third period, allowing just six Belarussian shots in the final period and rounding out the scoring on goals from Reid, who joined Kyle Turris and Casey Pierro-Zabotel as Canada West players with WJAC hat tricks, and Ryan Marshall.
The loss puts Belarus in the fifth-place game for the third time in four tournament appearances. It will face Sweden on Saturday night (7 p.m. AT).
The Vernon Vipers would like to thank the 1st Girl Guides for coming and look forward to seeing them at upcoming games.
CJHL Weekly Rankings
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today its Weekly Top 20 rankings in conjunction with NHL Central Scouting. Last week’s rankings and the leagues in which the teams belong to are in parenthesis.
The CJHL Weekly Top 20 as of Monday, November 2nd:
1. (1) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL) (see standings)
2. (2) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) (see standings)
3. (4) Dauphin Kings (MJHL) (see standings)
4. (3) Vernon Vipers (BCHL) (see standings)
5. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
7. (7) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
8. (8) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
9. (HM) Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL)
10. (HM) Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
11. (NR) Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
12. (11) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
13. (10) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL)
14. (HM) Wellington Dukes (CCHL)
15. (12) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
16. (HM) Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
17. (NR) Winnipeg Saints (MJHL)
18. (14) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
19. (13) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
20. (NR) Le College Francais de Longueuil (LHJAAA)
Honorable mention goes to the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL), Flin Flon Bombers (MJHL), Burlington Cougars (CCHL), Trenton Golden Hawks (OJAHL) and Truro Bearcats (MJAHL).
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website. www.cjhlhockey.com
Cole Ikkala Blogs - Rockets Game Fun
Just this Wednesday Adam Thompson, Garrett Noonan, Graeme Gordon, and I all went to Kelowna for the Rockets game. On the way down we stopped at Cactus Club for a quick meal and then headed to the game. Adam and Graeme both know kids on Calgary so we were able to get free tickets. What was going to be just an average hockey game turned into quite the night. Halfway through the second period Garrett and I went for a snack and drink at the concession. We left Adam behind who said, “I’m here for the game not the food,” an obvious remark that costed him a good time. As me and Garrett were buying our food we were asked to do the intermission relay race. Hesitant at first it was only a matter of seconds before we agreed. As we made our way the zamboni tunnel we were briefed on the event, we were to run down the ice putting on pants, a jersey, and gloves on and then had to shoot the puck into the net. We sent Adam and Graeme a text to make sure they watched and of course they didn’t believe us. After we put on our helmets we made our way to the ice with the other contestants under our fake names of “Adam” and “Rick”. After the crowd was rallied up for the show we lined up at the goal line. The announcer counted us down and then we were off. Garrett had a false start, but the race went on. The first station was the pants, which didn’t seem to fit at first so I just kept them around the ankles. Garrett continued to try to pull them up which costed him the race. The other two contestants were constantly running and at the red line at this point, I knew I had to make a move. As I got to the jersey I threw it on quick and made my way to the gloves. While I was putting on the gloves I noticed that the net was backwards and the mascot was turning it around. I almost fell as I picked up the stick, grabbed the puck and fired a shot past the two people ahead of me into the net for the win! After a hands in air/running man celebration I looked back to see Garret still grabbing his stick, and then shot his puck past me and everyone into the net. It was a good effort. We were then given our gift bags and made our way back up to our seats where we were able to watch our performances, taped by Graeme. That made the night very entertaining!
Rockets games are just one thing we do in our free time. We spend a lot of time going out to restaurants around town or in Kelowna. On weeknights if we aren’t hanging out together we will all go to a movie at Famous Players. When we get a day off, generally on Sundays, if we aren’t relaxing a lot of time we go to the Kelowna mall and walk around for a bit. As mentioned before our team is big on the NHL 10 game so when were hanging out we always come around to playing that. Currently Garrett Noonan is the best and has continued his winning this past weekend. Other than that we don’t do much, with our busy schedule it’s nice to use the free time to just hang out and catch up on rest.
Were on the road for the next couple weeks so hopefully you can make it to our next home game on Friday, November 13th!
Why Aren't The Vipers Ranked 1st....
So currently the Vipers stay ranked 3rd in the CJHL Power Rankings and will play 6 road games before they come back to the Wesbild Centre. There first stop is this Friday night when they face the Merritt Centennials for the first time in their barn this season. Then in a week they will go to Salmon Arm to face the Silverbacks for the 3rd time this year and then the boys will head up north again to play Prince George, Quesnel and Williams Lake.
Vernon will play Merritt one more time on the road before playing a double header against the Trail Smoke Eaters on the 13th and 14th of November at the Wesbild Centre and the Vipers will also welcome all the parents of the players for the annual Parents Weekend!!
So the Vipers may not be playing a home game for 3 weeks, but they will be keeping busy!!! As always tickets are available for the next home games weekdays from 9am-4pm at the Vipers Office or book by phone at 542-6022.
Vipers, Vees maintain Top-5 spots in CJHL rankings
The CJHL Weekly Top 15 as of Monday, October 26th:
1. (2) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
2. (1) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
3. (3) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
4. (5) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
5. (4) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6. (6) Georgetown Raiders (OJAHL)
7. (8) Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)
8. (7) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
9. (10) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL)
10. (9) Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL)
11. (HM) Oakville Blades (OJAHL)
12. (11) Woodstock Slammers (MJAHL)
13. (14) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)
14. (13) Abitibi Eskimos (NOJHL)
15. (15) Les Pantheres de Saint-Jerome (LHJAAA)
Honorable mention goes to the Surrey Eagles (BCHL), Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL), Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL), Soo Eagles (NOJHL), Burlington Cougars (CCHL), Wellington Dukes (CCHL), and the Cornwall Colts (CJHL)
The rankings are based upon a variety of factors which includes the league in which the teams belong to, their winning percentage, their win-loss record, total points accumulated, their goals-for versus goals-against ratio, amongst other factors.
The CJHL is an amalgamation of ten Junior A hockey leagues from across Canada. More information on the CJHL can be found by clicking on the league website. www.cjhlhockey.com
Vernon Vipers Take Part In D.E.A.R.
Last October Home Game
Well October is coming to an end and the Vipers have one last home game to play this month so you better get to the game!!! The Vipers will host the Quesnel Millionaires on October 24th at 7pm @ the Wesbild Centre. Quesnel is a very unpredictable team, that may be struggling in the standings, but they always put in a good fight and have always put 100% in when the face the Vipers. No matter what team the Vipers host we need fan support...it makes a huge difference on the atmosphere and how the boys play!
Looking around the league, when the Vipers are on the road, the visiting teams attendance doubles in some arenas as fans from other towns want to come see the Vipers play...so Vernon, you have them here all the time and each and every night they come out and play spectacular hockey...and as one fan mentioned the other day..."This is the most special team I have ever seen since I started following the Vipers."
Don't miss out on any home game this year and come cheer on the team that is creating the most buzz in ALL of Junior A Hockey!!
Get your tickets today!!
Blogging On The Northern Road Swing With Adam Thompson
Day 1 – Thursday- Game vs. Quesnel @ 7 Pm
Thursday morning marked the first day of our first Northern Road swing of the year, with an early 9 am departure time. I picked up some Tim Horton’s for breakfast on the way to the rink, specifically a couple sesame seed bagels and an Iced Cappuccino. After we pack our bags and allow the rookies to load the bus, we get settled in our regular spots on the bus (veterans in the back, rookies closer to the front and coaches/staff at the head of the bus). This road trip we lucked out because a little less personnel came on the trip thus allowing everyone to get there own two seats for more room and comfort on the long trip. I spent a solid 3-4 hours sleeping and the rest listening to music or watching movies on my ipod. On this specific trip we decided to stay in Williams Lake for the first two nights because of the close proximity between Williams Lake and Quesnel. We dropped off our belongings into our rooms, ate a quick pregame meal consisting of spaghetti and meatballs and then headed back to our rooms for some rest and relaxation before the game. I had to pleasure staying with Darren Robak, or Dale Dobak as most teammates call him. He is quite the character and we had some good times. Before we knew it, we were required to shake off our bus legs and get on the ice for a big game against Quenel.
I didn’t get to play the first two games this weekend due to an undisclosed injury (along with my fellow teammate Cole Ikkala); therefore I got to watch the team from a different perspective. I was fortunate enough last year to only sit out one game, so it was somewhat of a new experience for me. After a good group effort and a solid 60 minutes of play, we went onto win the game 9-1. The whole team came to play tonight but I was particularly amazed by the efforts of our so-called fourth line. Just goes to show our team depth is a definite strong point. Before we knew it, we were in, out, and back on the bus to the hotel in Williams Lake.
Day 2 – Friday- Game vs. Williams Lake @ 7 pm
Day two began with breakfast in the hotel lobby, a pregame skate at the arena in Williams Lake and more rest and relaxation. I got to participate in the pregame skate but unfortunately I was unable to play in the game tonight. That meant Cole Ikkala, Dan Nycolat (who unfortunately got suspended in Quesnel for standing up for a teammate) and I had to participate in a conditioning skate. Lets just say the sausages and so-called “eggs” did not sit well during this event. Dobak and I watched numerous episodes of Wild N’ Out, which might be the best show on these days. While it may not be good for the younger kids, there are a lot of good laughs for the more mature audiences. After a lot of sitting around, we were getting our suits on and heading back to the rink for another big game against the Williams Lake Timberwolves. They are a new expansion team that entered the league this year, therefore they have a whole bunch of rookies on their squad that are new to the BCHL experience. That being said, they have a bunch on young speedsters that are known to put in a good effort and work hard… which they did, for about 45 minutes of tonight’s game. The other 15 minutes was lost in an onslaught of goals by your very own Vipers. Another 9-goal game with only 2 against highlighted the night. Blake Voth got to start tonight and looked solid. It’s hard not to with such a solid defense corps in front of him. Captain Kraus looked really good and Eric Soderlund and Darren Robak both got to play. There were also two spirited fights by Sawyer Mick and Darren Robak, in which both of them won (obviously). Dobak was again standing up for a teammate, which is good to see from the young kid from Red Deer (not quite as good of a city as Calgary, but nonetheless in the great province of Alberta). However the best news of the night came from the P.A. announcer after he told the disgruntled crowd that the Calgary Flames had beat the Canucks again. Back to the hotel again where we got to relax after 2 solid games and got to look forward to a well-deserved day off on Saturday.
Day 3 – Saturday- Day off
Today we woke up, had another delicious breakfast, which was sooo delicious that most people went to the gas station Market after it, to get more food. This was definitely one of the more boring and uneventful days of the season for me. The team hopped back on the bus and drove to Prince George, the location of our third and final game that is going to be played tomorrow afternoon. This time I got to room with the two goalies. Blake Voth is a good kid, but seems to enjoy squirting me with water. This incident was settled on the bus ride home Sunday. The other, Graeme Gordon is a great guy and a person that I will most likely remember for the rest of my life. I was lucky enough to room with him all season last year and we had some good times. As I said before, this day consisted largely of time wasting. Vother and I watched American Pie and about 5 hours more of useless television. The ALCS baseball game was ridiculously entertaining and much to Gordo’s dismay, Vother and I were both happy to hear that the Stampeders and Roughriders (CFL) got a point in an exciting tie. A lot of ice followed by sleep capped the day off.
Day 4 – Sunday – Game vs. Prince George @ 3 pm
We got to sleep in longer this morning and the breakfast was a lot better. I knew today was going to be a good day and I luckily got to play in today’s game. Prince George is known to be a bit of a tough challenge for us especially on the road in their barn. It was our first meeting against them this year, but for the most part we had no trouble. Winning the game 5-1 we collected 2 more points to help us maintain in first place in the Interior Conference and league standings. Today’s game was a solid team effort as we stuck to our systems and put together a solid 60-minute game. Gordo had a pretty ridiculous glove save and nice passing plays were highlighted in some of the goals. The team offense in the last 7 games has been pretty unbelievable and has allowed us to take the lead for the most goals for in the league. Perhaps more impressive is that we also have the lowest goals against in the league as well. The team is coming together well I’d say. All in all it was a great road trip as we got all six points that we came for. We got to enjoy a good Boston Pizza meal on the way home and have now watched a few movies.
Keep on cheering for your first place Vipers and be sure to come to Wednesday’s game against Merrit. It will be a special night as we will dawn our special edition breast cancer jerseys and lots of money will be raised for a great cause. I plan on going to bed now so until next time, in the words of the great Ron Burgundy (with our own twist) stay classy Vernon.
Blogging With Viper - Cole Ikkala
Depending on whether it’s a Friday or Saturday game we start off the day with a pre game skate or walk. Our pre game skate is usually at 11 giving us enough time to sleep in. It’s a quick 20 minute skate that helps to wake us up in the morning. Players can then use the extra ice time to work on personal things such as stickhandling or shooting. The drills are the usually the same every week including the famous “Bob’s Your Uncle” drill. If we had a game the night before we generally don’t skate and take a walk instead. The walk takes place between 10 and 11 and is just a quick stroll around the Safeway parking lot. The highlight of these walks however is the rookie creek jump. This year there have been many great attempts but nobody has made it across. Drew George attempted to jump and grabbed a branch like a young Tarzan but failed, followed by Pat McGillis who unfortunately lost a sandal in the event. Brendan Persley brought a tube and still managed to get submerged in the water. The walk and the skate are both just there to get us out of bed and woken up a little bit.
After the walk or the skate the rest of the day is our time to prepare for the game. There is the Quizno’s crew…Connor and Kellen Jones, Bryce Kakoske, Adam Thompson, Graeme Gordon, Kevin Kraus, Braden Pimm, Rob Short, and occasionally myself. They use this time to grab a good lunch and be with the boys for about 30 minutes. I personally prefer to go home to either eat some breakfast of a homemade sandwich and some NHL 10. After a few games I like to get a nap in, bringing me to my pre game meal.
Most of us eat our pre game meal around 2:30 allowing for time to work it off before the game. Graeme and I choose to eat chicken alfredo before every game cooked to perfection by our billet mom. Others choose to eat other forms of pasta or the classic chicken and rice, any meal that will give you enough energy for the game.
After pre game meal, I like to relax for another hour or so. When it gets closer to game time I grab a shower and put one of my suits on and head to the rink. We have to be at the rink by 5 or if it’s an away game to the bus usually leaves between 3-4 depending on where we go.
At the rink we change out of our suits and into our warm up gear. We use the extra couple hours before the game to tape our sticks and mentally prepare. The Jones’s and Rob Short use this time to stick handle up top, me and a few others like to hang in the stands and chat, and the rest of the team plays “sewer ball” to warm up. After that we do a team warm up and then it’s game time where we try to put on a show for you fans!
Hope to see you all at our next home games!
