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!
Cole Ikkala Blogs - Rockets Game Fun
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!
Blogging With Viper - Adam Thompson
A Day in the Life of a Viper
Whether your interested or not, I have decided to let the fans know what goes on in a regular day, in the life of a Vernon Viper player (game days are a little different of course).
9 AM – 10:50 AM
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I attend a psychology class with some of the guys, which forces me to get up at this early. This is tough considering Thursdays are normally our day to sleep in and when you work as hard as we do, sleeping in is a valuable commodity. However on any other day we are usually up at around 10:30 am, getting ready for gym and a solid hour-long workout. School is school… and while its very important to put in a good effort and get good grades, I hated school and everything to do with it, much like every other child out there. For those who enjoy school, Psychology is a pretty good course to take as it deals with lots of interesting topics to do with the mind and body. After a quick nap or daydream in class (joking) and a quick glance around campus for some cute young classy ladies (not joking) were off straight to the gym. Speaking of which I’d like to congratulate Drew George for getting the lucky chance to sit beside (very closely I might add) his first girl a couple classes ago.
11 AM – 12 NOON
Workouts usually consist of a bike ride or run for warm-up, followed by a predetermined schedule that is laid out for us by Fitness West. Some days it’s hard to find the effort to put in a good workout, but workouts are important to keep up our fitness and be strong enough to compete night in and night out and stay atop the Interior Conference. More on workouts will come in future entries.
12:15 PM – 2 PM
After workout, we need to fill up on good food in order to be at our best for practice. I usually go for eggs and toast with peanut butter, Panini’s with cheese and meat grilled on the George Foreman, or left over’s from the night before. My billets cook delicious meals so it is easy to find something tasty and filling before I get down to work at practice. Some juice or Milk with Oreo Sippers (from Gordo and Ikky) help drain it all down. After lunch I usually play some Xbox and scratch up on my skills. Most of my time is spent dominating the computer in my Dynasty (NHL 10 is pretty unreal) or playing other games like Halo and Call Of Duty. I basically run show in all of them regardless so it doesn’t matter much to me what genre the challengers choose. Then it’s off down Highway 97 to the Wesbild Center and sometimes unfortunately, the Civic arena, for practice.
2:05 PM -6 PM
Most guys play ping-pong, tape sticks, watch TV and just hang out for the first half hour before we actually start getting dressed and on the ice for three. Occasionally we talk strategies but its mostly just time spent to bond and get ready for some hard work at practice. Practice usually goes for an hour and a bit where we learn new things and just get better. Coach Ferner has a great saying that involves us coming to practice everyday to get better, not to waste time. After all, practice makes perfect. After the conclusion of practice, we shower up and then head home for some dinner.
7 Pm – SLEEP
After another delicious meal, I get on the phone and find something fun and entertaining to do for the rest of the night. Most nights I hang with Cole Ikkala and Graeme Gordon because they live close and are both beauties. I also usually chill with my awesome D Partner Garret Noonan but he didn’t name drop me in his interview, so for now I just go to his house to hang with Mike Collins. Tonight I killed time playing in an NHL 10 tourney with a bunch of the guys. However, after losing in the finals, I don’t feel the need to talk much about it. Apparently my NHL skills aren’t up to par. Home at curfew and a hot tub or TV watching session later and I’m in bed ready to do it all again the next morning.
Another Huge weekend for the Vipers!! Come out and show your support. There is also a skate on Sunday so bring your skates down and take some strides with the boys.
Another 3 Game Weekend
Blogging With Viper - Cole Ikkala
It wasn’t where I lived that got me going though. My Dad got me into hockey at an early age being a great player himself. He grew up in Michigan and played D-1 hockey at Northern Michigan and after that a few years pro in Germany. Growing up he was always there to coach me, whether it was good or bad it turned me into the player I am today, which I really appreciate. He got me and my two brothers, Cody (20) and Dylan (15) into the sport. Cody, who played here in Vernon last year now plays D-1 hockey at Army. My little brother on the other hand quit hockey and took up lacrosse. He currently plays varsity for my old high school and is looking to go D-1 in that and I must say he is pretty sick. Both of them make me proud as their brother. But I can’t give all the credit to my Dad, my mom was there to make it all happen!
Now a little about myself….
In my free time I like to play NHL ’10. Dylan Walchuk and I are currently the doubles champs after winning the last tournament…going in as the 4th seed after coming into the playoffs out of the losers bracket. Some called it a backdoor route to victory and we just called it pure skill. In terms of singles the best player is probably Braden Pimm...he has some talent when it comes to gaming. Honorable mentions go to Garrett Noonan, Connor Jones, Kevin Kraus and Adam Thompson.
One of the few things I agree with Adam on is the Philadelphia Flyers. They are the best team in hockey these days. Growing up I was a Colorado Avalanche fan but once I moved to Philly it was an easy change. Mike Richards is probably the best player in the league and could teach Adam’s Iginla a few lessons. He’s a great captain and has so much skill making him one of the best all-around players in the league. My favorite baseball team is the reigning national champs, the Philadelphia Phillies. I usually get out to about five games a summer to tailgate and watch some good baseball. If you’re ever in Philly that is something you need to do. In terms of football, my favorite team is the Denver Broncos having grown up in Colorado most of my life. Drew George claims the Saskatchewan Rough Riders are the best football team but let’s get serious they don’t deserve any recognition in this blog.
When im around the house with my roommate, Graeme Gordon and I watch a lot of Wild n’ Out. It’s probably one of the best shows on TV these days. I enjoy listening to country and rap music, the two opposites of the spectrum, with Jason Aldean and Rodney Atkins as my favorites. Other than that there is not much more to know about me. In the weeks ahead we will be blogging about road trips and daily routines. Make sure to check us out and come to our next home game!
Vipers @ Warriors
With the shots 52-19 for Vernon you can't say that Warriors netmider Kevin Jebson didn't do all he could in an unbelievable 4-3 victory for the Vipers on Friday night in Westside! What an awesome game and effort from both the Vipers and the Warriors, but Vernon has kept there winning streak in tack and now it's back home for a Saturday night game against the Penticton Vees!! I am going to have to say this is one game you won't want to miss. Take the nail biting, fast pace intense game from Friday night and times it by 10 for the match up of the Vipers and Vees! Penticton beat Trail on Friday night 8-2 and they are nice and hot for the Vipers. Vernon wants to keep there winning streak going (now 7-0) but the Vees have marked there calendars for Saturday night...they have been waiting for this game since the Vipers kicked the Vees out of the playoff last season. Be at the Wesbild Centre Saturday night, puck drop at 7pm and watch the rivalry continue between the Vipers and Vees!!!!
Blogging With Viper Adam Thompson
I started playing hockey when I was around 3 years old and played Minor Hockey in Calgary for the duration of my life until I came to Vernon. My biggest influence in hockey had to be my two older brothers who both played hockey when I was young and my Mom and Dad who encouraged me to do something I loved and to be physically active. Both my brothers played Defense and taught me a lot of things. We always had competitive family games out on the lake in the wintertime and of course my Dad and I always won. My Dad coached my team when I was younger and in the younger levels of hockey and my Mom was always there to drive me to the rink or help me out in any way she could so I give a lot of credit to my family for the hockey player I am today.
If I was asked to describe myself, I’d have a hard time, so I usually just impress people by saying I’m ambiguous, which means open to many interpretations. I like to think I am a nice, friendly and caring guy. More often than not I am overly competitive which is good but also bad, so combined with my pessimistic attitude those two make up my least favorable traits.
A list of my favorites
My favorite numbers are 2 and 7. Which makes people wonder why I am number 28?! I got stuck with 28 at the start of last year, but I’ve grown accustomed to it and my signature looks pretty awesome with 28 beside it. I am proud to wear the Vipers jersey regardless of the number on it.
My favorite food has to be grilled cheese because of how easy it is to make. I went to Maui, Hawaii with my family when I was really young, at age 6 or so, and at the resort we stayed at, there was a walk up food shack/restaurant where I only ordered grilled cheese. I must have had over 20 grilled cheese sandwiches on the trip. I have been to Mexico several times too, which accounts for my love for Pina Colida’s. It may be a girl’s drink, but I secretly enjoy them, virgin drinks obviously.
My favorite chocolate bar has to be Reese Peanut Butter Cups or Mars Bars. Can never get enough chocolate or candy. My sweet tooth is overwhelming and I give in to it a lot, but its good to treat yourself once in a while.
I don’t really have a favorite music genre because I like all types of music, or all the popular/generic types at least. Can’t say I enjoy Jazz or opera very much. My favorite band is Anberlin, which is a according to Itunes a “Pop/Rock “band. But I also like RnB and Hip Hop a lot. I can almost always find a good song from my fellow teammate Graeme Gordon in that field of music.
Lastly, my favorite team is and probably will always be the Philadelphia Flyers. I have liked them since as long as I can remember and every year I enjoy cheering for the “Broad Street Bullies”. Being from Calgary I obviously cheer for the Flames as well which is the reason why Jerome Iginla is my favorite player. He is a great captain and one of the best power forwards in the game. I love how he does it all on the ice and is a nice guy to all the fans etc.
Anyhow, until next time….
Be sure to come to the Vernon Vipers games this weekend, we need the support!
