Friends or Enemies?

By Don Klepp

Dylan Walchuk can’t quite decide whether his BCHL team mates on the Canada West team are his friends or his enemies.


On October 21, he and seven other BCHL players were announced as members of the squad that will represent Western Canada at the World Jr. A Championships in Penticton, November 8-14. Players were drawn from leagues in western Ontario,, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and B.C.

The selection has posed a bit of a dilemma for Walchuk, an intense competitor who gears himself up to play against Vernon’s BCHL rivals.

“Especially in the interior division,” he said after practice on Thursday, “we see each other a lot, and the teams are pretty evenly matched, so it’s a dog fight every game.”

“It’s a little bit easier to get pumped for games when you have a hate built up. I’m sure the Penticton guys don’t care much for Vipers, and I’ll be tempted to mention our 3-0 record against them this year. But now Laleggia and O’Donnell and MacMillan are my team mates, so I guess we’d better get along.”

He admits that “now that I’m getting to know them, I have to admit that they’re pretty good guys. That’s something I wouldn’t have said last week!”

He continues, “Yeah, I played with MacMillan when we were kids, and with the other Penticton guys in last year’s Prospects game, but you put that behind you when you play against them.”

He’s full of praise for Westside’s Grayson Downing, who was also on the 2009 CJHL Top Prospects roster: “That guy’s really smooth. Give him the puck and you’ll get it back in a good position. That’s the best thing about playing on a team like this. There’s so much skill.”

Walchuk is not sure about his relationship with Sam Mellor. “I think we beat them every time last year, but they’ve taken two of three this fall, so he might be trash talking me a little. He’d be good to play with, though. Give him the puck and it’s in the net.”

The Viper scoring leader is certain of one thing: “We’ll have a pretty good hate for Canada East, probably more than any other team in the tourney.”

The two Canadian teams lock horns in a pre-tournament exhibition tilt at Vernon’s Wesbild Centre at 7 pm, November 5. Tickets are just $10. Plenty of good seats are still available through the Viper ticket office, at 250-542-6022.

NHL Oil Change Part One - Changes

Watch TSN's Documentary Oil Change

Twin Blades

By Alex Lippa
Quinnipiac University Quad News Sports

With the loss of five senior forwards, three of whom are playing at the professional level, many wondered who would provide for the scoring in their absence.

Enter the Jones twins.

The Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team landed highly touted freshmen Connor and Kellen Jones to play this fall, and they are perhaps two of the best recruits in Bobcat history. Kellen was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the seventh round of this past June's NHL Entry Draft, while Connor also has a chance to play professionally in the future. Both twins attended the Oilers' development camp over the summer.

The brothers have played together on the same team for their entire lives. Connor was originally a defenseman when the two were little, but was turned into a winger, and the two have been inseparable on the ice ever since. It was a package deal for the Bobcats to get them and they are ecstatic about the Jones' decision to play at Quinnipiac.

"The coaching staff are great and were honest with us," Connor said. "The campus is beautiful, and they were one of the only ones to offer free schooling and a full ride."

It doesn't hurt of course that Quinnipiac also has one of the most state-of-the-art facilities in college hockey as well at the TD Bank Sports Center.

"The rink here is unreal," Kellen said. "Our workout facilities are great. We came down with [junior captain Scott Zurevinski] during our fly-down, and we had such a good time with the guys. It seemed like we were already part of the team. So it was a pretty easy decision to come down here. Other schools were here but Quinnipiac was always a little bit higher."

Not only are they identical in their looks, their skill set is identical as well. Both players are only 5'9", yet they are not afraid to throw their body around to deliver rocking hits against the glass. This, and their ability to get to the front of the net, is a reason why the coaching staff put them on the first line with Zurevinski.

"The [physical game] is their biggest asset," said Quinnipiac associate head coach Ben Syer. "They're not very big, but their grittiness level is through the roof. In certain areas you might say that one is grittier than the other slightly, but not enough to make any significant difference between the two."

The line of the Jones twins and Zurevinski has been involved in five of the team's eight goals so far this season which has the junior captain gushing about them.

"They're both really good players," Zurevinski said. "They're good with the puck and away from the puck. They create plays pretty much every shift. You just don't find one player or even two that make plays every time they're on the ice. They are really dynamic players and they will be very exciting for the Quinnipiac community to watch."

Each twin has been hot to start the season. The twins are the top two Bobcats in scoring through four games as Kellen has two goals and three assists, with two goals coming this last Saturday against Holy Cross. Connor meanwhile has a goal and three assists.

While they're here at Quinnipiac now, the biggest thrill in Kellen's life was being drafted this past June by the Oilers.

"It's still quite a shock to be drafted by an NHL team," Kellen said. "You grew up as your dream to be part of an NHL team, so it's still really surreal."

The twins faced adversity throughout their life because of their small stature, and not even their own mother believed in them.

"The day of the draft, my mom told me there's no way either of you get drafted," Kellen said. "You're too small, you're not good enough, you're too short. We went up to play a baseball game and I got about 20 calls and texts saying congratulations, and I heard that I had been drafted in the seventh round."

With Kellen being drafted, and Connor also being highly regarded by NHL teams, there is always the likelihood that the NHL will come knocking on their doors with a contract offer to turn pro before their four years at Quinnipiac are up. But for now they are just centered on being a part of the Bobcats.

"It would be a very tough decision," Kellen said. "To be here four years and to get a free education, that doesn't come to everyone. I'd have to really be able to fill in, in Edmonton and be an impact player. I don't really think about that now though, I kind of just focus on being here and doing well here."

The Jones twins have an opportunity, and the potential, to become two of the most decorated Bobcat athletes of all time, as they attempt to help lead the Quinnipiac men's ice hockey team back to the NCAA tournament.

Thank You Valley Auction!

With the tremendous help from Peter and Rodney from Valley Auctions and the great fans of the Vernon Vipers, we raised over $15,000.00 for the Canadian Cancer Society on Sunday afternoon! It was a great weekend all together with the Vipers Parents in town, the Vipers getting 5 of 6 points over the weekend and a huge donation to the Canadian Cancer Society! Thank you to everyone who made this weekend spectacular!

Serenity Tanning Player Profile

Vipers Alumni Quick Update!

Quinnipiac freshman Connor Jones had a goal and an assist in the Bobcats' 3-2 win against Bentley. In that same game Kellen Jones had 2 assists, one on his brothers goal which was also assisted by Viper alumni, Scott Zurevinski. In the Bobcats first regular season game the Jones twins both assisted on the Bobcats first goal scored by Scott Zurevinski's.

On October 15th Cory Kane helped the Ferris State Bulldogs to a 4-2 win over St. Lawrence with 1 goal and 2 assists.

Kyle Bigos and Mike Collins both got assists in the home opener for Merrimack on October 16th. Read Full Story Here

In Boston, Sahir Gill has 1 goal and 4 assists in 3 games played while Garrett Noonan had 1 assist in his 3 games played. The Terriers won their first two games on the road and tied UMass 2-2 for in their home opener.

The Boys Play Ball

After practice on Wednesday the Vipers gathered up some gloves, bats and balls and hit the field to play some baseball. Here are a few pictures from their day out of the rink.

Nowick, Lyles and Voth ready to play ball

The Vipers divide into two teams

Keeping track of the score on iPhone

Murphy swings...

Patenaude takes on pitching duties

McGillis takes a ball

Kakoske looking to steal 2nd

Patenaude's big hits gets him a home run

Celebrating the home run

Nowick watches his ball go straight up for an out

Thompson showing off his form

Weinstein and Murphy take a minute to pose

Down on his knees, Richardson catches the ball to end the the inning

“Richie” Likes It Here

A three-year veteran of Ontario Jr. “A” hockey, Elliott Richardson was brought in to bring experience to the Viper defence corps.


Coming from smaller centres in Ontario, he’s very comfortable living and playing in Vernon.

He’s known to his teammates as “Richie,” but “Rocky” might be a better term for the hard hitting native of Hanmer, Ontario. He played his minor hockey in Hanmer and in nearby Sudbury. He also played AAA midget for the East Valley team, just “10 minutes from my house.”

At 16, he made the Lindsay Muskies, a Jr. “A” team about an hour north of Toronto. He had 7 goals and 24 assists as a 17-year-old and the future looked bright. But then he suffered a knee injury playing soccer in the summer of 2009.

He tried playing hockey with a knee brace last fall as the Muskies used him on the power play. However, he soon realized that the knee injury was more serious than originally thought, so he had an operation to repair the ACL on his right knee on December 22. In essence, then, he missed an entire year of hockey.

In the early part of this season, he has twisted his left knee, so as he says he feels “Like an old man with two sore knees. But I’ve been icing them and they’re good enough to play on.”

He admits that he was “a little out of shape when the season started because I wasn’t cleared to skate until the early summer, but I’m getting my legs back under me, and regaining my confidence.”

His first goal in the BCHL was a wrist shot from the point in Prince George on September 24. He describes the goal this way: “I kinda just closed my eyes and shot…it found its way through to the top corner… I’d have to call it a mediocre shot, but a great screen in front.”

The next night in Quesnel, he came to his goalie’s defence as Devin Balness ran Blake Voth late in the game. Elliott challenged Balness and then had to fend off Sterling Bear who jumped Elliott from behind.

Elliott was suspended a game for his actions but he says it was worth it. “You can’t let that kind of thing go unchallenged,” he says.

“I don’t go looking for a fight or anything, but I’m not going to back down either. Some guys, some teams, will try to intimidate you, but you can’t let them do that.”

Sadie Steals Their Hearts

Two Viper players from upstate New York have fallen for a local girl named Sadie.


That “girl” is a 1988 Volvo 740 GL, purchased from a Viper season ticket holder for the princely sum of $1000.

The players are John Knisley, from the Rochester, New York suburb of Pittsford, and Mike Zalewski, who hails from nearby New Hartford. When they arrived in Vernon at the end of August, they lacked transportation, so they pooled their resources to buy Sadie.

Here’s what John has to say about the car: “Sadie, she’s a beauty. I can’t put it any better than that. She’s just a beauty.”

Is Sadie a dashing sports car? No, not on your life.

But don’t tell that to John and Mike, who have pasted a “V8” decal and a “TT” decal (for twin turbo) on Sadie’s rear end.

Their parents are pleased with the acquisition because the Volvo 740 is one of the safest sedans ever built, and one look at the sedate older lady tells you that they won’t be out drag racing with their new best girl.

Sadie is what she is – well built, nicely upholstered, roomy, and dependable. She can carry five players and their gear in comfort. And the sunroof allows an opening for transporting hockey sticks.

The lads have experienced an anxious moment, however. As Mike tells it, “We had a small hiccup the other day. She leaks a bit of oil, and I guess we didn’t top her up soon enough. We were at the mall, and about to go. Johnny turns to me and says, ‘Did you turn her on?’ I says, ‘I thought so.’ Then I put her in reverse and nothing happened. She wouldn’t start for quite a while and we were a little worried, but then she went and we got her home for a good drink of oil. She’s been fine since then.”

So, if you see the lads out for a spin in Sadie, wave at John and Mike and honk at Sadie. But don’t try to get them involved in a race. They wouldn’t treat her like that, even though that twin turbo V8 would leave you in the dust.

Vipers Vids!

Be sure you head to the Vipers Website to watch highlight videos and player profile video's sponsored by Serenity Tanning! Get the inside scoop on the players each week plus awesome highlight video's capturing everything from great goals, big hits and much more! Follow this link http://www.vipers.bc.ca/video.php and watch RBC highlights, player intros and special videos from this season and last season! Be sure to catch the all videos first at all Vernon Vipers home games!

Vipers vs Warriors Saturday @ Wesbild 7pm

The Vipers kept shooting, but the Mills goalie was on fire! Last night the Quesnel goalie saw almost 50 shots but he only let 1 in to have the game end in a 1-1 tie. The Vipers will now hit the road for the first of two games against the Westside Warriors, the second will be played at the Wesbild Centre on Saturday night at 7pm. Hopefully Vernon will be able to get more fans to the game to cheer on the snakes, there will be TONS of give aways at the game from Canada Safeway and On Side Restoration. Fans will have a chance to win gift baskets from On Side Restoration, one is valued at $350! And Safeway will be giving out tons of gift bags loaded with goodies! Bounce Hire will also be helping out with our 1st intermission which is guaranteed to give people a laugh!
Be sure to also get your raffle ticket to win a special edition Paint the Rink Pink Jersey, every $5 donation will get you 1 entry to win! The Vipers Pink Night is on October 24th at 2pm and there will also be a LIVE auction at the end of the game to get your hands on a Pink Jersey!
If you haven't already, make sure you purchase a ticket to the World Junior A Challenge exhibition game when Canada East takes on Canada West. It's a game where the best Junior A players in all of Canada will face off and showcase their talents. Ticket are only $10 each so there is no reason why you shouldn't take in this game brought in by Hockey Canada.

The Vipers are still working on finding the back of the net this season but every game has still been great entertainment. As the weather starts getting cool, hopefully the rink will get more fans in the seats! It would be great to see the people of Vernon come out to support a team that has always done their best to put a great product on the ice. The people of Vernon have to be proud of the 6 banners that hang in their arena, no other city in Canada has those bragging rights and as the team "re-loads" hopefully more fans can come out and cheer them on. If you ask any player on any team, they love to feed off the crowds energy, it is what makes playing at home an advantage! So the Vipers are trying, and they are often out playing their opponent, all they need now is some support and a full arena to give them that extra push. It's now finding the casual fans and getting them here! The Vipers have a fantastic core of die-hard fans, the best in the league, so spread the word, get into the game, support YOUR team and have fun, it's Canada's sport right in your back yard and there is no reason why the Wesbild Centre can't be sold out every night!

To get your tickets phone 250-542-6022 or get to the Vipers Office Mon-Fro 9am-4pm or on game day starting at 9am at the outside box office...and bring a friend!!!

GO VIPERS GO

Congrats ENewsletter Winners!

A big congratulations to our first 3 winners of World Junior A Challenge tickets...Richard, Aubrey and Don have won a pair of tickets to Game 1 of the 2010 WJAC in Penticton on November 8th. Vipers fans can catch some WJAC hockey in Vernon on November 5th as Canada West takes on Canada East, the best Junior A players in all of Canada! If you haven't signed up yet for Vipers ENewsletters be sure you do now for your chance to win more WJAC tickets plus other great prizes! Head to www.vipers.bc.ca and sign up today!

The Vipers take on Cowichan Valley on Saturday night, ex-vipers Nick Amies and Darren Robak will be back for the first time since being traded last season for some revenge in what sure to be another exciting game of hockey!

Like hockey? Then come to a game! It's right here in your backyard!

Vernon Vipers Hockey...BE HERE & CHEER!