Roger Knox - Vernon Morning Star
Dropping the Vernon Vipers off at the Kelowna Airport prior to their departure for the Royal Bank Cup in Manitoba, team bus driver Mike Rogers made the team a vow.
Win a sixth national junior A hockey championship, and he would replace the number five on the side of the bus, fronting the message, “5 time National Champions,” with the number six.
Both promises were kept.
“They did and I did,” smiled Rogers Tuesday at Spirit Square at City Hall, after delivering the Vipers for a lunch-hour barbecue. On the side of the team bus, the number five was X-ed out, replaced with a six.
Close to 400 fans, friends, parents and well-wishers were on hand to greet the six-time Canadian champions at the barbecue hosted by the City of Vernon, who treated participants to free burgers, hot dogs and drinks.
Among the first to show up for the event were Pearl and Eric Pharo, both 81, season ticket holders since 2001. The pair watched Sunday’s championship game, won by the Vipers 8-1 over the host Dauphin Kings, twice on TSN2.
“The first time we tried to watch it was 1-0 Vernon, then they made us furious by going to a three-minute ad, and when the game was back on, all of a sudden it was 4-0 Vernon,” said Pearl. “We taped the game later and watched it again. We knew with Connor (Jones) coming back that Vernon was going to win. They have such great speed and skill on the ice. They skated rings around them (Kings).”
Speaking of Connor, Miranda Blatny, a Grade 6 student at Kidston Elementary, attended the barbecue with her mom, Cindy, decked out in her Connor Jones sweater.
“When we first moved to Vernon and watched the Vipers, Connor was wearing 10 and that’s my lucky number,” said the soft-spoken Blatny, who had her picture taken with her favourite Viper.
Mayor Wayne Lippert, decked out in his Vipers’ home white jersey, called the team true ambassadors of the city, and the North Okanagan region.
“You guys are six-time Canadian champions, and the only city to have won back-to-back Canadian championships twice,” said Lippert of Vernon’s accomplishments in 1990-91, and 2009-10.
Team owner Dr. Duncan Wray, celebrating his fourth Royal Bank Cup title, thanked the fans for coming out, and vowed to go after a seventh Canadian championship.
“We will have some challenges ahead of us, but we’re going to go for a three-peat,” said Wray, which drew a huge cheer.
Following the speeches, the players mingled with fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures.
Coldstream resident Myrna Hastie, a snowbird who catches the Vipers whenever she’s in Vernon, shared a few moments with defenceman Adam Thompson.
“I congratulated him on his defensive game, and that he should be proud of what they’ve done,” said Hastie. “They’re such beautiful young men. All of Vernon should be proud of them.”
For captain Kevin Kraus, this week will wrap up his three-year career with the Vipers. The California product will fondly remember his time in Vernon.
“The fans here are great, and they have been ever since I got here,” said Kraus. “My first year, we lost to Penticton in the second round, and that really hurt, but the fans stuck with us and they’ve been great at every game.”
Vernon native Rob Short said Tuesday’s turnout was just amazing.
“When you start playing junior hockey, you don’t know if you’ll ever have the chance to play for a national championship, let alone win two in a row,” said Short, one of four Vernon products on the team. “There was so much pressure on us this year as defending champions, and to win it again is so worth it for all of the guys on the team.”
Kim Robinson, mother of Vipers forward David, and daughter of legendary Vernon junior hockey figure, the late Vern Dye, was happy for her son as she took in the festivities.
“I’m very excited for him and I’m a very proud mom,” smiled Robinson, who followed the team in Manitoba on the radio and Internet. “I thought the Vipers were a much-better team than Dauphin and they showed it on Sunday.”
Fans, city honour national champs
