Busy Times Ahead for Vegreville Vipers Hockey Club

Busy Times Ahead for Vegreville Vipers Hockey Club

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

There’s never a dull moment for Vegreville Vipers General Manager Bryan Brown.

He took over the coaching reigns the last month of the season which helped the team leading into the playoffs that were held April 7 and 8.

“We, of course, planned on winning the Champions Cup. We had a great chance; we held the Cold Lake Aeros to a 2-2 tie and missed two great scoring chances at the end of the second period hitting a cross bar.” That happened again at the beginning of the third period hitting the post, and missing a good scoring chance with a 3 on 1, but came up with no goal. Then with 12 mins in the third period Cold Lake scored a goal, and again at 8 mins left, taking the sail out of our team, and causing them to get away from the game plan.

It happens, but all in all, I’m very proud of the Vipers, for there season, and play off run, and look out next year, we already have some new signings from the Ukraine, and some returns from this year. We will be a year older, and a year wiser.

Playoff action.

(Burden Photography/Submitted Photo)

The season went pretty well, for our inaugural season, finishing third behind some veteran teams is a good start. I never like to lose, and will definitely will be working on that.

We are planning a spring prospects camp on April 22-24 if we have enough attendance, there are lots of other camps at the same time, so its difficult to say as of right now.

Brown said he will be attending four different show case camps in Calgary, Med Hat, Edmonton and BC. He will also be scouting at camps in Finland and Slovakia.

“Then of course we will be back prepping for the new season, freshening up our dressing room, preparing some of the new exciting equipment, as well as getting a 4 th jersey for Breast Awareness month, which will be sold during and after the last home game of that month.

I’m also the President of the Canadian/American Jr A hockey League, called the CAJHL. We have lots of exciting additions to our league. We will be announcing more teams soon, we should have a minimum of 12 next season, and a lot more to follow.

Our season will begin a lot earlier, beginning of August will be our start, with training camp mid-August, followed by league play in mid -September, so our league will be done before the end of March.”

Brown said the team will be doing helping different groups out this summer in its community service role. “I want to run a fun golf tournament this summer for players, guests, and sponsors to help raise money for the team as well.”