Vipers Ready For Retro Civic Duty:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers ready for retro Civic duty

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Like it or lump it, the Vernon Vipers are going old school as they host the Grande Prairie Storm for Games 1, 2 and possibly 3 of the Doyle Cup regional championship.
Amidst all the turmoil surrounding Wesbild Centre and the scheduling conflict with the Interior Logging Association convention, the fact remains the Vipers need a barn to play a best-of-seven series in. It just so happens that the best one available, Civic Arena, has been operating since before Hitler invaded Poland.
Games 1 and 2 go tonight and Saturday respectively. A sweep by either team would send the series back to Grande Prairie’s Canada Games Arena for the remaining games, starting Tuesday. A split would see Game 3 played Sunday at Civic, with Game 4 going Wednesday in Alberta.
The winner advances to the to the Royal Bank Cup, May 2-10 in Victoria.
Combine the old Boston Garden-like ice surface at Civic and the physicality of both teams, and this series could very well be a war.
“It could be good for us because we have a big, physical defensive corps,” said Vipers’ assistant coach Jason Williamson. “Things are going to happen in a hurry, and it’s going to come down to good goaltending and strong defence.”
Williamson, who played under Storm head coach Mike Vandekamp when he was the bench boss for Vernon in 2001-02, has a pretty good idea of what to expect.
“He’ll have some skilled guys up front, but he’ll also have a bunch of players who can grind it out,” said Williamson, of Vandekamp’s crew. “They’ve obviously got a good team... there’s a reason why we’re playing them (in the Doyle Cup).”
The smaller ice surface will also mean less room for Viper forwards Conner and Kellen Jones, who have been through more cycles more than a Maytag washer. However, after watching the twins practise at Civic this week, Williamson isn’t too concerned.
“They’re (Storm defence) going to have to contain them, and it could be challenging trying to do that in those tight little corners.”
For a pair of Vipers, Civic Arena will be a homecoming of sorts. Vernon products Rob Short and Bryce Kakoske logged a lot of minor hockey minutes there over the years.
Aside from his junior lacrosse games with the Vernon Tigers, Short hasn’t played in Civic since he was in Midget.
“It’s going to be a throwback for a lot of people,” said the 19-year-old winger. “We should have the advantage – we get to practise in there all week and get used to the bounces and the angles.
“The blueline feels like the top of the circle in (Wesbild).”
Added Kakoske: “I always liked playing there in minor hockey. It can get pretty loud in there. In front of the Zamboni door, it’s like a worn-out highway... it’s almost like a ski jump there.
“I don’t think it’ll change our systems so much, but our powerplay and penalty kill might need some tweaking.”
Financially, the Vipers stand to lose thousands on their gate takings. Maximum capacity at Civic is 2,252, which is nearly 1,500 less than Wesbild. There will also be no beer gardens for the Civic games.
“I’ve had a lot of people come up and say they’re not going because it’s at Civic Arena,” said Vipers’ marketing manager Heidi Schrader. “There are a lot of bad seats there, and I’m going to have a lot of people coming up on game day saying they can’t see.
“We’re still playing for the Doyle Cup, and we’re trying to focus on the good of it all, and it will still be exciting to watch.”
As of Thursday afternoon, they had sold 1,800 tickets and were well on their way to selling out Game 1, and Schrader noted this could be the first time she’s had to turn hockey fans away.
“It’s a bit frustrating being a major tenant and getting kicked out,” said Williamson, of the scheduling conflict. “We built a team for a larger arena, and we lose some revenue from it, but you do what you gotta do.
“The atmosphere is going to be electric (in Civic). It’s going to be loud and our guys should be able to build off that.”