Vipers Host Surging Vees:

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Vipers host surging Vees

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star
Published: December 03, 2009

Deceptively fast with great hands. That was how veteran forward Robbie Short described rookie linemate Dylan Walchuk before the Vernon Vipers practised Wednesday afternoon at Wesbild Centre.

Pretty high praise coming from one of the fastest straightaway skaters in the B.C. Hockey League.

“His puck control is just through the roof,” said Short, who plays on a line with Walchuk and Cole Ikkala. “He’s one of the only guys that, no matter what he does, he’ll always gets the puck back. That gives him more time, more space to make plays. And he does that, he’s a heads-up player. He knows where me and Ikkala are all the time.”

It’s this ability to see the ice and make the smart play that has earned Walchuk an invite to the fifth annual Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Prospects Event, starting Monday in Winkler, Man.

Walchuk, 17, along with former Viper d-man Nick Amies of Enderby (now with the Cowichan Valley Capitals), are two of eight BCHLers on the 21-man Team West roster. Netminder Sean Bonar (Penticton Vees), defencemen Tim Daly (Langley Chiefs) and Joey Laleggia (Vees), and forwards Grayson Downing (Westside Warriors), Beau Bennett (Vees) and Brayden Jaw (Nanaimo Clippers) are the other players who will battle the Eastern stars.

Player selection for the event is a joint initiative of the CJHL and NHL Central Scouting, with the top-40 NHL draft eligible players showcasing their talent in front of a multitude of college and professional scouts and coaches.

“It’s going to be a little nerve-racking playing in front of all those scouts, but I’m just going to go out there and try my best,” said Walchuk, a top-10 scorer in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League last season with the Nelson Leafs. “We just got to go there, show what we got and leave it all on the ice.”

Walchuk is third in Vipers scoring with 13-25-38 and eight penalty minutes in 31 games. He credits Short and Ikkala, a pair of 6-foot, 205-pounders, for their relentless work ethic and for creating extra space.

“They’re really hard workers, they get me the puck and we have good chemistry,” said Walckuk.

“Ferns (head coach Mark Ferner) and Willy (assistant coach Jason Williamson) have been really good. I’m getting a lot of ice time and I’m playing with good players.”

But even though Walchuk, a McBride product, is only 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Short says he doesn’t seem to have problem working in traffic.

“He’s a fairly tough kid, but I’m sure it helps having two big guys out there to make a little bit more room for him. But he’s one of those guys that can make room for himself. He’s shifty. Guys don’t know what he’s going to do with the puck.

“When I first saw him (at training camp), I thought he’s got the fastest hands I think I’ve ever seen in this league, and the points he put up last year in Junior B were phenomenal. We kind of expected him to come in and put up some numbers, and he’s holding up his end pretty well.”

Meanwhile, the Vipers (28-1-0-1) host Penticton (25-4-0-2) in a battle of the top-two BCHL teams tonight at Wesbild Centre. They visit the Trail Smoke Eaters (10-20-1-1) Saturday at Cominco Arena.

Despite trailing Vernon, Vees’ head coach Fred Harbinson likes Penticton’s chances.

“I think we’re a better team and we play with energy. We try to get excited for every game. They are ahead of us in the standings so it’s an important weekend with them.

“We have to be patient. They are a very methodical team with their systems and they wait for you to make a mistake and if you get impatient and...if you turn the puck over they will counterattack and make you hurt for it. We need to stay within our game-plan, no matter what the score is.

“Our next nine games are all against big-time opponents. Two against Vernon, four against Westside and two against Surrey and one against Nanaimo. They are all huge games coming up here.”

The Vipers are ranked No. 1 in Canada, while the Vees are at No. 4. Vernon have points in their last 22 games, while Penticton are riding a four-game win streak.