Miller Gets His 2nd Chance To Call Game 7 Of The Fred Page Cup Finals:

Miller gets his 2nd chance to call Game 7 of the Fred Page Cup Finals

Monday, April 12, 2010 - Submitted by Chad Klassen

Monday night will mark the first time since 2001 that a seventh game will determine the Fred Page Cup champion as Vernon and Powell River battle it out for British Columbia Hockey League supremacy. In the broadcast booth, it will be second time since the Victoria-Merritt championship series that Todd Miller will have the privilege of calling a one-game championship showdown.

“The first thing that comes to your mind is how special the game is and very seldom does a Game 7 come along -- let alone getting to call two League Finals Game 7s in your broadcasting career,” says the Vipers’ play-by-play man. “It’s just special. Both of these teams are well-deserving of being here in a Game 7 situation. Both have had excellent series and it’s hard to believe the season comes down to one game.”

Miller's first experience came when he called the epic final game in 2001 as the Centennials' host broadcaster. Nine years ago, the Victoria Salsa came out on top in the deciding seventh to win the Fred Page Cup over Merritt in one of the classic seven-game series in league history.

“What I remember most about it was the 6,000 fans that were packed into the Victoria Memorial Arena and just the excitement around a Game 7,” Miller says. “More than anything else, the crowd and the energy within the building that night was something that I’ll never forget.”

In 2010, Miller will broadcast another Game 7 championship affair Monday at the Wesbild Centre and has the chance to call a second straight BCHL champion with the Vipers going for the Fred Page Cup repeat over the Powell River. While he won’t change his preparation before the game, it will be hard to contain his excitement on the air when the puck drops.

“Just getting back to the excitement and the feeling that will be in our building tonight, it’s pretty hard not to get excited and a little extra ramped up about it,” he says. “Everything that happened today -- with the excitement of fans buying tickets -- will translate into my call more than anything else.”

Miller, who is also the Director of Business Operations, gauges that it will be the largest crowd of the postseason that could push close to a sell out of 3,000 fans. During the 2010 BCHL playoffs, the Vipers have maxed out at 2,815 fans -- an attendance figure which came in Game 5 of the Interior Conference Finals against Penticton. Overall, Vernon has averaged 2,265 people through the gate in three home games during the Fred Page Cup Finals.

The Vipers return to their raucous home crowd as the slight favourite, despite the 5-2 defeat in Game 6. They are the defending champs with last year’s win over Powell River and have home-ice advantage in the big game, although anything can happen in a one-game showdown.

"You’ve got the top team in the B.C. Hockey League, a team that returns 13 bodies from last year’s RBC Cup and a team that is familiar with playing in a one-game situation,” Miller explains. “On top of that, you have the Powell River Kings who just finished a series where they went to Game 7, just finished a series where they played with their backs against the wall and finished a series where they had to win Game 7 in another team’s building in order to win a conference championship.”

The Kings fell behind 3-1 against Alberni Valley Bulldogs in the Coastal Conference Finals, but they pulled off three straight wins -- including two on the road at the Weyerhaeuser Arena -- to earn the right to play Vernon again. The valuable experience Powell River gained from that series has translated into the Fred Page Cup Finals, where the Coastal champions have battled through adversity to force a seventh game.

It’s been a series in which the momentum has changed sides seemingly every shift, so there is no telling which team will finish on top and win the BCHL crown. After Vernon won their second in a row, outshooting Powell River 41-22 to win Game 5 by a 4-2 score, the Kings returned home in Game 6 and put forth their best performance to keep their season alive.

“If you get a combination of the Game 6 Powell River Kings and the Game 5 Vernon Vipers, I think you’re in for one heck of a hockey game,” says Miller, who believes both teams have played some of their best hockey in the last two games.

“I’m really looking forward to an entertaining hockey game. The fans are the real winners here and I think it’s a good thing for the B.C. Hockey League. As much as the Vernon Vipers would have preferred a Game 6 victory, this is definitely an excellent scenario for the league and Junior A hockey as a whole.”

Fans can tune in to the much-anticipated Game 7 on BCHL WebTV as Miller brings fans all the action with hopes of being on the winning side nine years later in the deciding contest.