Vipers’ Ironman Graduates:

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Vipers’ ironman graduates

by Don Klepp Added 2010-05-19

Rob Short has played 309 regular season and playoff games, the most by any Viper, past and present. If he had his way he’d suit up for another 300, but his Jr. hockey eligibility has expired.

When asked about some memorable moments in his Viper career, mentions the RBC Championship games, but one memory really sticks in his mind. He was just 16, an AP called up by the Vipers.

Here’s how he describes the event. “It was my first game in the BCHL. Late in the game, I hadn’t played yet, and they throw me out on left wing. I go up against this bearded, 6’5 monster from Chilliwack, and he says, ‘let’s go.’ I say, ‘Come on, I’m just an AP. Why do you want to fight me? But it was right in front of our bench and he didn’t really give me a choice, so I took him on, and did O.K. too.”

He continues, “His name was Chris Blackmon, I think, from Texas. In fact, my first four hockey fights were all against guys from Texas.”

“In my first full year, playing for Mark Holick who liked fights, I had a lot of 17-minute penalties. I didn’t mind fighting that much, but it cut down on my ice time a lot, so I was happy when Mark Ferner took over. Ferns is not interested in fighting for the sake of fighting. He puts a lot more emphasis on beating people by scoring and reducing the other team’s scoring chances. So I haven’t had a fight in the last two years.”

Rob Short has, however, remained one of the team’s most punishing body checkers because of his size, strength, and speed. In that respect, he is much like his playoff linemates, Cory Kane and David Robinson.

For four years, Viper fans have been treated to Rob’s speed and big shot, factors in his ability to score important goals late in games. Those attributes have also helped him net four short handed goals this year.

According to Rob, his playing style has evolved very little over the four years: “I came in as an energy guy, and that’s what I’ve tried to maintain. I think I have more finish now, more confidence with the puck, which my improved stats this year sort of prove.”

Jason Williamson believes that Rob Short has the speed, size, and skills to play pro hockey, and that’s one option for Rob, although he says that “school is not out of the question, either.”

His future may be undecided at the moment, but he’s very clear about the future of the Viper franchise: “With coaches like Ferns and Willie, when the new players buy into the system, the team will be really good again. I know that people have said that this year’s Viper team is as skilled as any they’ve ever seen, and I guess there’s some truth in that. But that’s not what won us another RBC; it was the systems we played. You could see it in that last game. Dauphin couldn’t handle our forecheck or breakouts or quick passing plays. That’s one of the reasons we were so confident in that game.”

Voted the most popular Viper by the fans the past two years, Rob Short will be missed. But look on the bright side – Viper fans got to see him play four years in Vernon. That’s rare these days.