Congrats Kellen!

It's been a busy summer to date, and have been meaning to write this for sometime. I'd first off like to take the time to personally congratulate Vipers forward, Kellen Jones on getting drafted back in June by the Edmonton Oilers. Great news when any BCHLer gets drafted into the NHL. This is the second straight year the Oilers have drafted a Vernon Viper, as defenseman Kyle Bigos was picked by Edmonton in 2009. It was great to see Both Kellen & Connor Jones at the Edmonton Oilers Development Camp just a few weeks back. I wish you both nothing but the best!

I would like to wish Kellen & Connor all the best at Quinnipiac and then making the big jump to the NHL. Viper fans are sure going to miss the both of you, while the rest of the League's fans arn't complaining. Both Jones Twins were huge fan favorite's here in Vernon and very disliked as a visitor on the road. It's going to be very strange come the regular season when someone other then Connor & Kellen Jones will be wearing #10 & #15. Both Jones brothers seemed to have been in a Vipers uniform for ages, so to not see one or the both of them at training camp this coming August will be very different. Congrats as well to the other three BCHLers (Beau Bennett, Mark MacMillan, & Isaac MacLeod) who also were drafted. Best of luck!

Here is a list of all former Vernon Junior Hockey players who have been drafted into the NHL over the year's. I may be missing some players, so please let me know, so I can update my blog.

1986 Murray Baron 167 Philadelphia
1986 Scott King 190 Detroit
1987 Dennis Holland 52 Detroit
1987 Kevin Scott 158 Detroit
1988 Dane Jackson 44 Vancouver
1988 Troy Mick 130 Pittsburgh
1989 Jason Marshall 9 St.Louis
1989 Dallas Drake 116 Detroit
1989 Mike Barkley 119 Buffalo
1989 Darcy Martini 162 Edmonton
1991 Bill Lindsay 103 Quebec
1991 Jamie Steer NHL Supplemental Draft Buffalo
1993 Todd Kelman 141 St.Louis
1994 Tyler Harlton 94 St.Louis
1996 Josh MacNevin 101 New Jersey
1996 Jeff Scissons 201 Vancouver
1999 Josh Reed 172 Vancouver
2000 Ryan Bayda 80 Carolina
2000 Kenny Magowan 198 New Jersey
2002 Ryan MacMurchy 284 St.Louis
2003 Tyson Strachan 137 Carolina
2003 Chad Brownlee 190 Vancouver
2003 Matt Zaba 231 Los Angeles
2005 Matt Watkins 160 Dallas
2006 Kevin Koopman 181 Ottawa
2009 Kyle Bigos 99 Edmonton
2010 Kellen Jones 202 Edmonton