Vipers Headline Hall’s Wish List:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vipers headline Hall’s wish list

Published: August 19, 2010

Former Vernon Viper Mark Hall is looking for a new home.

After spending the last three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, the 20-year-old forward asked to be released by the Western Hockey League organization. Realizing he would be hard pressed to secure one of the three over-age roster spots with the Blazers, the hard-hitting winger felt his best option would be a return to junior A hockey.

“We had a good chat and I expressed where he was at,” Blazers’ general manager Craig Bonner told the Kamloops Daily News Tuesday. “I was honest with him and said he was going to be in tough. He was a man about it and decided he should pursue junior A . . . I respect his decision.”

Hall’s junior A rights are held by the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, however, the Kamloops product said he would prefer to play closer to home in the B.C. Hockey League.

“I’m not going to rule it (Canmore) out totally, but it’s definitely not in my top three,” Hall told the Daily News, adding a return to the Vipers would be at the top of his list.

The Vipers already have four returning 20-year-olds from last year’s national championship squad – defencemen Stevie Weinstein and Adam Thompson, and forwards Dave Robinson and Bryce Kakoske – leaving just two 20-year-old roster spots.

While Vipers’ GM/head coach Mark Ferner didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing Hall back to Vernon, he added there are other 1990-born players available that wouldn’t require him to make a trade.

“We don’t own his rights, so it’s out of our hands right now,” said Ferner. “We don’t know what they plan on doing with him.”

Hall, who fled the Vipers for the Blazers midway through the 2006-07 season, played 164 regular-season games with Kamloops, totaling 25 points, including 11 goals, and 139 penalty minutes.

Meanwhile, the Vipers open training camp Wednesday, Aug. 25. Their pre-season schedule includes a pair of games against the Trail Smoke Eaters in Chase on Friday, Aug. 27 and Saturday, Aug. 28.

The Snakes wrap up their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home series against the Salmon Arm SilverBacks, staring Friday, Sept. 3 at Wesbild Centre. They visit the Gorillas Saturday, Sept. 4 at Sunwave Centre.

Vernon opens the regular season by hosting the ‘Backs Saturday, Sept. 10 at Wesbild.