A Closer Look At The Vipers Schedule:

Let's take a closer look at the Vernon Vipers 2011-12 BCHL Regular season schedule.

This coming season will be the 50th anniversary of Junior hockey in Vernon. The Vernon Junior Canadiens first started in 1961-62. Along the way the Vernon franchise has changed it's name over the years.

1961-62 Vernon Canadiens
1962-67 Vernon Blades
1967-73 Vernon Essos
1973-79 Vernon Vikings
1980-83 Vernon Lakers
1983-84 Vernon Rockets
1984-95 Vernon Lakers
1995-Preset Vernon Vipers

This coming season also means it will be the 20th anniversary for team owner Duncan Wray who bought and took over the Vernon Lakers during the 1992-93 season.

For the third straight season the Vipers will open the BCHL regular season with a home and home series vs the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Former Vernon Vipers forward, Trevor Fitzgerald will face his former team returning to his hometown for the first time this season, Saturday, October 1st after getting traded to PG over the off season.

The Chilliwack Chiefs who returned to the BCHL this off season, will play the Vipers for the first time since 2005-06 visiting the Wesbild Centre Friday, October 7th. The last visit to Vernon by the Chiefs was a 4-1 loss back on Saturday, February 4th 2006. The Vipers will make their first visit to Chilliwack Friday, October 14th. The last visit to Chilliwack was a 4-2 Vipers victory back on Friday, October 21st 2005.

Former Vernon Vipers head coach-GM Mike Vandekamp will make his first return to Vernon since being the head coach-GM of the Grande Prairie Storm who lost in four games to the Vipers in the 2009 Doyle Cup. Vandekamp in his first season with the Nanaimo Clippers make their one and only visit of the regular season to the Wesbild Centre on Thursday, February 16th.

A re-match of last years BCHL Finals (Fred Page Cup) between the Vernon Vipers & Powell River Kings will take place in Powell River Saturday, February 25th.

The Vipers will play twenty two games on Friday nights, twenty games on Saturdays, four Tuesdays, five Wednesday nights, four Thursdays and five Sundays.

Vernon will play nine home and home series this season

The Vipers longest road trip of the regular season will be a four game road trip to Trail, Chilliwack, Surrey and Langley in mid November.

The Vipers longest home stand of the regular season will be a four game home stand vs Merritt twice, Trail and Alberni Valley in early February