Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Vipers Welcome 58 To Camp:

This is posted on the Morning Star website:

Vipers welcome 58 to camp

The Vernon Vipers welcomed 13 returnees, two veterans obtained in trades and several newbies to camp

Kevin Mitchell

Mon Aug 21st, 2017

Drills in the morning to get used to the ice and upside-down parking lots. Scrimmages tonight.

That’s how Day 1 of the Vernon Vipers training camp is going.

The B.C. Hockey League franchise welcomed 13 returnees, two veterans obtained in trade, some prize prospects from last summer and a host of newbies as camp began at Kal Tire Place.

Assistant coach Kevin Pedersen ran goalie, defencemen and forward drills, helped by head coach Mark Ferner, assistant Kevin Kraus and retired NHLer Jerred Smithson.

There are five goalies, 17 blueliners and 36 forwards in camp which includes a Team Red practice today from 4-5 p.m. and a Team Gold vs Team Blue scrimmage from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

“It was just important that they just get them on the ice; you don’t want to throw them into the fire and right into some games,” said Ferner. A”Kevin Pedersen did a great job today with the skills with the dee and the forwards and we get one practice this afternoon we’ll start implementing some of the drills that we would do throughout the season.”

Day 2 will see Red and Blue take in an educational seminar from 9-10 a.m. with the Golds practising during the same time. The Reds and Blues scimmage from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with the Golds in seminar from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

The Vipers open the exhibition season Friday, 7 p.m., against the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Vernon lost a seven-game Interior Conference final playoff series to the Penticton Vees last year. Penticton went on to claim the Fred Page Cup title.

Play-by-play broadcaster Graham Turnbull was all smiles after he and his wife, Candace, had a baby girl, Emersyn. Turnbull, entering his fifth year with the Snakes, has moved to Armstrong from Kamloops.

Parking was haywire around Kal Tire Place with the Farmers Market and construction on the new arena both going on.

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