Vernon Vipers Release Exhibition Schedule:

The Vernon Vipers will open the 2024 pre-season at home Sptember 6th 2024 vs the visiting West Kelowna Warriors.

Including the pre-season & regular season, the Warriors went 6-0-1-0 vs the Vipers last season.

The Vernon Vipers will play four exhibition games in September before opening the 2024-25 regular season September 20th 2024 in Trail.

Here is the Vernon Vipers 2024 pre-season schedule,

Vernon Vipers Schedule All Months 2024 Exhibition | BCHL League Site

Heartlanders Add Ex Vipers Coughlin & Tufto To Protected List:

The ECHL announced their Protected Lists June 10th 2024 as submitted

by each of its member teams. The Iowa Heartlanders have thirty one players listed on their Protected List, two are former Vernon Vipers forwards Liam Coughlin & Odeen Tufto.

Here is the press release from the Iowa Heartlanders website,

Iowa Heartlanders | Heartlanders 2024 protected list announced

Coughlin played the 2023-24 season with the Iowa Heartlanders, signing as a free agent August 14th 2023. In 47 games, Coughlin collected (6-goals-7-assists-13-points).

Coughlin played the previous two seasons with the ECHL Worcester Railers.

Coughlin played four seasons at Vermont University from 2015-2019 before signing his first professional contract with the American Hockey League Rockford IceHogs May 19th 2019.

Coughlin was drafted 130th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in Round 5 at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Coughlin didn't play a game with the Oilers, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks July 6th 2015. Coughlin has yet to play a game with the Blackhawks.

Coughlin played two seasons in Vernon from 2013-2015. In 107 games with the Vipers, Coughlin collected (38-goals-67-assists-105-points).

Liam Coughlin's Player Profile:

Liam Coughlin - Stats, Contract, Salary & More (eliteprospects.com)

Tufto played the 2023-24 season with the Iowa Heartlanders, after signing as a free agent July 14th 2023. In 29 games, Tufto collected (3-goals-19-assists-22-points).

Tufto played last season with the ECHL Atlanta Gladiators and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) Krefeld Pinguine. The Pinguine is a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga hockey league. Their home is Krefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Tufto played four seasons at Quinnipiac University from 2017-2021 before signing his first professional contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning March 31st 2021. The Lightning assigned Tufto to the American Hockey League Syracuse Crunch after his college season ended in 2021. Tufto has yet to play for the Lightning.

Tufto played one season in Vernon with the 2015-16 Vernon Vipers. In 57 games with the Vipers, Tufto collected (25-goals-40-assists-65-points). Tufto left the Vipers after one season for the United States Hockey League. Tufto played one season in the USHL with Fargo, Tri-City & Sioux City before committing to Quinnipiac University for the 2017-18 season.

Odeen Tufto's Player Profile:

Odeen Tufto - Stats, Contract, Salary & More (eliteprospects.com)

Capitals Part Ways With Former Vipers Head Coach/GM Vandekamp:

The Cowichan Capitals have parted ways with former Vernon Vipers

Head Coach/GM Mike Vandekamp.

Here is the story from the Cowichan Valley Citizen,

Cowichan Valley Capitals lose Game 5 to end season, changes on the horizon - Cowichan Valley Citizen

Vandekamp spent the past four seasons as Head Coach/GM with the Cowichan Capitals. This is Vandekamp's second go around with the Capitals. Vandekamp was Head Coach/GM with the Capitals from 2018-2020 before returning to the Capitals November 16th 2022.

Vandekamp played three years of Junior hockey in Fort St. John and Prince George from 1990-1993 before getting into coaching in 1995. Vandekamp made his coaching debut with the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League Fort St. John Huskies in 1995. Vandekamp has coached in the BCHL, AJHL & WHL for fifteen seasons with five teams (Merritt, Vernon, Nanaimo, Prince George, Grande Prairie & Cowichan.

Vandekamp was Head Coach/GM of the Vernon Vipers from 2001-2005 before leaving for the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars.

Mike Vandekamp's coaching profile:

Mike Vandekamp Team Staff Profile - Elite Prospects

Fort Wayne Komets Add Ex Vernon Viper Andrusiak To Protected List:

The ECHL announced their Protected Lists June 10th 2024 as submitted by

each of its member teams. The Fort Wayne Komets have twenty two players listed on their Protected List, one is former Vernon Vipers forward Zach Andrusiak.

Here is the press release from the Fort Wayne Komets website,

Fort Wayne Komets | Komets announce protected list

Andrusiak started the 2023-24 season with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. Andrusiak was in his third season with the Cyclones after re-signing with the Cyclones September 8th 2023. Andrusiak signed a Professional Try-out (PTO) with the American Hockey League Calgary Wranglers January 27th 2024 was returned to Cincinnati January 29th 2024. The Cyclones loaned Andrusiak to Calgary Febraury 7th 2024 before the Wranglers returned Andrusiak back to the ECHL February 16th 2024. The Cyclones traded Andrusiak on the ECHL trade deadline day to the Florida Everblades on March 21st 2024. Andrusiak never played a single game with the Everblades, was traded to the Fort Wayne Komets on March 21st 2024. In 8 games with the Komets last season, Andrusiak collected (3-goals-3-assists-6-points).

Andrusiak played the 2022-23 season with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. Andrusiak signed a Professional Try-out (PTO) with the American Hockey League Manitoba Moose March 6th 2023 was released March 11th 2023 returning to Cincinnati.

Andrusiak played three seasons in the Western Hockey League from 2016-2019 with Tri-Cities, Seattle, Prince Albert & Everett before signing his first professional contract with the ECHL Idaho Steelheads August 8th 2019.

Andrusiak started the 2015-16 season with the Western Hockey League Tri-City Americans, was released early into the 2015-16 season. The Vernon Vipers signed Andrusiak October 1st 2015. Andrusiak was released November 5th 2015. In 15 games with the Vipers, Andrusiak collected (0-goals-2-assists-2-points).

Zach Andrusiak's Player Profile:

Zack Andrusiak - Stats, Contract, Salary & More (eliteprospects.com)