Vandy Dandy In Alberta:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Vandy dandy in Alberta

By Kevin Mitchell - Vernon Morning Star

His daughter Katie turns four at the end of April. She’s already a geography major after living in five cities.
She was hugging and bugging her dad – Mike Vandekamp – as he discussed the junior hockey playoffs on the phone early Friday afternoon.
Vandy, as he was affectionately known as head coach of the Vipers from 2002-04, has settled in nicely with the Grande Praire Storm of the Alberta Junior League.
He was running the Vipers when they last won the Fred Page Cup as B.C. Hockey League champions (in ‘03), and he realizes there is a chance he could be making a visit here sometime soon.
“We still have some work to do, but yes, we’d be excited to get the chance to come to Vernon,” said Vandekamp, whose Storm led the Spruce Grove Saints 2-0 in the AJHL Enerflex Cup final going into Saturday night action in Grande Prairie.
“Originally, we were secretly cheering for Victoria (Grizzlies, hosts of the Royal Bank Cup in May) because then we wouldn’t have to worry about winning the Doyle Cup (western regional series) so now we’re secretly cheering for Vernon.”
Vandekamp, who built teams built on an aggressive forecheck, relentless backcheck and stellar goaltending, has done the same in Grande Prairie.
The Storm, who are ranked eighth in the Canadian Junior A Power Poll, stopped the No. 1 Saints (who had a seven-loss season) 3-0 and 2-1 at Grant Fuhr Arena.
“It’s been a good move for us,” said Vandekamp, who after leaving Vernon, took a detour through Nanaimo for Prince George, and then stopped in Powell River before landing in Alberta. “We averaged 2,600 fans a game this year, which has to be tops in the country. We have a passionate fan base, very knowledgeable.”
Should the Storm and No. 4-rated Vipers end up meeting in the Doyle Cup, there will be some interesting sidenotes.
Jordon Harrison, a former BCHLer in his final year of junior and the grandson of late league founder Vern Dye of Vernon, is a winger with the Storm, who missed a few months with injury.
Brooks Robinson, another ex-BCHLer, who requested a trade from Powell River, is the son of Enderby product and Cowichan Valley Capital coach Scott Robinson. He is on a grocery list of talent headed to the NCAA Divison I Quinnipiac Bobcats near Hartford.
And Derek Ginnell of Medicine Hat is also with Grande Praire. He is the grandson of storied WHL coach and NHL scout Paddy Ginnell, who died in November, 2003, at his home in Vernon.
The Storm, unlike the Vipers and Powell River, whose travel schedule is ridiculous, don’t need to watch five full-length movies to reach Spruce Grove.
The Storm only needed a five-hour bus trip to reach the Edmonton suburb for the series openers. The worst scenario for Vandekamp and crew would be a Doyle Cup series against Powell River.
Let’s see. Six hours to Prince George. Another eight hours to Vancouver. And finally just under five hours to hit Powell River. Betcha they fly if that match-up somehow occurs.
Of course, Vandekamp must guide his troops to two more wins in a series which appears to mirror the Vipers-Kings series.
“...The Saints are a run-and-gun, wide-open style of team that skates well, are skilled and capitalize on any little mistake you make,” said Olds Grizzlys coach/GM Kevin Hasselberg, to Sun Media.
Added Brooks Bandits’ coach/GM Brian Curran, a former NHL d-man: “But Grande Prairie is built for a playoff run, they play a tremendous system and they don’t make many mistakes.”
Sounds like the Saints resemble the Kings and Vandekamp’s Storm follow the Vipers’ template.
Meanwhile, BCHL scoring crown champion Darcy Oakes of the Kings has enjoyed some past playoff success in Vernon.
He was a star with the Barrie Icemen of Ontario, who bowed 4-3 to the Port Coquitlam Pirates in double overtime in the ‘02 final of the Coca-Cola Pee Wee Classic at Civic Arena. Zach Hamill was the top Pirate that year. He eventually went to the Everett Silvertips and was chosen by the Boston Bruins in round one of the 2007 entry draft.
Oakes, like Viper twins Connor and Kellen Jones, and Colin Lidster of the Salmon Arm SilverBacks, also has a scholarship secured to Quinnipiac.