Vipers Recruit MVP Skirving:

Yesterday the Vipers announced on their website the team has added 18 yr old forward, Todd Skirving who has committed to the Vipers for this coming year. I have done some research and by the sounds of things it sounds like Skirving is the real deal. Last season, Todd put up some extremely impressive numbers while playing for the Thunder Bay Midget AAA Kings. In 76 games, he scored 46 goals and 63 assists for 109 points. He was also named MVP of the NLHL (Northern Lakes AAA Midget Hockey League) which he led in scoring. The 6’2” and 175lb Skirving was sought after by several USHL, OHL and many other Junior A teams across Canada. He is also being recruited by many NCAA schools already. Welcome to Vernon Todd! All the best this coming season as a Viper!

Here is what one scout said on the scouting news website about Todd Skirving,

A rebuilding Junior A team would be smart to focus their spring recruiting efforts on signing Thunder Bay AAA (1992 DOB) prospect Todd Skirving.

Here's a good article I found on the NLHL website,

Skirving wins NLHL MVP with league lead in points

FARIBAULT, Minn. – Todd Skirving had a point in 18 of the 20 games the Thunder Bay Kings played, including multiple points in eight of those games. Skirving’s nine goals and 33 points in those 18 games were good enough to lead the league, and also earn him MVP honors.

“Todd brings leadership and tremendous hockey skill and knowledge to our team, which makes the players around him better,” Thunder Bay coach Steve Bailot said in November when Skirving was awarded NLHL Player of the Month. “He loves the game of hockey so much that he competes at such a high level on and off the ice, which is very contagious to the rest of the team.”

Perhaps Skirving’s biggest game of the season was on December 29 with the Capital Centre Pride in town. Skirving earned assists in each of the first two periods, then another early in the third, but the Kings were still down 5-3.

On the power play Skirving earned his fourth assist on a goal to bring it within one, then scored 30 seconds later to tie the game at 5. Finally, with 19 seconds left in the game Skirving found the back of the net again, giving the Kings the win and setting a single-game NLHL record with six points in a game.

Skirving was also named to the NLHL First Team where he joined fellow top scorers Nicholas Weberg from Shattuck St. Mary’s and the Pride’s Brandon Flood.

NLHL 1st Team, as voted by NLHL coaches
F-Todd Skirving #10, Thunder Bay Kings
F - Brandon Flood #26, Capital Centre Pride
F-Nicholas Weberg #18, Shattuck St. Mary's
D - Brandon Carney #4, Capital Centre Pride
D-Jeremy Gravedoni #6, Soo Indians
G-Marcus Zelzer #1, Shattuck St. Mary's

NLHL MVP
Todd Skirving, Thunder Bay Kings

League Regular Season Champion
Shattuck AAA

NLHL League Top Scorer
Todd Skirving, Thunder Bay – 9G-24A=33 Pts

So far on paper it sounds as if the Vipers have landed them selfs a goal scorer and play maker. After losing most of this years team this is just what the Vipers need. It will be interesting to find out who their other new recruits are.

The Vipers will be in a rebuilding year this year with just eight returning players from this years coming back. (David Robinson, Adam Thompson, Bryce Kakoske, Dylan Walchuk, Steve Weinstein, Patrick McGillis, Darrin Robak & Blake Voth) The Vipers have now three players committed for this coming season (Trevor Fitzgerald (AP), Aaron Hadley & now Todd Skirving)

I sure hope the Vipers have recruited well because their are some tough spots to replace and some kid's that have been a part of this Vipers team for a good three or four years. Some of these kids dont come around too often and will be missed. Gone are (Connor Jones, Kellen Jones, Sahir Gill, Jonathan Milhouse, Rob Short, Dan Nycholat, Cory Kane, Cole Ikkala, Braden Pimm, Mike Collins, Garrett Noonan, Curtis Gedig, Kevin Kraus and Graeme Gordon)

Going into training camp last year Mark Ferner and the coaching staff basically had their roster picked with 14 veterans returning. A few trades and new recruits and the team was ready for another run at the RBC Cup. This year is going to be a little different. With just eight players returning and three new recruits committed the Vipers have some big holes to fill. This coming year the Vipers do have two twenty yr old roster spots open, as where last season all six twenty yr old roster spots were filled before training camp. Will Mark Ferner pull off a few trades over the summer and fill these spots? Or will he wait until the season gets going. It will be interesting to see if Mark makes any trades over the summer.

It's going to be very hard if not impossible to try and fill the holes of Connor & Kellen Jones. What can you say about these two kids. If it wasnt for their scholarship both would be back for another season in Vernon, something thats very hard to be believe. These two kids were the heart and soul of the Vipers, two of the hardest working kids I have ever seen. Two of the deadliest penalty killers in the league, how many times did we see these two find the back of the net shorthanded over the past four seasons? Also two of the most exciting players I have watched in all my years following Junior hockey here in Vernon. Then you have local boy Robbie Short, Short was another player who was here for four seasons and was always a fan favorite. Many picked Short to be named Captain this yr and were very dissapointed when he wasnt. One of the quickest kids in the league, played physical, worked hard, played hard and competed game in, game out, Short gave it his all each and every shift. Cole Ikkala & Braden Pimm are two kids that the Vipers will miss this coming season. Another two hard working kids that gave it their all each and every shift. Pimm was so key on the penalty kill and draw for Vernon over his three seasons, worked hard at both ends of the rink, battled and competed hard every game. With Ikkala it wasnt the points but the work he did to create or setup the goals or big plays. This kid did all the work down low, in the corners etc that made for the big play or big goal. Two great kids that will be missed. Mike Collins, I dont think I have seen anyone score more game winners, late goals or key goals in his two seasons here in Vernon. Collins was clutch late in games and score I dont know how many overtime winners or game winners late in a hockey game. I will never forget Collins breakaway goal in Westside late in the season scoring with just two seconds remaining on the clock to give the Vipers the huge comeback victory. Who can forget last year when the Vipers & Silverbacks were battling it out for 1st place late in the season and Collins scored the OT winner to give Vernon the lead in the Interior Conference Standings. Collins wasnt the biggest kid, but was in my mind Mr Clutch. Of course all of the departing players played key roles on this years & last years team, these were just a few that really stood out in my mind. These are the kids that will be missed and be hard to replace. Your not only losing experienced players from a RBC Cup winning team but players that have been here the past three-four years. Kids that know how to win, know what it takes to win and know what its like to be a Vernon Viper. These are the kids that will be hard to replace.

This is Junior Hockey, coaches, gm's and kids come and go, new faces, new team mates, new names and numbers, & new challenges. Can the Vipers win the Interior Conference again? Can the Vipers repeat for the third year in a row as Fred Page Cup Champions? Will the Vipers be the first team to win three straight National Titles? I have no idea, this is all part of Junior Hockey and why I love it so much. Each year is a new year with new kids and new challenges. Knowing the Vipers scouting team, Mark Ferner and Jason Williamson and Duncan Wray I know all these men will do their best to put the best team possible on the ice. It also helps winning back to back National Championships, you can bet the Vipers phone is ringing off the hook with kids wanting to come play here. Back in 1991 the Vernon Lakers had just four returning players back from the 1990 Centennial Cup team and still won back to back National Championships, so anything can happen. I look forward to watching this years version of the Vernon Vipers, watching them build and grow as a team and seeing what this team can do come playoff time.

You can never complain when us Vernon fans dont know how lucky we really are. Some teams go five or ten years before winning a division title, or winning the Fred Page Cup. Some teams go once or twice all the way, heck some teams have yet to win a league title, the RBC Cup even a division title. & here we are coming off back to back National Championships.