Former Viper Milhouse Proves He's Ready For Next Step:

Former Vernon Vipers forward, Jonathan Milhouse has signed with the ECHL Victoria Salmon Kings. Milhouse played just one season in Vernon (2009-10) helping the Vipers win the 2010 Royal Bank Cup Championship.

This is in the Victoria Times Colonist Newspaper:

Milhouse proves he's ready for next step

By Sharie Epp, timescolonist.com

October 12, 2010

Jonathan Milhouse had a collection of hockey jerseys from every team he ever played for, until his sports memorabilia, along with the family home, all went up in smoke two years ago in the California wildfires. This year, Milhouse is beginning a new collection, the one marking his entry into professional hockey.

The 21-year-old forward turned pro this year, after winning an RBC Cup national Junior A championship with the Vernon Vipers last spring. Before going to Vernon, he spent two seasons with the Victoria Grizzlies, and also had a couple of runs in the Western Hockey league.

Milhouse came to Victoria on a try-out contract basis and was still in the mix yesterday when the Salmon Kings were officially introduced at a media lunch at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

“Ever since I started playing, I’ve had a goal of playing professionally,” said Milhouse, well aware sticking with the squad, which opens the regular ECHL season on Friday in Idaho, is going to be a major challenge. “Everyone playing professionally was a top player during the time they played junior. You have to play your best, all the time.”

Milhouse was fresh from training camp with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. He said the experience helped get the nerves out, and gave him a better idea of what to expect at the pro level. When Salmon Kings assistant coach Ryan Wade called, offering to give him a shot, Milhouse knew what was required.

“I knew I had to play my best hockey.”

Wade said the five-foot-10, 170-pound Milhouse has been a bit of a surprise. He’s the smallest among a group of forwards built for size, physicality, and experience, and the only rookie pro on the roster.

“He’s come in and worked hard showing us he can play at this level,” Wade said. “We’ll see what evolves over the next little while. For now, he’s holding his own.”

Milhouse is really more indicative of last year’s team, which featured smaller, skilled players up front. But the Salmon Kings were knocked out of the first round of playoffs, and staff decided it was time to change things up. The team’s best showing in the postseason has been second-round appearances in 2008 and ’09.

Over the winter, coach/GM Mark Morrison and Wade figured out what they wanted and went after it. What they got were players, not necessarily fighters, who will “take the body.”

“We want to make it hard for other teams to come here to play,” Wade said. “We got the guys we wanted to get.”

The Salmon Kings also got the guy they wanted in net, with the return of all-star goaltender David Shantz from the Manitoba Moose. In 28 games last season, Shantz had a record of 18-5-4. The Moose also sent down forward Josh Aspenlind who split last season between the AHL Lake Erie Monsters and the Elmira Jackals.

“We think we’ve put together the best team possible,” Wade said, glad to move out of the office and onto the ice. “Every team in the league thinks they’re really good right now, on paper. We’ve got to get out on the ice, and see how it all works out.”

The addition of Shantz and Aspenlind gives the Salmon Kings 12 forwards, six defencemen and three goalies.

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