Mowat Moving On To Trail:

This is in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Mowat moving on to Trail

By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning Star

Published: June 06, 2012

The Vernon Vipers have learned the price they will have to pay for bringing in veteran forward Colton Cyr at last season’s B.C. Hockey League trade deadline.

The Vipers dealt the rights of defenceman Max Mowat to the Trail Smoke Eaters as the future considerations part of a three-way deadline transaction that brought Cyr to Vernon.

The Snakes initially acquired forward Clayton Chessa from the Smokies, and then flipped Chessa to the Nanaimo Clippers in exchange for Cyr.

“Obviously it was a bit of a shock to me,” said Mowat. “I was pretty jacked up to have heard the RBC Cup (national Junior A championships) was coming to Vernon for my 20-year-old year, but I guess that’s out of the equation now.

“My goal now is to help my new team win. I just want to close off on thanking the whole Viper organization and all the great fans for the two awesome years I got to play in my hometown.”

Added Vipers’ head coach/GM Jason Williamson: “He was the one they targeted and came after. We were in a tough spot on Jan. 10 when (forward Dylan) Walchuk left and went to Spokane (Chiefs, WHL). We had to add an older body to try and get in (to playoffs) and make a push.

“Looking back on it, Colton Cyr was a good acquisition for our club. It’s always tough when you trade a hometown kid away, but it’s part of the business.”

Over two seasons with the Vipers, Mowat, a Vernon native who turns 19 later this month, accumulated three goals for 25 points in 80 games. While not an overly physical defenceman, Mowat provided a steady presence on the blueline and could be counted on to make the simple play.

“Max is a good player and that’s the reason they wanted him,” said Williamson “He has Royal Bank Cup experience.”

SNAKE BITES: Williamson and Clippers’ head coach Mike Vandekamp are heading a newly formed coaches committee that will review league rules and policies and make recommendations for consideration at AGMs. The league’s next bi-annual AGM goes this weekend...The Salmon Arm SilverBacks have announced former Vernon resident Rob Morphy as head scout for the coming season. Morphy, now of Kamloops, was the former head scout for the Vipers where he and Troy Mick, now Salmon Arm head coach/GM, won the 1999 Royal Bank Cup in Yorkton, Sask. He also worked in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins and Tri-City Americans. Mick also named Brandon West as an assistant coach.