1999 Vipers Enter Hall Of Fame:

This is posted on the Kiss FM website:

Vipers Team Enters Hall of Fame

Posted on 7/22/2016  

by  Pete McIntyre
 
The Vernon Vipers RBC Cup winning team from 1999 will be inducted in the BC Hockey Hall of Fame tonight.

The team, which was coached by Troy Mick and included the likes of Lennie Rampone (captain), Ryan Bayda and Lanny Gare, is considered to be one of the greatest teams in BCHL history.

It had a regular season record of 52-6-2, and won the franchise's fourth national title in 10 years.

Team owner Duncan Wray will be on hand for the ceremony tonight in Penticton at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Wray remembers the team being 0-3 going into their final game of the RBC round robin.

"We had to win to move on, and we did. It was just so exciting. No one could figure out why we were 0-3 when we had a team that won 52 games in the regular season. It was a little nerve rattling, but it was fun," Wray tells Kiss FM.

Wray calls it a tremendous honour, for what he says was a special group of players that year.

"They asked me a couple years ago which of the teams I was involved with should be considered, and
I suggested the '99 team, simply because of their record. It was a special group. They were like brothers."

Wray says the Lanny Gare-Ryan Bayda-Tyler Knight line was one of the highlights that year.

"They were just tremendous all the way through the season. Defensively, we had Lenny Rampone (team captain), and Derek Gustafson in goal. It was just a really special team."

Here is a look at the 1998-1999 Vernon Viper Roster:
  
4      Bradley, John
5      Bussoli, Mike
6      Gilchrist, Spence
7      Williams, Danny
8      Reed, Josh
9      Knight, Tyler
10    Davison, Kori (Asst. Capt.)
11    Filewich, Jeff
12    Bayda, Ryan
14    Sickavish, Kelly (Asst. Capt.)
15    Magowan, Kenny
16    Chytka, Petr
17    Digel, Jace
18    Gare, Lanny
19    Duggan, John
20    Bresciani, Joel (Asst. Capt.)
21    Krahn, Scott
22    Kamel, Tito
24    Ringstad, Nick
25    Lacasse, Domenic
28    Rampone, Lennie (Capt.)
96    Gustafson, Derek
97    King, Chris
    
Owner/President:  Duncan Wray
Head Coach:  Troy Mick
Assistant Coach Joe Oliver

Former NHL'er and Vernon Lakers defenceman Murray Baron is also being inducted, along with BCHL commissioner John Grisdale, and Merritt Centennials owner Brian Barrett.