Vernon Vipers-Lakers Alumni Lord/Kelman Win BEIHL Championship:

Former Vernon Vipers forward Andrew Lord & former Vernon Lakers defenceman Todd Kelman won the British Elite Ice Hockey League (BEIHL) Championship with the Cardiff Devils.

The Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team that play in the BEIHL.  Lord is in his fourth season with the Devils, third as player-coach. Kelman is in his third season with the Devils as Franchise Owner-General Manager.

After a scholarship to RPI (Rensselaer Poly Inst) Lord spent four years with four different teams in the East Coast Hockey League & American Hockey League.  (ECHL-Wheeling Nailers, AHL-Milwaukee Admirals, AHL-Okloahoma City Barons & AHL-Rochester Americans) Lord missed the entire 2011-12 season due to injury returned the following year playing one season in Germany with SC Riessersee before signing with the Devils last season.

Lord come to the Vipers in a trade with the Burnaby Bulldogs playing two years in Vernon (2002-2004).  In 116 regular season games with the Vipers Lord collected (22-goals-50-assists-78-points).

Andrew Lord's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=21398

After four years at Bowling Green University, Kelman played the next three seasons with the BISL Bracknell Bees before playing his final eight seasons with the EIHL Belfast Giants. Kelman's #44 was retired by the Giants. Kelman has spent the past eleven seasons as General Manager-Franchise Owner with the Belfast Giants & Cardiff Devils. Kelman played one season in Vernon (1992-93) played in 48 games with the Lakers collecting (16-goals-30-assists-46-points) was drafted 141st overall in Round 6 by the St. Louis Blues at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

Todd Kelman's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=64909

This was posted on Hockeytube.net

Cardiff Devils – Elite Ice Hockey League Champions 2017

March 19, 2017 HockeyTube

Cardiff Devils – Elite Ice Hockey League Champions 2017 – It’s taken 20 years but the Cardiff Devils captured their first EIHL title in twenty years. The Devils defeated the Sheffield Steelers 6-2 to win what most North Americans would call the regular season (that’s a big deal there). Former (BCHL) Vernon Viper Andrew Lord who is a player-coach was named Man Of The Match for his efforts in the game. Lord says their title winning exploits hasn’t quite sunk in with him yet.

Game Highlight's,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFqIfRLodL8

Lord played two full seasons with the Vernon Vipers Junior A hockey team from 2002 – 2004 putting up 78 points in his time with the team.

The Welsh squad celebrated two weeks earlier after winning the Challenge Cup. After the regular season is complete, the teams with the best regular season records enter the playoffs, the winner of which receives the British Championship.

According to Wikipedia “The top eight teams in the overall league standings qualify for the Elite League playoffs. The Elite League post-season is considerably shorter than playoff tournaments in North America; in the first round teams play a two-leg game (one home, one away) and the semi-finals and final take place over the course of a single weekend at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.”

Here are more highlights from that game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdJpCdy0BDo