This is posted on the Vipers website:
COMMITMENT ALERT! – Vipers Commit to Luke Pakulak
August 2, 2020
Vernon, BC: The Vernon Vipers are pleased to announce the commitment of Luke Pakulak.
Pakulak is from Surrey and played last season with Delta Hockey Academy Prep. He had 3 goals and 5 assists in 26 games played.
Luke Pakulak's Player Profile:
16 comments:
Lots of players with raw potential, young and old signing with the Vipers. One has to think that we are just getting the leftovers that no one else wanted. No scoring, no experience and not much hope for a franchise with a strong history of competing and winning.
Agee, no signings with any history of scoring. McKee describes all the recruits like they are the next Sidney Crosby. Still, I don’t think it will matter anyway cuz I doubt there will be a 20/21 season. The suggested December season start is just a dream but we will see.
Pakulak is the twelfth player to commit to the Vipers for the 2020-21 season. The Vipers commit to another "young" player. Pakulak is only 17 yrs old didn't have great numbers this past season playing at Delta Hockey Academy Prep but has some size. One thing I have noticed about the new recruits/committed players is there size. It looks like McKee is putting together a big team as most of the new committed players are 6'0 or taller.
We still don't know who is returning from the 2019-20 Vipers roster. I wish someone from the Vipers would tell us who will be returning from last years team.
I have to question, why are the Vipers going with such a young/inexperienced team? I can't remember the last time the Snakes brought in twelve new recruits/committed players over the off season. This is junior hockey and every year is a new year. You need those veteran/experienced players, and if your going to bring in a lot of new recruits/committed players, they better be solid recruits, like we see Fred Harbinson and the Penticton Vees recruit year after year. I have to question, why Jason McKee hasn't been busy working the phones over the summer? Trying to acquire or bring in some veteran/experienced players via a trade or Western Hockey League signings? McKee and the Vipers did acquire former Salmon Arm Silverbacks forward Jarrod Semchuk in early July and on Saturday signed former Kamloops Blazers forward Ryley Appelt but most of the teams across the league have been very active this off season, making several big trades or signings, improving there team.
The BCHL wants to open the new season December 1st, but with all the recent new COVID-19 cases in BC and through out the Okanagan, will we even see Junior hockey this year?
VDF....your last comment, “ Will we even see Junior Hockey this year”.... Exactly—so with the Hockey landscape in question, why WOULDNT the Vipers go with a young team ? There are no guarantees the US kids will get across the border, No guarantees there will be a Dec 1 start(especially with the increase of cases in the Okanagan) . With all the uncertainty, is this the year to make trades ( as you suggest) .? And who do you suggest they trade, that would hold any trade value ? It appears that with all the young, unproven players, McKee is committed to a Rebuild, rather than a Reload........”IF” there is even a hockey season !
I feel bad for all of the players that have had to watch this transition, from a prestigious Junior a team owned by one of the most respectful men in the industry..... To this. What even is this? These men who now run the team clearly have no idea what they are doing and it is so unfortunate.
To Anonymous, Nobody knows if we will see Junior hockey this fall. But that doesn't mean you still don't put together a solid roster/team. I think Jason McKee and the Vipers still have to prepare and put together the best team possible for the 2020-21 season regardless if they play or not. So they put together a young/inexperienced team and then what happens if we play hockey this year? All the other teams have put together a strong/competitive team and your team is full of rookies/inexperienced kids. I'm not saying the Viper committed players aren't any good, but you need some veteran/experienced players and can't go with all youth and no junior hockey experience. The Penticton's, Wenatchee's and other top recruiting teams will leave you in the dust.
I agree with you, in order for the rookies to grow,they need to be surrounded by experience.All Im saying, if there was ever a year to go with a young group,this is the year to do so. In the past the Vipers have leaned on the WHL for the older players,usually the cuts are made in Oct.,no doubt the Whl players will be a moving target this year,as Im sure the Whl has no more idea of if/when their season may start.Presently the Vipers only have 3- 20yr old listed, so there is roster room to add 3,( assuming they are only keeping 1- 20yr old goalie).I like the addition of Appelt,hopefully they can add another couple of 20s...a Dawson Holt(wishful thinking) or a Jackson Caller,changes your team overnight.
The Tradition of Excellence that was the foundation of the Vernon Vipers died last year when Mark Ferner was fired. The leadership of the hockey club has no idea how to lead this once proud franchise. We cannot attract talented players and now local players won't even consider playing here because of the coaching. Jason Mckee was handed a loaded team when he coached in the AJHL but couldn't win the big game, no results in Vancouver and now we have absolutely no idea what direction this team is going in.
I heard through a connection to a billet family the Vipers have hired an attorney to find loopholes around Canadian law to bring US players in during August. They are requiring all players to report by September 1st for 3 months of training and exhibition games. They will require each player to pay the organization $1,500 per month until the official start of the season.
Why can't the Vipers just follow the BCHL rules? Aren't they concerned about increasing cases of the virus in our community by encouraging players and their families to come in from the US?
Anonymous.....”You Heard”..”Through a connection” ???? Seriously ?? Your suggesting Vipers are not following Bchl protocol ? I’m sure the Vipers concern for the players health is genuine, as well as that of the community ... Pretty sure every team will have some sort of fee for the players to attend camp, at least till the phase allowing fans is implemented by BC Health .
Stop... let’s think about this for a minute. The above poster mentioned players coming in August and another source said September. If the season is permitted to begin December 1st what will the players be doing for 3 months? Training? Come on... even the NHL players only trained for a couple of weeks. The BCHL generally has a brief one week camp followed by a week or so of preseason games before the “real” puck drop. There will be NO players coming soon, certainly not from the COVID hotbed US and the December start target is just that...a target. Let’s all relax, stay safe, try to enjoy our summer and NOT guess or speculate on rumours. We will all be very fortunate if the BCHL actually has a season but it will not start anytime soon, nor will any players be heading this way anytime in the near future. Great that we all have our opinions but we must be realistic.
I have also heard these rumors. I ran into a Vipers fan I know back in June before the announcement of a December 1st start time. This Vipers fan had heard from someone that the Vipers were wanting to bring players in for the middle of August or towards the end of August so they can isolate and then have them practice and skate until the season started. Each player would have to pay $1,500 per month before the start of the season. I hear rumors almost every Vipers home game and 90% of the time, it's just that, a rumor. I don't believe much I read online or hear at the rink. With the recent amount of cases that popped up in the Okanagan over the past week, it doesn't look good.
I have read the above and it does not make sense to me either because training camp is always so short. However I was part of a discussion that included several billet families from last year. They have been told similar to what is being said in the other posts. Reportedly the US players are showing up in our town within the next several weeks and the Vipers plan to have an extended training camp and play exhibition games from September to whenever the official start of the season is which is why they are charging the players since there are no fans in attendance. The one word that was repeated during the discussion is the Vipers hired some smart lawyer that found "loopholes" around the Canadian and BCHL rules. Like others I have not seen a printed document or verified this with the Viper's coach or general manager but it is a topic that seems to keep coming up.
@anonymous regarding the conversation with billeting families you said "they have been told similar....."
They have been told by who? Management? Owners?
Does nobody ever question the credibility of these claims? I know I would be if I'm hearing bold statements like this.
It sounds to me like a bunch of bored vipers fans sitting in an A&W creating their own drama and rumors.
There is a reason for players coming to their teams in late August. It's for school. Many players will enroll in classes at UBCO that are held at OKanagan College or will be distance-ed for the early part of the year. Some are even in high school. A Penticton fan reports that he has heard that a preseason series of games in October is planned with empty buildings if necessary and games streamed.
Wait... are we now allowed to sit in A & W and talk about our beloved Vipers? Frank, please don’t keep us hanging. Which A & W and what time will you be hosting?
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