Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Vernon-Cranbrook Trade:

The Vernon Vipers have traded forward Will Blackburn & future

considerations to the Cranbrook Bucks for forward Ethan Sundar.

Here is the press release from the Vernon Vipers website,

Vipers Trade Blackburn For Sundar | Vernon Vipers

Here is the press release from the Cranbrook Bucks website,

Bucks Trade Ethan Sundar to Vernon Vipers for William Blackburn and Future Considerations | Cranbrook Bucks

Will Blackburn's Player Profile:

William Blackburn - Elite Prospects

Ethan Sundar's Player Profile:

Ethan Sundar - Elite Prospects

10 comments:

vipersdiehardfan said...

Wow another trade and another recruit/committed player gone!

The Vipers are the lowest scoring team in the league and they acquire a player that has ten points? You NEED scoring!

Over the past four seasons how many recruits/committed players have either been released or traded? I have seen the Vipers trade a recruit or committed player in past years but never this many.

If this many recruits/committed players are being released or traded, I have to question the Vipers recruiting/scouting. The Vipers aren't recruiting/scouting elite players like the other teams. The past four seasons the Vipers have recruited/scouted mostly average players at best other then a few good players each year. This is not good for your future recruiting. If you have a son and the Vipers say we want your son to come to Vernon, would you send your kid to Vernon knowing he probably will be released or traded twenty games into the season? Word gets around quick. This is not good and will hurt the Vipers scouting/recruiting in the future if it already hasn't. I understand recruits/committed players are released or traded as not all your recruits pan out but it seems like a larger amount of recruits/committed players coming to the Vipers are released/traded compared to other teams.

This is what happens when you put together an average or below average team with a poor coach. If you put together an average team or below average team like Vernon has the past four seasons, you end up with a losing season and a short playoff run. You get what you get! The Vipers once again put together a below average team and now have hit the panic button and have been forced to make a ton of trades to try and improve the roster/team. The Vipers roster is a revolving door and the team is struggling because of it. The Vipers have lost six straight road games and only won two of their ten games away from home. Vernon has two wins in their last eight games and five wins in their last fourteen games.

With the amount of player movement this season, will the Vipers still have any cards left to make moves before the trade deadline?

Were twenty games into the season and the Vipers have made a ton of trades this season. And the revolving door continues.... Who's next?

July 4th The Vipers acquire forward Brock Krulicki from the Kemptville 73's for future considerations

August 26th The Vipers traded defenceman Liam Cavan to the Bonnyville Pontiacs for future considerations

September 26th The Vipers have acquired forward Bowden Singleton from the Okotoks Oilers for future considerations

October 4th The Vipers have traded Brock Krulicki to the Lloydminster Bobcats for future considerations

October 4th The Vipers added forward Lee Parks to their roster

October 12th The Vipers signed defenceman Matthew Sutter

October 13th The Vipers forward Ethan Rowland from the Calgary Canucks for future considerations

October 13th The Vipers acquired defenceman Anson McMaster from the Winnipeg Freeze for future considerations

October 13th The Vipers traded forward Ludovik Tardif to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for for future considerations

October 13th The Vipers traded forward Revy Mack to the Anchorage Wolverines for future considerations

November 3rd The Vipers traded forward Luke Lavery, the rights to forward Kobe Verbicky and future considerations to the Cowichan Capitals for defenceman Connor Elliott

November 3rd The Vipers traded forward Ethan Rowland to the Okotoks Oilers for future considerations

November 8th The Vipers signed forward Thomas Tien

November 10th The Vipers traded defenceman Matthew Sutter to the Whitecourt Wolverines for future considerations

M.F. said...

If the Vipers have only won 5 of the last 14,they SHOULD be trying to improve the club...
(As per your list of transactions.) If I recall correctly, the Vipers record before Christmas last year was similar to this year. Perhaps after Christmas they will go on the same sort of run as last year. Only Time will tell !!!

vipersdiehardfan said...

Yes they should be trying to improve the team but if they had done better job at recruiting/scouting and put together a better and competitive team with a better coach, they wouldn't be in this situation. The Vipers have had an average team at best the past four seasons and in my opinion done a poor job at recruiting/scouting. With an average team and a poor coach, you have a losing team that struggles.

After watching Mel Lis and Duncan Wray build a dynasty and a winning tradition in Vernon to what is nothing but an average team that has struggled the past four seasons is very frustrating, disappointing and hard to watch.

Marty said...

VDHF you are 100% spot on with your analysis. It has been 4 long years of inconsistency and below average performances. I think “MF” is being far too tolerant. The Vernon Vipers were once a first class organization that consistently ranked in the top Junior A teams in Canada. Sadly, those days ended when we lost Duncan Wray and the Glens took over. Now this once proud team is in shambles with horrendous recruiting and very inconsistent play. I do not blame McKee as much as I blame Tom Glen, the owner. What successful businessman buys a business and then trusts it with someone with little or no past success? Would this owner buy a car dealership and replace the staff with inexperienced car buffs? I think not so why is he not making the necessary changes with his hockey business? The time for a GM & Coach change is long overdue. Even “going on a run” like MF thinks could happen will not save us from mediocrity & another losing season. This revolving door of players is a clear indication that the GM is inept. Does anyone ever see brother John Glen or Todd Miller talking to the paying fans?

What is the “Executive Vice President” Todd Miller’s role with this team? Should he not be overseeing all aspects of the hockey business? Is he not the Conduit to the absent Tom Glen? Is he passing on that changes need to be made? Maybe he just organizes the between period games The Vipers count on many local businesses to support them financially with advertising & perks for give always. How long before they start jumping off the Viper bandwagon?

Anonymous said...

Just traded Singleton too!!!!

Anonymous said...

If I’m not mistaken, TEN players have departed the Vipers since the start of the season. May be nine, but regardless… ridiculous. And Marty, your comments about Todd Miller are so very accurate. He needs to go, the organization has had hardly any positive growth since he left his post on the radio. Complete embarrassment.

Bingo said...

Todd millar is a yes man. He has family and loves vernon. I don't very much that he is about to upset the apple cart and if I was in his postion I probably would be careful around the Glens as well. Unemployment this time of year is not a fun option.

Bongo said...

Has a family, and a GF. Standup guy.

BINGO said...

Todd Millar has a hard job which most people wouldn't want as he puts out a lot fires internally with staff and everyday situations. He is the go to guy which on a daily basis is doing his best within his control. So know the situation before you complain. GO,VIPERS,GO.

Don Klepp said...

I’m very disappointed to see criticism of Todd Miller. First, Todd’s role does not include hockey operations such as recruiting and trades. Todd takes care of the team’s business operations. He works very hard, and successfully, to bring in sponsorship revenue. His efforts have helped the Vipers franchise survive in difficult times. Todd does an excellent job of soliciting sponsorship and working with sponsors so that they gain value from their association with the team.

Todd has many other responsibilities including marketing, coordination with the dedicated volunteers, and game day operations.

His contributions should be praised, not criticized.

By the way, I can understand criticism of the team’s management and coaching, purely because of the team’s record over the past few years. However, some of this criticism is quite emotional and over the top. Are the critics taking things too personally? Is part of your self worth tied up in the team’s degree of success? Is your degree of happiness too dependent on the Viper win loss record?

Keep in mind that BCHL players are faster, more skilled, and more exciting than they ever have been, even during the halcyon days of the Lis and Wray eras. I suspect that part of the disenchantment expressed on this forum is because other BCHL teams have caught up to the Viper level of excellence and surpassed it, while the Vipers have regressed slightly.

One final thought - at the 2010 BCHL all star game in Nanaimo, in which the Vipers took on the rest of the league and beat them 7-3 - a Nanaimo official told me to enjoy our current success “because it won’t last forever.”