Long time season ticket holder Derek F. Allen sent a letter into yesterday's Vernon Morning Star letter to the editor regarding the Vernon Vipers coaching staff.
Here is the letter to the editor from the Morning Star,
Ferner Fan
June 1 2023
So the Vernon Vipers playing season has come to an end.
I must say I feel very sorry for the young players. Each one of them got to Junior A status because they had the talent as a player. So why did we have such a lackluster season, ending in sixth place out of nine in the Interior Division?
There were games where they played with absolute dtermination and thewinning score proved that.
However, upon reflection I can only suggest we need a coaching staff that can train these young players to able to play team hockey. So far they have failed to do this.
My wife and I have had season tickets for close to 25 years and we will continue being season ticket holders in hopes that one season (soon we hope) the Vipers will improve and become real contenders in the league as they were before.
It can be done. We won three Fred Page Cups and Two Royal Bank Cups when Mark Ferner was the coach.
I'm sorry but I don't think the present coaching staff will be the ones to bring the Vipers back to a winning group of young hockey players.
Possibly our current owners could make an effort to bring back winning hockey to Vernon by finding and convincing Ferner to return as the head coach of the Vernon Vipers.
Derek F. Allen
3 comments:
Seems to me that if, the seats at Kal Tire Place are filled with an acceptable amount of fans, nothing will change. There were a good many of them at the Vipers games overall, although , some games I think the count was off or fudged. The crowds were for sure averaging lower during the fist part of the season. It picked up after all the “player movement” to an above average level and when the SilverStar Aussies attend, well!
Actions have always spoken louder than words so, if you don’t like it, don’t go, don’t buy season tickets, don’t pay for advertising, DON’T FILL THE SEATS.
I bitch and complain because, its always much more fun watching a winning team. I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1986 so, I have been here during the franchise's GOLDEN AGE of six national championships. In the past this franchise went through some extremely lean times, as far as wins go. From stories I have heard, of those times, the fans were still attending.
The last two seasons with McKee at he helm have resulted both ending with 27 wins and 27 loses. To some, those are perfect seasons, 50/50! To us spoiled fans that experienced the GOLDEN AGE, totally not good enough!
The coaching staff particularly Jason will be why you see a continued mass exodus of good players as the development is not there!! Interested to see how many return? Definitely not a players coach look at how he barks at the players on the bench imagine behind closed doors!
This year was very disappointing after starting the season with eleven returning players and what looked like several good recruits. The team got off to a slow start and changes were made. The first half of the season saw a ton of trades, players released, even several of their recruits/committed players were released before the regular season even started. Some of their recruits/committed players landed in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and did very well. It seemed like every week a trade or new player was either leaving or coming to Vernon. It wasn't until late November or into December when the team slowly started to improve for the first time under Jason McKee. In McKee's four years as Head Coach/GM this season was the only season where I saw improvement and the team playing with some consistency. Even though the team improved they seemed to go back to their bad habits and looked like the team we watched at the start of the season in the playoff series vs Salmon Arm. McKee's teams always struggle through out the season, seem to make the same mistakes at the start of the season and continue to make those same mistakes at the end of the season. McKee's teams have been average at best and in the middle of the standings. Other then a nine game winning streak last season, McKee's teams never went on long winning streaks, normally won two or three games in a row at most. McKee's teams have always lacked scoring and poor defence and on most nights the Vipers are being out coached. The Vipers scouting also has to blame for this as they are the ones recruiting these kids. Most of the recruits/committed players the past four seasons have been average and several are cut/released during training camp or before the season even starts. This season was by far the best season since McKee's been Head Coach and the most excitement we've seen from the Vipers in McKee's four seasons in Vernon. Lot's of rumors this season the kids don't like McKee. I have talked to a few season ticket holders who have talked to billets or know billets and have talked to a couple of Viper parents that have said the kids don't like McKee. McKee is a 500 coach at best and has yet to put together a team that can compete for a Division title or Championship. McKee isn't a good coach and his record and Viper teams have proven that. It's time for a coaching change! It's my understanding McKee and the owners are very good friends. At the end of the day are we helping out a friend get a coaching job or are we here to put together a good/winning hockey team?
With the 2023-24 season upon us come September and the BCHL leaving Hockey Canada, the Vipers better put together and ice a much better and more competitive team then the past four seasons. Long time season ticket holders have been leaving over the past few years and the Vipers haven't been competitive since Jason McKee took over as Head Coach.
Go Vipers Go!
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