I was born and raised in Vernon, BC and been watching/following junior hockey in Vernon my entire life. I started and created this blog in 2008 and have over 6 million viewers. I have had season tickets since 1990 missing 46 home games since. My family watched senior men's hockey in Vernon in the 1950's and has been watching/following junior hockey in Vernon since Vernon got a team in 1961. I have two family members that played junior hockey in Vernon. I have programs and ticket stubs going back to 1988 and have every program and ticket stub from every game going back to 1989. I worked with the Vipers as colour commentator for a couple of home games during the 2002-03 season & in 2011 I helped create and design the Vipers website that I was in charge of running for five seasons.
I was at tonight's Vernon Vipers-Salmon Arm Silverbacks game as the Silverbacks won 3-1 in front of 1,421 fans at Rogers Rink.
Starting Goaltenders:
Vernon Vipers: Oliver Kanat
Salmon Arm Silverbacks: Mikkel Christensen
1st Period: I thought both teams were very even in an even played opening period. The hometown Silverbacks had a lot more shots on goal early and the better scoring chances but overall this was a very fast paced period with both teams going back and fourth. The Silverbacks had a couple of quality opportunities, while the Vipers didn't have much puck luck, hit three posts and a crossbar. Vipers forward Toms Trockis took a puck to the face early and never returned to the hockey game. Both goaltenders played well. It was 1-0 Silverbacks after 20 minutes of play. Shots were 14-11 Salmon Arm.
2nd Period: The Vipers were the better team early and in the first half. Vernon carried the edge in play, had more puck possession and zone time in the first half, but the Gorillas when having the puck, had at least three or four very very good quality chances but Oliver Kanat made some big stops. The Vipers hit another post and Davids Livsics was denied on a late penalty shot. SA played better and had a little more edge in play in the second half. The S'Backs had more puck possession, zone time and had some good looks/opportunities. The Apes turned the momentum with two quick back to back goals, sixteen seconds apart inside the final minute to take a two goal lead. Both goaltenders played well. It was 3-1 Salmon Arm after 40 minutes of play. Shots were 11-10 Vernon.
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3rd Period: The Silverbacks had the edge in play and the better team early and for a lot of the first half. SA had the puck on their stick more, had more zone time, more puck possession and were creating some opportunities but also played very well defensively. The Snakes couldn't seem to gain puck possession in the first half and when they did, it wasn't on their stick for long. Vernon struggled offensively early, couldn't seem to muster any kind of offence, needed almost six minutes to get a shot on goal. The visiting Vipers would get going later in the second half and finally able to gain some puck possession, some zone time, would generate some opportunities but struggled getting the puck to the net or passed instead of shooting. With the game out of reach, the Silverbacks somehow missed the open net from in close, hitting the post as the Silverbacks won 3-1. Both goaltenders played well. Shots were 8-8.
Vernon Vipers Top Players:
Thomas Duhamel playing in just his second game, I thought stood out, played very well. Duhamel competed, was hard in on pucks/the forecheck and was involved in the play
Oliver Czaja (1 goal) Playing in his second game, was one of the better Vipers this evening. I thought was all over the ice, played hard, went to the net, was hard in on the forecheck, in and around the net, had a strong game in the loss
Dmitrii Kubantsev Had the puck on his stick lots, was dangerous down low and in and around the goal, played well
Garin Ludwig Made his Vipers debut, looked good/played very well on the blueline
Oliver Kanat (29 saves) Played very well between the pipes, come up with some large saves through out the hockey game, gave the Snakes a chance
Game Thought's: Vernon Vipers
- Including the preseason, the Silverbacks are 4-0-1-0 vs the Vipers
- The Snakes have lost eleven of their last thirteen road games
- The Vipers get some much needed help from Sherwood Park after a 4-3 win over Cranbrook. The Bucks are two points ahead of Vernon for the final playoff spot
- Tonight was by far Vernon's best and most complete game since the Christmas break
- The Vipers are 1-11 trailing after the 1st period this season
- Not a whole lot of Vipers fans in attendance, as I spotted maybe six or seven fans that made the trip
- The Vipers next game is Saturday vs the visiting West Kelowna Warriors
- The Snakes with a very good 1st period, held their own as both teams were fairly even in the first twenty minutes. Vernon didn't get a lot of quality chances, didn't get much puck luck, hitting the post three times and a crossbar once. Oliver Kanat made some big saves, played well
- Vernon went 0-3 with the power play
- I noticed both Vipers goaltenders have newly painted masks
- I have said this many times, the Vipers don't shoot enough. It seems like almost every good look/opportunity, they make a pass instead of shooting, looking for a rebound
- The Snakes defence played much much better after Wednesday's game. The Vipers defence limited the turnovers and clearing the zone much better
- The Vipers have lost six straight and lost seven of their last ten games
- Vernon's 2nd periods have been a nightmare this season. It seems like the Vipers have a great 1st period but no where near the same team in the 2nd period. Tonight other then giving up the two late goals sixteen seconds apart late in the period, I thought the Snakes played very well in a period where Vernon was the better team in the first half and Salmon Arm was the better team in the second half
- This was a very entertaining and exciting hockey game
- Vernon is 4-11-1-0 on the road
- The Vipers & Silverbacks play again February 28th in Vernon
- The Vipers are missing several key players due to injury
- If the Vipers want to stay in playoff contention, they need to start stringing together some wins
- Toms Trockis left the 1st period after taking a puck to the face and didn't return
- Davids Livsics was stopped on a 2nd period penalty shot
- It took the Snakes a bit to get going in the 3rd as the Vipers couldn't seem to generate anything in the first half. The Vipers would finally muster some puck possession, zone time in the second half, didn't get a ton of opportunities and on a few instead of shooting, passed the puck
- The Vipers are 1-17 trailing after the 2nd period this season
- The Vipers & Silverbacks play each other three more times
- After a poor effort/performance in Wednesday's overtime loss to Powell River, the Vipers responded with a much better effort/performance tonight
- The Vipers have two wins in their last ten games in Salmon Arm
- No puck luck or bounces go the Snakes way. Vernon hit four posts and a crossbar tonight
- With the loss, Vernon falls to 8-20-6-0 sits 5th in the Interior West Division are two points back of Cranbrook for the final playoff spot
Salmon Arm Silverbacks Top Players:
Cole Longacre (1 assist) Has some size, played well on the Silverbacks blueline
Luke Lepper was another d-man that played well
Mateu Spath (1 goal) Opened the scoring, had a strong game for the Backs. Spath has played well vs the Vipers this season
Scott Miner Another d-man with size, played well at both ends of the rink
Anthony Cardilli (1 goal) Scored the game winner on a 2nd period PP, looked good/played well this evening
Keifer Miller (1 assist) Played with a lot of jump/energy, was up and down the wing, played hard, competed
Mikkel Christensen (28 saves) Played well in goal for Salmon Arm. Got lucky at times with the Vipers hitting four posts and one crossbar but also made a couple of big stops at key times, one being a 2nd period penalty shot
Game Thought's: Salmon Arm Silverbacks
- The Silverbacks are 7-6-1-2 at home
- A great crowd and great atmosphere in Salmon Arm tonight
- The Silverbacks next game is Sunday vs the visiting Sherwood Park Crusaders
- The Apes and Vipers were fairly even in the 1st period but I thought Salmon Arm was getting more pucks to the net, which also created more opportunities in a period where SA had the better of the scoring chances. Both goaltenders played well
- The Silverbacks just like the Vipers have made several roster moves since the last time these two teams played each other
- The Gorillas defence was very good, especially in the 3rd keeping Vernon to the outside, limiting their opportunities and not giving the Vipers much time with the puck
- The Silverbacks have won three of their last five games and won six of their last ten games
- Salmon Arm went 2-4 with the man advantage
- The Silverbacks didn't have much puck possession early in the 2nd period as the Vipers had the edge in play in the first half, but SA did get three or four quality opportunities when they did get the puck but couldn't solve Oliver Kanat. The Backs regrouped, had more edge in play in the second half, had some looks and capitalized with two late goals sixteen seconds apart inside the final minute of play, to take a two goal lead into the 3rd
- Tonight was the third game of a six game homestand
- Salmon Arm is quick and dangerous on the rush, had some quality looks/opportunities on the rush this evening
- One key point in tonight's game, could be Mikkel Christensen's save off Davids Livsics on a 2nd period penalty shot late in the period. Shortly after, the S'Backs score on the PP and then again sixteen seconds later to take a 3-1 lead
- I liked Salmon Arm's game in the 3rd. The Silverbacks controlled the play early, were the better team in the first half, didn't allow Vernon to touch the puck much. The Vipers would eventually get some puck possession and zone time in the second half, but the SA defence played very well, blocking shots, closing the lanes, limiting the Vipers time and space and then getting some stops from their goaltender
- With the win, Salmon Arm improves to 16-13-3-2 sit 3rd in the Interior West Division
Scratches:
Vernon Vipers:
Maverick Hayes
Sebastian Bradshaw (Injured)
Koji Gibson (Injured)
Deagan McMillan (Injured)
Oscar Bjork Injured)
Salmon Arm Silverbacks:
Donny Sisson
Tate O'Brien
Brady Craik
Aiden Fisher
Boxscore-Game Summary,
Vernon Vipers @ Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday, January 23, 2026 | BCHL League Site
Game Report,
Text Box Score,
Official statistics powered by LeagueStat.com
Vernon Junior Hockey History,
1 comment:
I was at the Vipers game tonight in SA and the Vipers played there best game since before the Christmas break. Unfortunately the Backs got 2 goals with in 16 seconds apart late in the 2nd period and the Vipers just couldn't capitalize on there remaining chances but a very entertaining game. The new players that we just got in the last few days or so also looked good.
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