Vernon Vipers training camp. (photo by Graham Turnbull/Beach Radio)

By Liam Verster

Preseason Begins Friday

Vipers training camp wraps up, team ready to play

Sep 5, 2024 | 3:16 PM

The Vernon Vipers training camp has wrapped up, and the team is ready to hit the ice for preseason play.

The local B.C. Hockey League team had their final training camp session Thursday, Sept. 5, and a representative of the Vipers said the players were looking good.

“We’ve been really happy. They’ve put in a lot of time and a lot of work this week just getting them up to speed as quick as we can,” Colton Sparrow, assistant coach and director of recruiting for the Vernon Vipers, told Vernon Matters.

“We’ve been really impressed with the incoming recruits, the new guys, and number of the returning players have shown up in good shape and ready to go. We’ve been happy; it’s been a positive start.”

Sparrow noted this year’s team is looking very fast.

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“I think our team speed overall has gone up, we’ve brought in a lot of players that can really skate and play with a lot of pace, so that’s been positive,” the assistant coach said.

“We maybe lost a little bit of size from last year, some of the guys that left last year were bigger bodies, so we maybe lost a little bit of size but we’ve gained a lot of speed.

“Also, I think the players that have come in are very competitive natured athletes. So speed and compete are what I’m seeing so far.”

Training camp wrapped up Thursday, and preseason action is slated to begin Friday, Sept. 6.

The Vipers will open the exhibition series at home against the West Kelowna Warriors. They will then visit the Penticton Vees and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, before returning home to play the final preseason game against the Trail Smoke Eaters at Kal Tire Place on Sept. 13.

The Vipers will open the BCHL regular season with a three game road trip to Trail, Cranbrook and West Kelowna. The home opener will be against the Warriors on Sept. 28.

Though the team won’t start off the regular season in Vernon, Sparrow said the team won’t mind as it will take some pressure off as they won’t need to play in front of a home crowd immediately.

Sparrow noted the fan support for the 2023-24 season was really great, with big crowds including some sell-out games, and hopes people come out and cheer on the Vipers at Kal Tire Place again this year.