Vernon Vipers
| Vernon Vipers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Vernon, British Columbia, Canada |
| League | British Columbia Hockey League |
| Conference | Interior |
| Founded | 1961–62 |
| Home arena | Kal Tire Place |
| Colours | Blue, White |
| Owner(s) |
 Duncan Wray |
| General manager |
[[]] |
| Head coach |
Mark Ferner
|
| Website | www.vipers.bc.ca/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 1961–1962 | Vernon Jr. Canadians |
| 1962–1967 | Vernon Blades |
| 1967–1973 | Vernon Essos |
| 1973–1979 | Vernon Vikings |
| 1980–1983 | Vernon Lakers |
| 1983–1984 | Vernon Rockets |
| 1984–1995 | Vernon Lakers |
| 1995–present | Vernon Vipers |
The Vernon Vipers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Interior Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at Kal Tire Place.
The Vernon Jr. Canadians, Penticton Jr. Vees, Kelowna Buckaroos and Kamloops Rockets, four junior "B" teams, formed the Okanagan-Mainline Junior Hockey League in 1961 on the advice and determination of Canadians owner Bill Brown.
After their inaugural season the Canadians changed their name to "Vernon Blades" and kept that name till the start of the 1967–68 season.
In the playoffs of 1970 the "Vernon Essos", as they were called, captured the league championship and Mowat Cup (BC). They also automatically advanced to the Abbott Cup (Western Canada) because the AJHL champions did not want to contest for the BC/Alta Championship (now called the Doyle Cup). In the Abbott Cup of 1970, the Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League defeated Vernon 4 games to none.
The Essos repeated as league champions and Mowat Cup winners in 1972, only to lose to the Red Deer Rustlers for the BC/Alta Championship, 4 games to 2.
For the start of the 1973–74 season the "Vernon Essos" became the "Vernon Vikings". The name remained until the end of the 1979 playoffs, which saw the team take a leave-of-absence for the 1979–80 season.
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