For the 1995-96 season the Vernon franchise changed its name to the Vernon Vipers and presently retains that name.
This portion of the franchise has established itself as an elite junior "A" hockey team in league, regional and national levels.
1996, was one of Vernons' best seasons as they finished the regular portion winning 43 games, losing 13 and tying 4. The Vernon Vipers defeated the Langley Thunder for the League title, 4 games to 1. In regional playdowns that year they defeated the Prince George Spruce Kings (Rocky Mountain JHL) for the Mowat Cup, 3 games to 0. Then faced a tough Saint Albert Saints (Alberta Junior Hockey League) team, winning 4 games to 3, to claim the Doyle Cup. The Abbott Cup, which was awarded during a national tournament round-robin game, was awarded to the Melfort Mustangs (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League), as they defeated the Vernon Vipers, 5-1. The Vernon Vipers had an even round-robin during the national tournament, winning 2 games and losing 2. In the semi-final of the tournament game the Vernon Vipers defeated the Newmarket 87's (Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League), 7-4. The Vernon Vipers opponent for the final was the, host, Melfort Mustangs. The Vernon Vipers avenged the Abbott Cup loss, by winning the final, 2-0, claiming the franchises third national title, the inaugural Royal Bank Cup.
Three short years after winning the inaugural Royal Bank Cup Vernon once again returned to the National stage, in 1999. The Vernon Vipers accomplished this by capping an amazing season of 52 wins and 6 loses with 2 Ties, which is currently the franchises best season also. The Vernon Vipers defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs for the League title, Fred Page Cup. The Mowat Cup was a mixed blessing as the Vernon Vipers won but, not without controversy. The Kimberley Dynamiters (Rocky Mountain JHL) won 1 game of the 4 played. It was the first time a team from the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League defeated a team from the British Columbia Hockey League. It should be noted however, that Vernon played with a Junior "B" backup goaltender in the loss, (7-6) due to injury of their regular goaltenders. The Doyle Cup was easily won by the Vernon Vipers, 4 games to 1, over the Calgary Canucks (Alberta JHL). The Vernon Vipers did it all the hard-way in the Royal Bank Cup Tournament winning only once during round-robin play. That one win was enough though, to claim the Abbott Cup defeating the Estevan Bruins (Saskatchewan JHL), 3-2. After that dismal showing in the round-robin the Vernon Vipers still managed to advance to the semi-finals. In that semi, the Bramalea Blues (Ontario Provincial JHL) were defeated, 3-2. The Royal Bank Cup final was an absolute blow-out as the Vernon Vipers hammered the Charlottetown Abbies (Maritime Junior A Hockey League), 9-3, claiming the franchises fourth National Championship in ten years and second Royal Bank Cup.
The 2000-01 season turned out to be an extreme disappointment for the franchise as the Vernon Vipers failed to make the playoffs, the first time since 1982.
Maintaining a competitive level in the league for the next few years the Vernon Vipers would eventually set a Canadian Record.
In 2009 the Vernon Vipers swept through the league playoffs defeating the Penticton Vees four games to one, the Salmon Arm Silverbacks four games to two and the Powell River Kings four games to two. The Vernon Vipers would then literally breeze though the regional and national series with ten straight wins and no losses. They defeated the Grande Prairie Storm for the Doyle Cup, and in the Royal Bank Cup Tournament they defeated all teams in the round-robin, the Kingston Voyageurs, 6-3, in the semi-final and the Humboldt Broncos, 2-0, in the final, winning the franchises fifth national title and third Royal Bank Cup.
The Canadian Record ?, with five National Titles, Vernon is the only Jr. A Franchise in Canada to have that distinction !
Once again, in 2010, the Vernon Vipers win the Royal Bank Cup. Only the third time a team has won back-to-back National Championships, the previous two being in 1981 & 1982 Prince Albert Raiders, 1990 & 1991 Vernon Lakers.
The Vipers were League and Divisional Pennant winners with 105 points, second all-time for the Franchise, finishing with a League record of 51W-6L-0T-3OL. Having avoided the Elimination Round, the Vipers met up with the 5th place Quesnel Millioniares in the Quarter Finals defeating them 4 games to 2. The Penticton Vees were the Vipers' next victum in the Semi Finals winning also by a result of 4 games to 2. In the BCHL Finals the Vernon Vipers would once again take on the Powell River Kings. Looking for revenge from thier loss in 2009, to the Vipers, the Kings took Vernon to a game seven. The Vipers won that game by a score of 3-1, advancing them to the Doyle Cup.
The Doyle Cup series also went to seven games, against the Spruce Grove Saints, with Vernon winning 7-3.
The National Jr. A Tournament was held in Dauphin, Manitoba. The Vernon Vipers record in the Round Robin, 3W-1L, Dauphin Kings 5-6 L ot, La Ronge Ice Wolves 4-2 W, Oakville Blades 5-3 W and Brockville Braves 4-2 W. In the Semi Final Vernon once again took on the Brockville Braves earning a shut-out winning 2-0. The Final was a blow-out for the Vernon Vipers. Taking on the Host, Dauphin Kings, the Vipers annialiated Dauphin for a 8-1 win, giving the Vernon Vipers thier 4th Royal Bank Cup.
The Vernon Vipers 4th National Title ties them with the Prince Albert Raiders, although it is the 6th for the Franchise which is a Canadian Record.
A speacial note on the 2010-11 season for the Vipers was that of the 60 regular season games played 20 went to overtime. Their record for those overtime games is, 20GP - 7W - 9L - 4T. 1\3 of a season went to overtime, gotta be some sort of record !
After not advanceing to the playoffs for both the 2011-12 & 2012-13 seasons, under head coach Jason Williamson, the Vipers would return to winning ways in 2013-14. The Vipers advanced thru the three rounds before falling in the league final to Coquitlam, however, the Vipers were earlier chosen to host the Royal Bank Cup, where they went as far as the semifinals.
In the 2014-15 season Mark Ferner would once again take the riegns of the Vipers. In his 4 years at the helm, the Vipers have yet to make it past the Divisional Round. In Marks final season as head coach of the Vipers, in 2019, the Vipers made it all the way to the league finals.
Vipers Owner,Dr. Duncan Wray , passed away on January 11, 2018. His wife Libby became owner and governor upon his passing. Since buying the team in 1992, Wray became known as a very hands-on team owner, always interacting with fans, and watching his Vipers play. During Wray's time as the Vipers owner, the team won twelve (12) Interior Conference pennants, three (3) BCHL regular season titles, seven (7) BCHL Championships, and six (6) Doyle Cups, four (4) National Championships plus once runner up. Duncan Wray was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, with his 1998-99 Vernon Vipers following suit in 2016.
The Vernon Vipers Hockey Club announced an ownership change September 7, 2018. The Club has been sold by owner Libby Wray and has been purchased by Tom and John Glen.
Jason McKee became the Vipers head coach for the 2019-2020 season, replacing Mark Ferner. During this season the Vipers managed a record of 30-24-2-2 for 64 points. This put them in 5th place of the Interior Division and 8th place in the league. Playing the 4th place, Wenatchee Wild in the first round, they won the series 4 games to 1. However the entire playoffs were cancelled after the league first round due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The Covid Panemic continued into the 2020-21 season however, the Provincial Health Office eased restrictions enough to allow the league to play an extended exhibition/traning season from September 25 to November 19. The "Okanagan Cup' tournament was established, for this pre-season, which included Penticton, Salmon Arm and West Kelowna. Penticton defeated the Vipers in the final to take the cup.
For the 20 game regular season the Vipers played in a so called "POD" along with Salmon Arm and West Kelowna. The Vipers claimed top spot, recording a record of 13-5-1-1 for 28 points.
Since their inaugural 1995-96 season, the Vernon Vipers, have achieved the following...
Below you will find a brief overview of the each season.
INTERIOR CHAMPION |
Ryan Hatfield Trophy |
LEAGUE CHAMPION |
Nat Bailey Cup / Subway Cup / Fred Page Cup |
BRITISH COLUMBIA CHAMPION |
Mowat Cup |
BRITISH COLUMBIA VS ALBERTA CHAMPION |
Doyle Cup |
WESTERN CANADA CHAMPION |
Abbott Cup / Western Canada Cup |
NATIONAL CHAMPION |
Centennial Cup / Royal Bank Cup |
VERNON VIPERS | |||||||||||||||
Season |
League Division |
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Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
Rank | GP | W | L | T | PTs | GF | GA | GP | W | L | GF | GA | Result / Series-Score / Opponent | ||
1995-96 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 1st |
60 | 43 | 13 | 4 | 90 | 324 | 219 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 156 | 102 | |
Won Quarterfinals,
4-1 (Naniamo) Won Semifinals, 4-0 (Cowichan Valley) Won League Finals, 4-1 (Langley) |
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Won Mowat Cup, 3-0 (Prince George) | |||||||||||||||
Won Doyle Cup, 4-3 (Saint Albert) | |||||||||||||||
3rd Royal Bank Cup
Round-robin Won RBC Semifinal, 7-4 (Newmarket) Won Royal Bank Cup, 2-0 (Melfort) |
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Lost Abbott Cup Game, 1-5 (Melfort), [RBC-RR] | |||||||||||||||
1996-97 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 1st |
60 | 41 | 14 | 5 | 87 | 339 | 212 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 56 | 50 | |
Won Quarterfinals,
4-0 (Merritt) Won Semifinals, 4-1 (Trail) |
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Lost League Finals, 1-4 (Surrey) | |||||||||||||||
1997-98 |
BCHL Interior |
3rd 2nd |
60 | 33 | 19 | 8 | 74 | 251 | 229 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 25 | |
Lost Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Trail) | |||||||||||||||
1998-99 |
BCHL Interior |
1st 1st |
60 | 52 | 8 | 0 | 106 | 305 | 145 | 29 | 22 | 7 | 150 | 88 | |
Won Con.Semifinals,
4-1 (Merritt) Won Con. Finals, 4-0 (Prince George) |
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Won League Finals, 4-1 (Chilliwack) | |||||||||||||||
Won Mowat Cup, 3-1 (Kimberly) | |||||||||||||||
Won Doyle Cup, 4-1 (Calgary) | |||||||||||||||
4th Royal Bank Cup
Round-robin Won RBC Semifinal, 3-2 (Bramalea) Won Royal Bank Cup, 9-3 (Charlottetown) |
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Won Abbott Cup Game, 3-2 (Estevan),[RBC-RR] | |||||||||||||||
1999-00 |
BCHL Interior |
5th 2nd |
60 | 35 | 20 | 5 | 75 | 242 | 216 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 64 | |
Won Con.
Semifinals, 4-2 (Prince George) Won Con. Finals, 4-3 (Merritt) |
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Lost League Finals, 1-4 (Chilliwack) | |||||||||||||||
2000-01 |
BCHL Interior |
12th 5th |
60 | 24 | 26 | 10 | 58 | 203 | 225 | Did Not Qualify | |||||
2001-02 |
BCHL Interior |
4th 1st |
60 | 33 | 21 | 6 | 72 | 243 | 205 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 52 | 40 | |
Won Preliminaries,
4-0 (Merritt) Won Con. Finals, 4-3 (Penticton) |
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Lost League Finals, 2-4 (Chilliwack) | |||||||||||||||
2002-03 |
BCHL Interior |
1st 1st |
60 | 47 | 13 | 0 | 95 | 273 | 150 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 63 | 35 | |
Won Preliminaries,
4-0 (Penticton) Won Con. Finals, 4-0 (Trail) |
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Won League Finals, 4-0 (Chilliwack) | |||||||||||||||
Lost Doyle Cup, 2-4 (Camrose) | |||||||||||||||
2003-04 |
BCHL Interior |
4th 2nd |
60 | 37 | 23 | 1 | 82 | 233 | 182 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 17 | |
Lost Preliminaries, 0-4 (Trail) | |||||||||||||||
2004-05 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 1st |
60 | 42 | 15 | 3 | 93 | 232 | 156 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 40 | 41 | |
Won Div.
Semifinals, 4-0 (Penticton) Won Con. Finals, 4-1 (Prince George) |
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Lost League Finals, 1-4 (Surrey) | |||||||||||||||
2005-06 |
BCHL Interior |
6th 3rd |
60 | 36 | 22 | 2 | 78 | 205 | 165 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 29 | |
Won Div.
Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Prince George) Lost Div. Semifinals, 1-4 (Salmon Arm) |
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2006-07 |
BCHL Interior |
5th 2nd |
60 | 37 | 22 | 1 | 78 | 246 | 193 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 70 | 53 | |
Won Con.
Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Westside) Won Con. Semifinals, 4-1 (Trail) Won Con. Finals, 4-1 (Penticton) |
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Lost League Finals, 2-4 (Nanaimo) | |||||||||||||||
2007-08 |
BCHL Interior |
5th 4th |
60 | 36 | 22 | 2 | 76 | 238 | 185 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 31 | |
Won Eliminations,
3-0 (Trail) Lost Con. SemiFinals, 4-3 (Penticton) |
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2008-09 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 1st |
60 | 42 | 17 | 1 | 88 | 223 | 145 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 104 | 29 | |
Won Con.
Semifinals, 4-1 (Penticton) Won Con. Finals, 4-2 (Salmon Arm) |
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Won League Finals, 4-2 (Powell River) | |||||||||||||||
Won Doyle Cup, 4-0 (Grande Prairie) | |||||||||||||||
1st Royal Bank Cup
Round-robin Won RBC Semifinal, 6-3 (Kingston) Won Royal Bank Cup, 2-0 (Humboldt) |
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2009-10 |
BCHL Interior |
1st 1st |
60 | 51 | 9 | 0 | 105 | 298 | 119 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 117 | 80 | |
Won Con.
Semifinals, 4-2 (Quesnel) Won Con. Finals, 4-2 (Penticton) |
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Won League Finals, 4-3 (Powell River) | |||||||||||||||
Won Doyle Cup, 4-3 (Spruce Grove) | |||||||||||||||
2nd Royal Bank Cup
Round-robin Won RBC Semifinal, 2-0 (Brockville) Won Royal Bank Cup, 8-1 (Dauphin) |
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2010-11 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 1st |
60 | 36 | 20 | 4 | 85 | 197 | 141 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 93 | 67 | |
Won Con.
Semifinals, 4-2 (Westside) Won Con. Finals, 4-2 (Salmon Arm) |
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Won League Finals, 4-0 (Powell River) | |||||||||||||||
Won Doyle Cup, 4-3 (Spruce Grove) | |||||||||||||||
1st Royal Bank Cup
Round-robin Won RBC Semifinal, 4-1 (Wellington) Lost Royal Bank Cup, 2-0 (Pembroke) |
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2011-12 |
BCHL Interior |
9th 5th |
60 | 30 | 29 | 1 | 63 | 208 | 193 | Did Not Qualify | |||||
2012-13 |
BCHL Interior |
13th 6th |
56 | 21 | 34 | 1 | 52 | 139 | 170 | Did Not Qualify | |||||
2013-14 |
BCHL Interior |
7th 3rd |
58 | 30 | 24 | 4 | 70 | 181 | 175 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 66 | 58 | |
Won
Div. Semifinal 4-2 (West Kelowna) Won Div. Finals 4-3 (Penticton) |
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1st
Round-robin 1-0 (Victoria) & 1-0
(Coquitlam) Lost League Finals 0-4 (Coquitlam) |
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~ Hosts ~ Royal Bank Cup 2nd, Round-robin(2-2) Lost Semifinal, 6-3 (Yorkton) |
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2014-15 |
BCHL Interior |
4th 2nd |
58 | 36 | 21 | 1 | 76 | 218 | 161 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 32 | 31 | |
Won
Div. Semifinal 4-0 (Merritt) Lost Div. Finals 4-3 (Penticton) |
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2015-16 |
BCHL Interior |
12th 4th |
58 | 24 | 31 | 3 | 51 | 179 | 206 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 21 | |
Lost Div. Semifinal 1-4 (Penticton) |
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2016-17 |
BCHL Interior |
6th 2nd |
58 | 30 | 23 | 5 | 69 | 181 | 158 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 40 | 27 | |
Won
Div. Semifinal 4-1 (Trail) Lost Div. Finals 3-4 (Penticton) |
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2017-18 |
BCHL Interior |
2nd 2nd |
58 | 39 | 15 | 4 | 83 | 205 | 118 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 19 | |
Won
Div. Quarter-final 4-0 (Salmon Arm) Lost Div. Semifinal 2-4 (Wenatchee) |
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2018-19 |
BCHL Interior |
8th 4th |
58 | 26 | 32 | 63 | 166 | 160 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 61 | 53 | ||
Won
Div. Quarter-final 4-1 (Salmon Arm) Won Div. Semifinal 4-3 (Trail) Won Div. Final 4-1 (Wenatchee) |
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Lost BCHL Finals 4-0 (Prince George) | |||||||||||||||
2019-20 |
BCHL Interior |
8th 5th |
58 | 30 | 28 | 64 | 174 | 178 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 11 | ||
Won
Div. Quarter-final 4-1 (Wenatchee) |
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*** BCHL PLAYOFFS CANCELLED, March 12, Due To Covid-19 Pandemic *** | |||||||||||||||
2020-21 |
BCHL Pod |
5th 1th |
20 | 13 | 7 | 28 | 69 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Won
Vernon Pod 1st |
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*** NO BCHL PLAYOFFS, Due To Covid-19 Pandemic Restrictions*** | |||||||||||||||
2021-22 |
BCHL Interior |
10th 6th |
54 | 27 | 27 | 61 | 152 | 154 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 26 | ||
Lost
Div QuarterFinals 1-4, (West Kelowna) |
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Team Totals | 1556 | 931 | 596 | 29 | - | - | - | 375 | 239 | 136 | - | - | |||
- |
Note: Loses include any OTL & SOL
FRANCHISE TOTALS | |||||||||||||||||
Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | ||||||
3295 | 1809 | 1399 | 87 | - | - | 685 | 400 | 284 | 1 | - | - |
Note:
Loses may include any Over Time Loses & Shoot
Out Loses
Total Points may include any Over Time Loses
& Shoot Out Loses Points
N/A = Not Applicable