There's good news for fans eager to see another British Columbia Hockey League team advance to the RBC Cup in Victoria come May: the Camrose Kodiaks will be nowhere to be seen when the Doyle Cup opens on Friday night in Vernon.
That's no slight at the Grand Prairie Storm, who lost only three games en route to winning the AJHL's Enerflex Cup. But you could understand if the typical Vipers fan cracked a smile knowing that the Kodiaks — who have won the Doyle five times since 2001 — will be sitting this one out.
Grand Prairie should make for a formidable opponent, however. After finishing second in the overall AJHL standings with 83 points, they capped an impressive playoff run by sweeping first place Spruce Grove in four games. And while the Storm are an unknown commodity for BCHL fans, but they have their share of players who have spent time out west.
Morgan McLean, who led the team with 22 points in 19 postseason games, began the season with the Surrey Eagles. Elias Grossman saw action in the 2008 Doyle Cup with the Penticton Vees, while Bobby Tyson spent two seasons in Powell River before moving east.
For the Vipers, this year's Doyle Cup presents an opportunity to return to the RBC Cup for the first time since 1999.
The series begins Friday in Vernon, with the first two games — and possibly a third, should the teams split Games 1 and 2 — set for the Vernon Civic Arena before the teams head to Grand Prairie.
The full series schedule is below:
Sweep First Two Games
Friday, April 17 @ Vernon – 7:00PM
Saturday, April 18 @ Vernon – 7:00PM
Tuesday, April 21 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Wednesday, April 22 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Friday, April 24 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Saturday, April 25 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Sunday, April 26 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Split First Two Games
Friday, April 17 @ Vernon – 7:00PM
Saturday, April 18 @ Vernon – 7:00PM
Sunday, April 19 @ Vernon – 7:00PM
Wednesday, April 22 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Thursday, April 23 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Saturday, April 25 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
Sunday, April 26 @ Grande Prairie – 7:30PM
