The Red Deer Vipers are once again wearing a 'Z' patch on their sleeves this season to honour the late father of one of their teammates. (SkillzPhotos/Jason Skilnick)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

hockey fights cancer

Vipers honour fallen family member while facing early season adversity

Oct 27, 2019 | 1:47 PM

It was a tough loss on what was surely an emotional night for the Red Deer Vipers Jr. ‘B’ hockey team on Saturday.

In the midst of losing 8-5 to an impressive Airdrie squad, the Vipers marked Hockey Fights Cancer night at Servus Arena.

Head coach J.D. Morrical spoke to rdnewsNOW about his team’s personal connection to the cause, which they began honouring last season.

“One of our assistant captains, Tristyn Zarubiak, his dad Kevin in the second year we won the league — so two seasons ago — was diagnosed that November (with cancer) and battled and battled. He was able to watch us win the league title, and his son scored a big goal for us in that game,” Morrical recalls. “He passed away two months after the season. It happened really fast and sudden.”

Zarubiak had one assist Saturday. In addition to ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ helmet decals, the Vipers are also donning a ‘Z’ patch on their jerseys for the entire year.

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The club raised nearly $900 Saturday which will be split between the Canadian Cancer Society and the Central Alberta Humane Society.

Meantime, the Vipers are still trying to find their stride, going 4-5 through their first nine games. Including an 7-1 loss on Friday to the undefeated Okotoks Bisons, they have lost five in a row after winning four straight to start.

“I didn’t really think we played that bad on Friday. Okotoks has a really solid team. We’ve got a young group and we’ve got some work to do, but I wasn’t mad,” says Morrical.

“Goaltending has been great. We’ve got Dawson Weatherill, Justin Anderson and Canon Whitbread; they’ve all been solid. To start the year, we also had six major injuries and they’re just starting to come back now.”

Morrical adds that guys he expects to lead the team in scoring like Rylan Burns and Justin Paarup have only played a handful of games.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Red Deer sit 4th in the seven team Northern Division of the HJHL. Airdrie leads the way, followed by Mountainview, Ponoka, the Vipers, Stettler, Sylvan Lake and Rocky Mountain House. Okotoks, who dealt them the loss on Friday, are a perfect 12-0 and lead the Southern Division..