By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

"we're here to win titles"

Red Deer Vipers have high expectations this season

Sep 8, 2022 | 8:00 AM

A new season is on the horizon for the Red Deer Vipers of the Heritage Junior ‘B’ Hockey League (HJHL).

Things get started with back-to-back pre-season matchups against the Wetaskiwin Icemen on Sept. 10 (7:45 p.m. start) at Servus Arena, then Sept. 11 on the road.

The home opener is Sept. 17, with puck drop at 8 p.m. from Servus Arena. A tailgate party will be taking place for two hours prior, and the team is inviting Red Deer Minor Hockey’s U7 and U9 teams to attend for free. Other youth groups interested in attending can contact simbradyj@gmail.com.

“We’re looking to be quite competitive, and expecting to have a shot at the North Division title. It’s going to be a quite close, I feel,” says Dale Scott, general manager. “One thing we stress to the boys is that we’re here to win titles, be a community presence and be a strong competitive team year after year. That’s why a lot of kids want to continue to play for the Vipers.”

The Vipers have 11 returning players this season, about average for the HJHL.

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That includes Kyle and Andrew Wallace, Red Deer boys who joined the team mid-season last year, and “took the league by storm,” Scott says.

Kyle, who started the season with the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys and then Blackfalds Bulldogs, played 10 games is his inaugural HJHL stint. He notched six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in that stretch.

Brother Andrew, who also began last season with Olds, played 18 games for the Vipers. In those games, he scored an astounding 24 times and added 12 assists for 36 points. That incredible hot streak included two hat tricks, one of which was a four-goal game where he added two assists.

Scott also notes the likes of Carter Stone and Lynden Robertson, who are joining the team from Red Deer Minor Hockey’s AAA and AA programs, respectively. Plus, Jace Paarup is back with the team as the only over-ager; Paarup, a Red Deerian, will be in his fourth season with the club, with prior stints in the KIJHL and AMHL.

Josh Hilts, also of Red Deer, will start in the net out of the chute after winning 15 games in 19 appearances last season, posting a 2.59 GAA and .913 SV%.

“We’ve done a lot of work this summer to restructure corporate partnership packages, and we’ve tripled our numbers. We also completed our first annual golf tournament hand in hand with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC), and we’ve finalized agreements with Red Deer Minor Hockey to assist with their U7 and U9 programs,” says Scott.

“We are making a more concerted effort to be more community-involved. We’re working a lot with the CACAC, and we’re looking to assist with elementary kids where we can, as well as The Mustard Seed, and other community initiatives that may pop up. You’ll see us out there more.”

On and off the ice, Scott adds the club is committed to improving hockey culture.

“Yes, definitely [we want to do that]. That’s where working with these kids and being a mentor, is where our coaches help the most. Be a hard-working good community citizen, and that translates on-ice,” says Scott.

“On the hockey side, you put in the effort, the commitment level, you stand up for your teammates, and be a team player, and that carries back over into every day life. We see that process as growing these individuals from young men into responsible grown men.”

More on the Vipers and the upcoming HJHL season is at heritagejunior.com.