- Kensington Vipers
The Kensington 'Moase Plumbing & Heating' Vipers are a Junior B
ice hockey club in the five teamIsland Junior Hockey League (IJHL).Team History
The Kensington Vipers joined the Island Junior Hockey League in 1998 after the
Kensington Granites Senior hockey team had folded and theCommunity Gardens arena was looking for a junior hockey client.After sponsorship stints as '
Don Clark Insurance ' and 'Valley Truss and Metal ', a full time sponsor was found in 2003, asMoase Plumbing and Heating assumed sponsorship.After many underachieving years, the Vipers reached the
Island Championship in2002 but lost in the seventh game to the now defunctO'Leary Eagles . The following season, the team also lost in seven games at the finals but this time to theSherwood Falcons .Through the 2003-2004 season the Vipers were amongst the top of the league and remained on top through the end of the regular season and were favoured to win the
PEI title. After a quick dismissal of the now relocatedEvangeline Loggers of Wellington, the Vipers met their long time rivals in the Sherwood Falcons. The Vipers won their first championship in five games on home ice before a sellout crowd, with arguably the best team they had put forth in franchise history, which included key defenceJoey Wood ,Matt Ramsay andTravis Gallant , forwardMitchell Jollimore ,Robbie Doiron andTim MacDougall as well as all-star goaltenderDan Corriveau .The following season, the Vipers continued on their domination atop the Island Junior Hockey League.
Kirk MacPhee had proven himself as the league's top playmaker, and formerSummerside Capital Brad Doiron was added to the lineup. After gaining home ice advantage through their play in the regular season, the Vipers dismissed their opening round opponent, theSummerside Red Wings , and once again met the Falcons in the Final. After being down 3-2 in games of the best of seven, the Vipers won two in a row to defend their title in which will go down as perhaps the best IJHL final to date.The following year the Vipers tried to go for a
three peat , though they did not finish first overall in the regular season. This would prove to be a difference in the island final, as the Vipers lost the finals to Sherwood in six games and on home ice.Don Johnson Cup
In April 2006, the Vipers hosted the
Don Johnson Cup , Atlantic Canada's Junior B Hockey Championship. Although they did not win the PEI championship, they participated in the tournament as the host team.Participating teams were:
*
Antigonish Bulldogs (Nova Scotia )
*St. Margaret's Bay Ducks (Nova Scotia; replacedNewfoundland & Labrador who withdrawed just days previous to the tournament)
*Sherwood Falcons (Prince Edward Island )
*Kensington Vipers (Host)After two shaky performances, the Vipers beat the Falcons in their final game, advancing them to the lone semifinal game versus Antigonish. The Bulldogs won that game 4-3 in overtime on a goal by
Patrick Sexton .In the championship game, the Bay Ducks won 5-3 to capture the Don Johnson Cup title.
Vipers Staff
*General Manager:
Pat McIver
*Head Coach:Wade Waddell
*Assistant Coaches:Peter Waugh &Dale Dickieson
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