_{"My goal was to be Kirby’s backup and I’m happy in that role.” - Danny Todosychuk, Vernon Vipers goaltender. Photo: Don Klepp}

Goaltender Danny Todosychuk has played a lot of forward and defence in his 12 years of hockey. In fact, he describes himself as “a hybrid player until I hit bantam and became a full time goalie.”

He has played all of his hockey in Vernon. He’s also an avid road hockey player, which is where he first played in net. His father, who played goal for the University of Alaska Fairbanks, saw that Danny was “fundamentally sound between the pipes and suggested that Danny try playing the position on the ice.

So, after a summer of three-on-three hockey, Danny switched to goal in his first year of bantam. Last year he played Midget hockey and gained some attention with his solid play. He was encouraged enough to try out as a free agent with the Swift Current Broncos this fall.

“I had my best camp ever in Swift Current,” he says, “and even though I didn’t make the cut I gained confidence before trying out with the Vipers. My goal was to be Kirby’s backup and I’m happy in that role.”

He and Kirby have a positive relationship, he says. “We’re good buddies. He’s funny and approachable and willing to share his knowledge. He really knows what he’s doing out there so I can learn a lot from him.”

“He’s taught me to always be alert on the ice, especially when the other tr4eam sets up on the power play.”

The veteran and the rookie talk a lot during breaks in play. Whoever is in net will come to the bench during the timeouts to compare notes. We talk about things like who’s trying to get to the slot and whether the other team is trying the back door play.”

Danny’s had early success, winning three of his first four starts and posting a shutout, but he’s modest about that achievement: “It’s a team game, right? I just try to make good reads and stay positionally sound and rely on the skaters to take care of the rest.”  

That modesty extends to his classmates as well. “I get a lot more attention at school, now that I’m with the Vipers but I make sure that they know that I’m the same guy I’ve always been. The only thing is that guys are always asking for Viper tickets!”

What does the future hold for Danny Todosychuk? His play at the Broncos camp has him on the watch list for several WHL teams. However, he’s been careful to retain his NCAA eligibility, so we could see the 17-year-old in a Viper uniform for another year or two.

_{Jedd Soleway. Photo: Roger Tepper, Edge Photography}After playing minor hockey in West Vancouver and Vernon in alternate seasons and a year with the Okanagan Rockets, Jedd Soleway has settled into playing at home with the Vipers.

Jedd was born in West Van where he played at the Hollyburn club until age eight. Then he played four years in Vernon before spending the first year of Bantam on the Coast. He returned to Vernon for second year Bantam and first year Midget. Last year, he toiled for the Major Midget Rockets, collecting 16 goals and 17 assists in 40 games.

This year, he's delighted to be at home playing for the Vipers: "It's great. Playing in your home town makes things a lot easier; I want to do well in school this year and being comfortable at home gives me a better chance of meeting that goal."

Although courted heavily by the WHL, Jedd has chosen the college route. "It's a tough choice to make, but a quality organization like the Vipers makes that choice easier."

Jedd's father Jay went the WHL route with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Drafted by the Calgary Flames. Soleway senior played in the AHL for the Birmingham Bulls before returning to suit up with the UBC Thunderbirds. He had intended to resume his pro career but knee injuries sidelined him. True to his Norwegian ancestry, Jay Soleway then joined the family fishing business and now operates a commercial fishery with his boat, Alaska Queen II, out of Steveston.

Jedd and his older brothers Riley, 21, and Jake, 19, do not intend to become fishermen. Both are at university. Riley plays intramural hockey at UBC Okanagan while Jake, the biggest of the three at 6'2" and 300 pounds, plays varsity rugby at UBC Vancouver.

Jedd's pretty big himself, at 6'2", 205 pounds. He uses that size to advantage, administering crunching body checks and shielding the puck in close quarters.

He likes physical play: "I wasn't very big until I was about 15, when I started to grow. In first year Midget, I started to get serious about the game and I hit the gym hard, two to three hours a day. The game got easier as I grew and got stronger – I started to notice that when I hit someone he would fall over and guys who checked me would bounce off."

With the Vipers he has alternated between centre and right wing. He says that he's "more comfortable with centre because that's where I've played pretty well my whole life. But I'll gladly play the wing if that means more ice time and a chance to help the team."

One of his strengths as a centre man is his ability to win faceoffs. "Working hard on draws is something my dad has told me to focus on. It's often the key to having a good shift."

Competition at centre position is fierce on the Vipers, who have eight natural centres on the roster, but if Jedd Soleway wins his fair share of draws and plays strong defence, he will make a compelling case for lining up at his favoured position.

Coach Chris Shaw (R) believes that, “This team has a lot of potential. We have a number of things to work on, and championships aren’t won in September/October. So, we just want to keep improving, week after week. Our goal is to reach our peak by playoff time.”

He was a rugged customer when he played in the BCHL, racking up 512 penalty minutes in 168 games with Victoria and Burnaby, but these days he’s a model citizen.

The Viper Assistant Coach and General Manager concentrates on being a role model – “It’s important to show the players how to act in a professional way. We’re all very competitive, but we need to control and channel our emotions.”

“Part of our professionalism deals with the pressure of performing in a market that expects success, year after year,” he says. “The players feel that pressure and so do the coaches. Two national championships and a close call last year. It doesn’t get more pressure-filled than that.  The expectations are high in Vernon. That’s a good thing, but you have to be focused and in control of your emotions all the time.”

Chris Shaw’s role with the Vipers is to run the defence and “tutor the defence,” he says. “Essentially, I’m a support for Jason and I help with player recruitment and education issues as well as the on-ice aspects.”

He’s had previous experience in that role; he started his coaching career in 2008-09 with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. From there, he went to the Okanagan Hockey Academy as an assistant to Alan Kerr. Last year, he was the Head Coach and GM of the Jr. “B” Nelson Leafs.

He says that the big difference between coaching at the Jr. “B” and Jr. “A” levels is the quality of players you get to coach and their ability to learn quickly: “Here, for the most part, they get it the first time they’re told. You still need to repeat things to establish deep-seated habits, but I really like working with players at this level.”

He says that “Jason and I are very happy with our recruited defencemen. Right now, one through seven on our back end, they all can play. They’re responsible defensively, and they can chip in offensively, too.”  The Vipers lead the league in goals against average in the early going, so Chris has reason to be happy with his D crew.

Chris believes that “This team has a lot of potential. We have a number of things to work on, and championships aren’t won in September/October. So, we just want to keep improving, week after week. Our goal is to reach our peak by playoff time.”

The Viper players respect the approach taken by their coaches. Captain Patrick McGillis says that “they’re very knowledgeable, obviously, but their main strength is their ability to communicate their expectations and instructions. Chris is a player’s coach, I’d say, just like Jason.”

Several players have commented about another trait that Chris Shaw brings to his role – his sense of humor. He admits that “As an assistant coach I like to throw in a little humor and lighten things up at appropriate times. Yes, it’s pretty serious here, but it’s not a good idea to breathe down the necks of younger players. You have to help the kids relax a little, so they can focus on what needs to be done, not on negative feelings. They respond a lot better when you take some of that pressure off them.”

Chris’s long term goal is “to get to the professional ranks as a coach. Each year, I’ve taken steps and here working with Jason Williamson, in the best Jr. “A” program in Canada, with the legacy left by Mark Ferner, I’m excited about the opportunity to develop while helping the players develop.”         

Alex Hagen is soft spoken and a skilful hockey player, so it might surprise some that his body checks leave an impression on opposing players.

Viper fans have had just two opportunities in the first three weeks of the regular season to view the skills of the slick centre man from Bronxville, New York, just north of New York City.

His most notable contribution in the Vipers’ opening 5-1 win on September 23 was a strong check half way through the first period, on Salmon Arm’s Joel Kipp, whom Alex outweighs by 35 pounds. Kipp played the remainder of the period, but later was taken to hospital with a ruptured spleen.

Alex remembers little about the incident, “other than it was a normal check. I was surprised to get a penalty for it.”  He has missed the Vipers’ subsequent four games because of an off-ice injury.

The 19-year-old, who played for the Choate prep school the last two years, is noted for his playmaking and his ability to convert scoring chances. He was a prolific scorer for his hometown high school, setting records as a freshman and sophomore. He continued to score at the Choate prep school, with 40 goals and 42 assists in 56 games. 

Viper fans saw evidence of that scoring touch in the pre-season, as he played mainly with Colton Sparrow and Marcus Basara. He also fired a laser over Mitch Gillam’s glove in the Vipers’ 4-1 win over Chilliwack on October 7.

Alex Hagen’s hockey career started at age three, encouraged by his father Kevin, a Calgarian who played hockey at S. Lawrence University. Alex says, “I loved the game right away.”  He will follow his father to St. Lawrence next year: “I love the school, and the coaches are great there. My dad’s pretty happy, too.” 

He’s glad he went to Choate for his third and fourth years of high school. “I picked it because of the education. Choate taught me a lot about the real world because it’s a very diverse place with students from every country you could imagine. Everybody’s there to prepare for university. It’s very competitive, with everybody trying their best.”

In continuing to prepare for St. Lawrence, Alex is taking two classes at Okanagan College. His hockey preparation brought him to the Vipers, who Alex says “have a very good reputation for prepping players for college and pro hockey. We played fewer than 30 games a season at Choate so the BCHL schedule will get me used to a more demanding schedule.”

“Because I was injured for a while,” he adds, “I haven’t contributed as much as I’d like, but I’ve learned a lot already and I’ve enjoyed it here. I see what I have to improve, mainly getting stronger on the draws; I need to work out more. And I need to be more aware of where players are. I think my strength is playmaking, creating a play out of nothing.”

In the meantime, he’s enjoying living in Vernon. “New York is exciting, but it’s panicky and rushy. You always have to be somewhere, to do something. Here, it’s a lot more relaxed.”