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North Okanagan, Shuswap teams hosting B.C. minor hockey finals

Salmon Arm hosts U13 Tier 2 and Greater Vernon is host for U15 Tier 2 finals; both start March 20
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Salmon Arm and Greater Vernon Minor Hockey organizations will be hosting provincial championship tournaments March 20-23. (Contributed)

Two hockey teams from the North Okanagan and Shuswap will look to win provincial championships on home ice.

The Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will be the host teams for provincial tournaments that get underway Sunday, March 20.

The Vipers will host the U15 Tier 2 B.C. finals, an eight-team affair, with all of their games at Kal Tire Place North.

The tourney is divided into a pair of four-team pools. The Vipers will play the evening games during the round-robin, starting with a contest Sunday, March 20, at 6:45 p.m. against the Cranbrook Bucks.

Vernon will take on the South Delta Storm Monday, March 21, at 6: 15 p.m. and will close out the preliminary round on Tuesday, March 22, at 6:15 p.m. against the Victoria Admirals.

The other pool features the Williams Lake Timberwolves, Okanagan champion Kelowna Rockets, the Fort St. John Flyers and Port Coquitlam Pirates.

The top two teams in each pool will qualify for the final day of play Wednesday, March 23. One semifinal will start at 8 a.m. at Kal Tire Place North while the other game will begin at 8:15 a.m. at Kal Tire Place.

The two losers will play for bronze at 2 p.m., followed by the gold-medal contest at 5 p.m., both at Kal Tire Place North.

The tournament’s opening ceremonies are slated for Sunday, March 20, at 6 p.m. at KTPN.

B.C. U13 Tier 2

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks will be in a four-team pool with the Williams Lake Timberwolves, Campbell River Tyees and Vancouver as they host the province’s top Tier 2 U13 squads.

The hosts open up the provincials Sunday, March 20, at 7 p.m. against Williams Lake; then take on Campbell River Monday, March 21, at 6:15 p.m., and close the preliminary round Tuesday, March 22, against Vancouver at 6:15 p.m.

All tournament games are at the Shaw Centre’s Spectator rink.

The other pool features the Fort St. John Flyers, Burnaby Winter Club, Cranbrook Bucks and Penticton Vees.

Top two teams from each pool play in the semifinals at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 23.

Losers will play for bronze at 5 p.m. followed immediately by the gold-medal game at 8 p.m.

B.C. U18 TIER 3

Nine teams, including the Okanagan champion Winfield Bruins, will compete at the provincials in Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

The Bruins will open the tournament Saturday, March 19, against the Powell River Kings at 1:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 20, Winfield will face the Whitehorse Mustangs at 4:15 p.m. They will close out the preliminary round Monday, March 21, against the Mission Stars at 2:30 p.m.

The other teams competing include the Nelson Leafs, Terrace Kermode, host North Island Eagles, Sunshine Coast Blues (Gibsons-Sechelt) and Quesnel Thunder.

The gold-medal game is slated for Tuesday, March 22, at 8 p.m.

This story was updated Tuesday, March 15, at 9:20 a.m. to correct one of the pools in the Salmon Arm tournament

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