Meet the Team
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Know your Vipers
Doug Barich:
I had the pleasure last night of travelling with the "boys on the bus" to Fox Creek, for the Vipers' hockey game over there. On the way, I chatted with Doug Barich and a few other Vipers and I am please to share bits and pieces of our conversations with you today, with the intent of getting you, the fans, to better know your Viper hockey players.
The name Barich is not new in the Legal Hockey scene. If you go back down memory lane, you may recall the name of Darrell Barich. He was a star goal tender for the Legal Barons in the late 70's and early 80's. Well Doug is Darrell's son and he is now staring with the Legal Vipers. In fact he is second overall in the scoring race, three points behind Chris Page who also stars with the Vipers. Doug played all his minor hockey in Edmonton, and like most young Canadians, he played through the various levels of hockey during his younger years to eventually end up with the Vipers in Legal this year. Needless to say that Doug is an invaluable asset to the Vipers and their fans. His ability on the ice is surpassed only by his leadership qualities, on and off the ice. Doug leads by example but is quite capable of voicing his concerns in the dressing room when the situation requires him to do so. He is jovial and highly respected by his co-players.
Oh!! I have one minor concern. Doug is not a Montreal Canadian fan. Nevertheless he rates very highly in my books even if cheering for Montreal doesn't come naturally to him.
Written by R.T.
Kevin Borduzak:
Kevin was born and raised in Vimy Alberta but played all his minor hockey in Legal. He and his twin brother Dennis Blair started wearing the Legal colours as novices at the age of six along with a cousin, Marcus. Both Kevin and Marcus are now playing with the Vipers and are fine contributors to the team. Unfortunately, Blair has left us at the tender age of eight but his memory lives on in our minds and on the ice. The Blair Borduzak annual tournament attests to the fond memories we have of this young lad and the inspirational influence he had on all young hockey players since. Kevin, like all young players, was inspired by Blair, and his plays today reflects the impression left behind by Blair. Kevin plays with heart and determination. When he is on the ice, he gives all he has. His persistence, tenacity, desire to win and his love of hockey pushes him to the limit. Don't expect a lasadixical effort from Kevin, it will not happen. He is a great asset to the team and is well liked by his co-players and fans.
Other than hockey, Kevin is a very busy person on the farm along with his Dad Dennis. Together they operate a grain farm consisting of over 3000 acres of agricultural land and raise hundreds of cattle. In fact, they presently have over 500 heads. However, even if Kevin is extremely busy on the farm, it did not prevent him from finding a beautiful young woman that he plans on marrying in the very near future. The date for the great day is not set yet but Carole St. Martin and Kevin got engaged this week, to the great pleasure of everyone who know them. Kevin and Carole, our best wishes are with you.
Written by R.T.
Chris Gauthier:
Chris is a Friendly Giant, giant in stature, and giant in the net. The Vipers are glad to have him in front of their net, as he seems to keep the opposition at bay. How frustrating it must be for those players who repeatedly are robbed of a few goals game after game as Chris makes it look so o o o o easy. His agility, speed, fast glove-hand and is near perfect control of angles places him among the top goaltenders in the league if not the best. Whether close in on the net or blasting a slap shot from the point, the opposition's chances are not good. Most of the time, Chris will come up with a spectacular save.
Chris is a leader by example whose performance on ice speaks for him. He is a relatively quiet man in the dressing room, preferring to concentrate on the game at hand over chit chatting but this does not mean he is no fun to be with. Quite contrarily!
Chris now resides in Legal but played his minor hockey in Sycamus B.C. Having spent some of his younger years in Twatenaw with his grand mother, he later came back in the area to play with the Westlock Wolf Packs. On his first year back, his team went to Provincial, and actually won at that level. Chris is a very competitive player taking his game very seriously and doing what must be done in order to excel at his position, even if this means playing hockey all summer. Chris is sometimes hard on himself, expecting the most from his performance on ice. He is the type of individual who will dress up even when sick, not to let his team-mates down, and still do very well. He is an asset to the team, largely responsible for the team's successes of late. Success engenders success! How true that is! Thanks Chris, from your many fans.
Written by R.T.
Chris Page:
The Vipers are a lot better team this year, and Chris, not to take anything away from the other players, is certainly one of the reasons for this major improvement. Chris was born and grew up in Drummonville, Quebec and played his minor hockey in Montreal. It is interesting to note that Chris played hockey with the likes of Mike Ribeiro, Martin St Louis and Roberto Luongo, on his way to The Central Hockey League`s Tulsa Oilers where in played for two years. Prior to this, Chris attended the University of Concordia, got his degree in Education and played in the Quebec Junior Major Hockey League. In June of 2006 he moved to Legal and taught school in Edmonton. He is presently teaching at Ecole Citadelle in Legal and is enjoying his new position fully.
Chris joined the Vipers this year. His great love for the game, would like to see him play more than one game a week, but since this is not possible he makes the best of the weekly game scheduled for the Vipers. He has very good hands and knows how to put the puck in the net. His burst of speed and his many moves help him to work his way to the net and be in a position to score or make a precise pass to a player who may be in a better position. Sometimes it seems like Chris is performing magic on the ice, which explains why he is presently the top scorer in the league a few points ahead of his line mate Doug Barich. Keep it up Chris!
Written by R.T.
The Vipers, this year, have shown a much higher level of performance as compared to last season. This is largely the result of a stronger defensive core, which ranks among the best in the league. The veteran Rod Kaliel, who played strong defensive hockey for us last year is back with us but unfortunately a severe head injury at the beginning of the season forced him out of the line-up since. He is expected to come back in January of this year and that is excellent news for the Vipers. Rod is a solid 'stay at home' defence man and his return will have a very beneficial impact on the team. The opposing players will soon find out that it isn't easy to go around Rod. We wish him the best for the remainder of the season. The Vipers defence this year includes many new faces and my next few articles will centre on the Legal Viper defensive core. Here are the D-men.
Al Mclaren:
Al is new to the Vipers this year and has proven to be a solid man on the 'D' line. Injury forced him out of the line-up for a while at the beginning of the season but he is now back at full strength. Al is not afraid to play rugged hockey. He is a clean player and he can throw a good solid clean check when necessary. He is also the type of player who will not hesitate to stand up for his teammates if they get pushed around by the opposition. The Vipers are proud to have him in the line-up. Al started playing his minor hockey in Victoria B.C. as a novice then moved to Wainwright where he played Peewee and Bantam to eventually end up in Morinville where he played Midget. He met the Borduzak boys in Morinville and he is pleased to be playing with them again with the Vipers. Al is not unfamiliar to winning; his Bantam team was crowned with Gold and Silver medals, and his Midget team won two Silver medals. He now hopes that his Vipers team will come up with another medal this year. Well Al, we sure hope so too!!
Al attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and earned a Diploma in 'Instrumentation' from that institution. He is presently working for an engineering firm and resides in Morinville. Al enjoys his work and enjoys playing hockey.
The big news with Al right now is that he will be marrying his sweet heart, Tamara, in the spring. The couple is planning a May wedding as soon as the flowers are out and the trees are wearing their summer colours. Al & Tamara, the Vipers wish you both the best in everything.
Written by R.T.
Kyle Townsend
Kyle was born in a small Ontario town, called Bobcaygeon. (This is new to me. I never heard of the place. It shows that we should take more time to learn about our own Country). Anyway this is not a geography class. He started to play hockey there as a little novice and continued through his peewee years. He then moved to Toronto and pursued his minor hockey career there for a few years, to eventually end-up in a place called East Gwillimbury where he played on a Juvenile team. Kyle never had the opportunity to play on one team and grow with it through the various levels of hockey. His many moves had him playing on different teams in different towns and as a result it was hard for him to become part of the chemistry of the teams he played for. These types of situations had for effect that he became a very versatile player who can function well with anybody. But... (I know you should not start a sentence with the word but)...Kyle has always been a tenaciously hard working player, giving himself heart and soul. His efforts did not go unnoticed, as he ended up getting the 'Most Improved Player Award' year after year. Well, all those most improved awards paid off. Kyle is now a very valuable player on the Vipers' roster and his work ethics have not changed. He works hard and he is proud to be a Viper. His camaraderie in the dressing room, his continuous efforts on the ice, and the resent team successes, all contribute in making him a happy Viper. Kyle, the Vipers' fans are happy to have you on the team. Who knows, maybe you'll win the 'Most Improved Player Award' again.
Written by R.T.
Kevin Hammond:
Do I know this guy? Oh Yes! He's one of my former stars in our Physical Education classes back in the nineties when we played Hockey during Phys. Ed. periods in the elementary grades! Well Kevin, welcome to the Vipers' line -up. Needless to say that, at the ripe old age of 18 years young, you are the youngest player on the team. As a result we may forgive you a few errors. But be careful! Roger L------ has a hard time tolerating errors.
Kevin grew up in Legal and did most of his schooling here, completing his high school at M.C.H.S. in Morinville. While working on acquiring the knowledge that would assure him a brighter future in life, Kevin continued to sharpen his hockey skills playing at various levels of hockey, both in Legal and Morinville throughout his school days. He is a nice player to have on our blue line. He plays a strong defence and occasionally, you will see him go the length of the ice 'à la Bobby Orr' and score. Well sometimes it may back- fire on him, but his many successes make it easier for us to look the other way. Kevin strongest asset however is not the end-to-end rush that I just mentioned. There are other players to do that.
Kevin is an excellent skater with good hands and many moves. He generally excels at head-manning the puck to the guy in the clear, hitting his target on most occasions, and thus orchestrating an effecting out of zone pass allowing his team-mates to counter attack the opposition. He is also a very strong skater and when the opportunity presents itself he will jump in the play in the offensive zone and make his presence known as well as gathering up a few garbage goals in the process. Congratulation Kevin. You are a very valuable player on our team...but you are definitely not a Bobby Orr yet. Enjoy your game. Maybe one day.....Bobby Orr????
Written by R.T.
André & Paul De Champlain:
I've decided to combine these two because they have so much in comment. What is said about one applies to the other as well. No, they are not twins, but they do have the same parents therefore sharing the same genes. Paul was born first and André followed a few years later. I have now seen three generations of 'de Champlains' and I am inclined to believe that every child born in this family is handed a hockey stick at birth. It seems like the words 'Hockey' and 'de Champlain' have become synonyms.
Paul & André have plenty in common but they each have their own individuality. Paul is married and André is not. Paul is the proud father of three children including a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and André, may be considering fatherhood but only in the future. Paul is farming with his dad (Ray) and André is working in a bank. And the list goes on.
However when it comes to hockey, this is where the similarities show up. Both play the De Champlain type of hockey. Give all you have for as long as you can. Both play with heart and passion. Whether winning or losing they never give up. The game is over only when the sound of the final siren is heard. Paul and André are good skaters taking full advantage of their speed to prepare plays or complete plays. Both are strong believers in two-way hockey, fully aware that 'back checking' is an integral part of the game. Both are leaders fully committed to the game and their team. We, the Legal fans are lucky to have these two centermen practicing their skills with the Vipers.
Now let's take a look at their individual hockey prowess.
Paul:
Paul started his hockey career in Legal playing his novice years and his first year PeeWee in front of his hometown fans. In his second year PeeWee, he transferred to Westlock and remained there until he completed the Bantam level. From there he registered with the Spruce Grove Midget for one year after which he signed with the St. Albert Midgets. Paul was having a good time and playing good hockey and inevitably, his style of play caught the eyes of some scouts and the following year he played Junior 'A' level with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders. His stay in the Fort lasted a little short of a year, when he decided to continue the season with the Morinville Junior 'B'. At 19 years of age he joined the Vegreville Junior 'B' team and played with them for three years where, I'm told, he was very popular. At age 21, he finds himself again in Westlock on the Senior 'AA' team and remained there for the next five years. By this time Paul was heavily into farming but he still managed to play the sport in loved the most.
Paul has many good memories of his hockey years. While in Vegreville he won the M.V.P. award for the league. In his first year with the Westlock Senior 'AA' team, the team won the Provincial championship. In the span of 5 years, the team won three provincial championships. Paul also won Provincials a few time before, once as a PeeWee and twice as a Bantam. Last year he won the MVP award for the Vipers. The Vipers are happy to have him on the team.
André:
André played his minor Hockey in Legal. As a PeeWee, his team won the league championship twice and as a Bantam, ones. At 18 years of age he played for the Morinville Jr. B Jets. After completing high School in Legal he went to Olds College and earned his business diploma. While completing this program he played Jr. B hockey for the Didsbury Mountainview Colts for two years. For both of those years André was awarded the Heart trophy given to the player who plays with the most heart. Back in Legal, he played in the beer league for five years. He enjoyed playing with the boys, benefited from the exercise, loved the camaraderie and overall, had a good time. But André wanted more. He believed that Legal could maintain a senior team and play league hockey. He believed there were enough players around to form a team and he believed this team would do well in the NCHL. His believes proved to be right, as time has demonstrated. The Legal Vipers are now in their second year of operation and André is a proud member of the team he dreamed about. In fact, as I am writing, he is among the top 5 scorers of the league.
Written by R.T.
Marcus Borduzak:
Marcus was born and raised in Legal and grew up on the farm helping his dad with the farm chores after school. Residing outside the Legal School attendance area he attended and completed his schooling in Westlock. Marcus is now a hard working farmer, specializing in grain growing and cattle-raising. His occupation keeps him very busy, offering very little spare time. Never the less he is very committed to his hockey team attending, with regularity, all practices and games. It is accurate to assert that his work ethics of the farm followed him to the hockey rink. Marcus plays hard and with a lot of vigour. He never played on junior teams or in semi-pro leagues but is proud of the hockey he played with his friends in, let's say, commercial league or scrimmage hockey, sometimes referred to as Beer league hockey. He loves the dressing room atmosphere and likes to share a good laugh with the boys. Marcus is a hockey enthusiast and hockey played an important part in his childhood. At the age of six his parents registered him to play in the Legal Minor Hockey system. Along with his twin cousins Kevin and Denis Blair Borduzak he started as a novice in Legal and continued through all the level.
Now Marcus is a full fledge Viper, and still plays with the same vivacity and intensity. His tenacity is second to none and his contributions to the team are very significant at every game even when hurting. He is a dedicated, committed and dependable player who can play at various positions. Marcus, no doubt, is an asset to the Legal Vipers.
Written by R.T.
Matt Kuzio:
Matt was born in 1986 in St Albert and grew up in Morinville. At the age of 5, his parents registered him to play for the Morinville novice team and he continued his minor hockey years there. His hockey skills did not go unnoticed and at 15 he became a member of the Morinville Jets Jr. 'B' team and continued, a year later, with the Drumheller Dragon Jr. 'A' team. The Midget AAA Raiders from St Albert acquired his services the following year where he played for one year until he was sent back for a second stay with the Drumheller Dragons. After two months he was traded to the Neepawa Natives Jr 'A' team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey league. With them, he was given the honour of the 'Captainship', a role that Matt fulfilled very well. After two years with the Neepawa Natives, Matt asked and was granted a transfer to Spruce Grove allowing him to play hockey closer to home. As you can see, Matt has moved around considerably during his hockey career, until he finally made it to the big league by joining the Vipers this year. Matt is a competent hockey player excelling at his position on defence and he is a strong acquisition for the Vipers' defensive core. We hope Matt will stick to big league hockey and remain with us for a long time.
Presently Matt is on an apprentice program with Finning as a mechanic. Best of luck Matt.
Written by R.T.
Mark Mystovold:
Mark came to the Vipers a few games ago after taking a two-year hockey break. Born in Morinville, he played most of his minor hockey there. As a midget, he joined the Triple A Midget in Fort Saskatchewan and called Fort Saskatchewan home for one year. He then moved to our neighbouring province to the east and played for the Kindersley Clippers for two years. The team was a good one and made it to the Royal Bank Cup while Mark was there. The game was shown on T.V. and viewed by thousands of viewers. Not too many players get an opportunity like that. From there, Mark moved on to Canmore where he played for a year and a half. He then took time off from Hockey and went to Thailand for eight months. Eventually, like Matt Kuzio, he heard about major league hockey being played in Legal and joined the Vipers after the Christmas break.
Written by R.T.
Barret Dupuis:
Barret was born and raised in Morinville where he attended school and played his minor hockey. After school he started working in the family business and eventually married his lovely wife Kelly. Barret and Kelly still call Morinville 'home' and Barret still works with his dad in the family business, selling gasoline and other petroleum products to whomever needs them. If you are a farmer you more than likely know the Dupuis family, as they are the proud owners of the UFA bulk gas station in Morinville.
Barret started playing hockey in Morinville and played his entire minor hockey from novice to Morinville Junior Jets there. With the Jets he received the honour of being selected captain of the team. Barret does not recall ever winning any major award or special championships while in minor hockey but he does remember very well the good times he had playing the game, being with the boys and generally having a good time. One memory that he cherishes very much is his selection as team Captain while playing with the Jets. Like all young Canadians, dreaming one day of being a hockey star crossed his mind. But most of all, hockey to him was always a sport that he loved and continues to love. The nice thing about all this is that Barret's dream of being a hockey star finally became a reality when he joined the Vipers this year. Being very versatile, having played every position on the ice, including goal keeping, makes him a very important asset for any coach!!! Right Roger? Barret, the Vipers and their fans are happy to welcome you on the team.
Written by R.T.
Lindsay Mohr:
Lindsay was born in Edmonton, raised in Josephburg and attended school in Fort Saskatchewan. He now lives with his wife of nine years (Trish) and lovely young daughter (Riane) in St Albert. Another child will soon be born to Trish and Lindsay within a few weeks. Congratulations are in order to the happy couple and our best wishes are extended to them on this happy occasion. Lindsay presently works for Shell Canada in the Operations Department. If you don't know what this is all about, feel free to talk to him about it. It might prove to be an interesting way of starting a conversation.
Lindsay started playing hockey at the tender age of five and hasn't quit since. He played his minor hockey at the Fort from Novice to Midget. Following this, he was part of two teams who went all the way to the Memorial Cup; once with Stony Plain and once with Fort Saskatchewan. Bellingham, Washington was his next hockey city where he played Senior AAA. Back in Canada he played for Grande Prairie to eventually find his way to Legal. In all he played for five different senior teams including Legal.
Lindsay is now part of the Vipers defensive core and doing very well. He likes the risky plays but fortunately is successful on most occasions. Our coaches might end-up with more white hair then they deserve as a result but it sure makes it interesting for us the fans.
Written by R.T.
Simon Nugent
Simon was born on March 29, 1985 in White Horse N.W.T. By the time he was two years old he was already skating on the back yard rink his Dad had made for the kids to play on. Simon started playing hockey as a pre-novice in White Horse and played his entire minor hockey career there. He does not recall his teams performing any type of major accomplishments but he remembers enjoying the game very much with his friends. His most memorable recollections revolve around the good times he and many of his friends had on that backyard rink his Dad had built.
On the long run the back yard rink paid off. In 2005, Simon signed up with the NEAJBHL (North East Alberta Junior B hockey league) and in that same year his team won the NEAJBHL championship. The following year, Simon signed with the Winkler Jr. 'A' team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League where he played against his now teammate, Matt Kuzio. He then went back to Junior B hockey for one year and eventually joined the Vipers this year. Simon is a skilled defence man who is not easily pushed around. Having played as a forward before he is also a force to be reckoned with on the offensive side of the game as well. In short, he is a valuable player on the Vipers' roster and fortunately he is considering coming back next year. One interesting note before I conclude this section: both of Simon's parent played hockey and in fact his mom is still playing now. Who knows we might see a first in the hockey world here next year with a 'mother and son' combination lining up for the Vipers next year.
'Simon says' he is currently attending NAIT working towards his degree in Civil Engineering Technology to eventually get his Master in Engineering. Good luck Simon!
Written by R.T.
Brett Tapola:
Brett was born in Edmonton on April 9th, 1985. He started playing hockey as a pre-novice in Athabasca (his home town) at the age of five for the Winter Hawks. He played his minor hockey there, always as a Winter Hawk. With his Midget prowess behind him, Brett headed for Jr. Hockey with a team called the Warriors, in Saddle Lake. There he won two consecutive league championships. Brett then moved on to play Senior AAA hockey with another team, again called 'The Warriors', in River Creek. No wonder he is such a warrior on the ice. However Brett did not finish the season with the Warriors as he heard of the Legal Vipers through some of his friend and showed up on practice night with the hopes of making the team. The rest is history. Brett lives in Athabasca but doesn't mind the travelling for a chance to play with the Vipers. He hopes to be back with the Vipers next year. Needless to say that we would be happy to have him in our line-up again next year.
Brett is presently in the Oil Field Industry working as a pipeline locator. He trained on the job and enjoys his work. Good luck Brett.
Written by R.T.
Schedules:
Schedule Tryouts Ice Times Arena MapsMeet the Team
Coach Profiles Player Profiles StatisticsIn Action:
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NCHL Drayton Valley Wildcats Onoway Ice Dogs Fox Creek Bandits