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B.C. hockey tourneys start in Salmon Arm, Vernon

Tier 2 U15 (Vernon) and Tier 2 U13 (Salmon Arm) finals are both eight-team events, on until Wednesday
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Salmon Arm and Greater Vernon Minor Hockey organizations are hosting provincial championship tournaments that begin today, Sunday, March 20. (Contributed)

The tournament hosts Vernon Sun Valley Source For Sports Vipers and Salmon Arm Silverbacks will play in the feature games this evening (Sunday, March 20) as two provincial minor hockey championships begin in the North Okanagan and Shuswap.

In Vernon, the Vipers will take on the Cranbrook Bucks at 6:45 p.m. at Kal Tire Place North in the final game of Opening Day of the B.C. Tier 2 U15 championships. The game immediately follows the tournament’s opening ceremonies.

In Salmon Arm, at the Shaw Centre, the B.C. Tier 2 U13 championships are being played and the hometown Silverbacks will tangle with the Williams Lake Timberwolves at 7 p.m. right after the opening ceremonies.

Each tournament features eight teams playing in two, four-team pools. Each team will play one preliminary round game per day through Tuesday. The top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals Wednesday morning. Losers will play for bronze later Wednesday, and the semifinal winners will play in the gold-medal match Wednesday evening.

In Vernon, the tournament kicks off at 10 a.m. with the Williams Lake Timberwolves taking on the Kelowna Rockets. The Victoria Admirals will play the South Delta Storm at 12:45 p.m, and the Fort St. John Flyers face the Port Coquitlam Pirates at 3:30 p.m. All games are at Kal Tire Place North.

Vernon will play South Delta Monday, and Victoria on Tuesday. Both games will start at 6:15 p.m. at KTP North.

The semifinals Wednesday will be at 8 a.m. at Kal Tire Place North and 8:15 a.m. at Kal Tire Place. Bronze-medal game is at 2 p.m., and the gold-medal match goes at 5 p.m.

In Salmon Arm, playing in the opening game Sunday will be the Fort St. John Flyers and Penticton Vees at 10 a.m. The Campbell River Tyees will face Vancouver at 12:45 p.m., and the Burnaby Winter Club meets the Cranbrook Bucks at 3:30 p.m. All games are at the Spectator rink.

The Silverbacks will face Campbell River Monday, and Vancouver Tuesday. Both games begin at 6:15 p.m.

All games Wednesday are at the Spectator rink. The two semifinals go at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Bronze-medal game will be played at 5 p.m. and the championship final is at 8 p.m.

• The Winfield Bruins began play Saturday, March 19, at the nine-team B.C. Tier 3 U18 finals at Port Hardy, on Vancouver Island, with a game against the Powell River Kings.

The Bruins face the Whitehorse Mustangs at 4:15 p.m. today, Sunday, and wrap up the preliminary round Monday, March 21, against the Mission Stars.

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