BCHL honors founder

Press Release

BURNABY, BC -- February 11th, 2009 -- British Columbia Hockey League founder Vern Dye will be recognized for his many years of service to Junior A hockey in British Columbia by having the league’s Most Valuable Player trophy named in his honour.

The first recipients of the Vern Dye Memorial Trophy will be unveiled later this month when the league’s Conference MVP awards winners are announced.

Dye was one of Junior A hockey’s greatest advocates until he passed away four years ago. In 1961, his Vernon Junior Canadians became one of four teams to enter the newly created Okanagan-Mainline Junior A Hockey League, which later became the BCHL. In the years that followed, Dye served as a President and Vice President for the league and his contributions over three decades as owner, coach and general manager, and billet were the foundation of the Vernon franchise.

Past honours bestowed on Dye include the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association’s Lifetime Achievement award, the Brent Gilchrist BC Children’s Hospital Lifetime Achievement award and the first ever lifetime induction as an honourary member of the BCHL.

"Everybody who has been involved with the British Columbia Hockey League over our 48-year history owes a debt of gratitude for the time, effort and passion put forth by Vern Dye," BCHL Commissioner John Grisdale says. "To honour Vern’s contributions each year with the presentation of a Memorial trophy to our Most Valuable Players will be a fitting legacy for a dedicated hockey man and a tremendous human being."

Each season, a player from both the Coastal and Interior conferences are selected for the Most Valuable Player award. The Vern Dye Memorial Trophy will be housed at the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton.

That's My Take

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)