Collins named BCHL Player of the Week

Press Release

Vernon Vipers forward Mike Collins has been named the British Columbia Hockey League's Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Collins scored a pair of goals and added four assists in three games -- and three wins -- for the defending RBC Cup Champions. On Friday, the Boston, Massachusetts product scored the opening goal in Vernon's 2-1 overtime road win over the Penticton Vees. A night later, he scored again and assisted twice in a lopsided win over the visiting Cowichan Valley Capitals. And Collins closed out the weekend with a pair of helpers in his team's 4-1 victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

The 19-year old now leads all Vipers scorers with nine goals and 11 assists in 12 games played. Committed to attend Merrimack College for the 2010/11 season, Collins tallied 25 goals and 50 points last season as a rookie in the BCHL, and added 11 points in 16 games during Vernon's run to the Fred Page Cup.

The Vipers currently sit second in the Interior Conference with a record of 11 wins and one loss. They are one point behind the Penticton Vees with two games in hand.

Vernon returns to the ice on Thursday when they begin a three-game road trip through Northern B.C. with a visit to the Quesnel Millionaires.

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