Victoria Vipers win 2014 AFHL Stanley Cup!!

Vipers cap remarkable run, defeat Red Devils for first title in franchise history

April 7th, 2014

Alex Ovechkin skated to center ice and thrusted the 36-pound silver trophy skyward, the captain never flinched under the weight. Victoria Vipers fans, who had never even seen fantasy hockey’s greatest prize, went crazy.

“Better than sex,” Ovechkin said when asked what it was like to lift the AFHL Stanley Cup.

Nothing like the sights and sounds of Alex Ovechkin, Cup high in his hands, blood dripping down his cheek, happy profanity flying from his mouth.

“It’s all a blur right now,” said Vipers goaltender and Playoff MVP Semyon Varlamov during the postgame celebration. “But man, it feels good.”

Varlamov made 58 saves and posted a 1.85 GAA in his latest stellar performance, and the Vipers beat the Toronto Red Devils 8-1 in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, to win their first title in franchise history.

Jordan Eberle scored three goals and five assists for the Vipers in the Finals, which ended its spectacular postseason run in front of a crowd including several dozen Vipers faithful who have been at rinkside since the team’s birth as a franchise in 2009. Every other year ended unhappily.

“Every single guy worked so hard for us this season,” said Eberle. “Everyone deserves this. We got used to each other, we developed a chemistry, and we just went sailing from there.”

After an explosive start to take the early series lead, the Vipers finished ferociously on Sunday just when the first-seeded Red Devils appeared to have a chance for one of the biggest comebacks in finals history.

“You don’t give yourself a lot of room for error, finding yourselves in a pretty deep hole,” Red Devils forward Steven Stamkos said. “It’s hard, but we really felt like could get back in this. We did give our best, but we just came up a bit short, unfortunately.”

“They’re deep and well balanced,” Toronto coach Jordan Carbone said. “They got stronger as the series went on, and they’re a great hockey club. They need to be congratulated on that. But at the same time, I’m going to stand here and tell you how proud I am of our team, how those guys battled right until the end. Without getting into all these injuries today, because it’s not the time, we battled through a lot. You know, when you realize that you’re a couple wins away from a Stanley Cup and how those guys push through a lot of things, I have nothing but good things to say about it.”

Vipers coach Chris Hartley said it’s an amazing ending to an amazing year, although he found it a little hard to celebrate while standing on the ice, amid the mob of players and officials, family and friends.  

“I’m pretty exhausted to be honest,” said Hartley. “But once we fill the Cup up, I think I’ll be feeling better.”

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Stanley Cup Victory Parade:

The City of Victoria will celebrate the 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Victoria Vipers at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 11th with a rally and parade outside their home ice arena.

“The City of Victoria is so proud of our Vipers, and we are looking forward to celebrating their championship with the best fans in the world,” said Mayor Dean Fortin. “We also ask fans to enjoy the celebration responsibly by respecting the city and each other.”

Fans are encouraged to cheer on the Vipers along the parade route or gather at the home ice arena for a celebration with the team and the coveted Stanley Cup trophy.

RALLY

There will be two public entrances to the rally. To accommodate the anticipated crowds, a jumbotron will be positioned at the side of the stage for enhanced viewing of the program and team, and additional jumbotrons will be set up alongside streets to accommodate the crowd.

Due to the large crowd anticipated at the festivities on Friday, City officials strongly encourage attendees to use public transportation in lieu of driving. For those who drive to the event, please be advised that the streets along the parade route and in the Loop could be shut down by 8 a.m. and access to many parking garages could be restricted. Additionally, the Victoria Police Department reminds attendees that anyone carrying backpacks or large bags must undergo additional screening. Coolers are not allowed into the rally and that there will be zero tolerance for drinking alcohol on the public way.

PARADE ROUTE

Double-decker buses featuring the team and front office personnel will ride to the rally beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m.

When the motorcade arrives at the rally site, the team will step off the buses to immediately start the rally.

There will be zero tolerance for drinking on the public way.

IMPACTED STREET CLOSURES

Motorists should anticipate street closures as necessary due to crowd size to ensure the public safety of pedestrians and parade attendees.

WEATHER

The weather forecast for Friday is 59 degrees with clear skies. Fans are encouraged to dress accordingly and make sure to stay hydrated throughout the day.

WATER AT THE RALLY

Closed water bottles will be allowed into the rally, water fountains will be onsite, and water will also be available from onsite vendors during the rally.