ADDRESS
 

1035 Shawnigan Mill Bay Road

Mill Bay, BC V0R 2P0

 

ARENA WEBSITE 

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YEAR BUILT - 1970
 

SEATING CAPACITY - 750
 

DESCRIPTION
 

Located in Mill Bay, Kerry Park Recreation Centre is an NHL-regulation ice arena connected to a four-sheet curling rink. It's home to the Kerry Park Islanders of the Vancouver Island Hockey League (VIJHL).

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Kerry Park Islanders

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The Islanders joined the VIJHL in 1970. They have seven VIJHL championships (Brent Patterson Memorial Trophy) and four between 1990 and 1994. Carl Ollech bought the Islanders in 2019 after the team went into receivership. In 2020, Brandon Cox purchased the team from Ollech. Brian Passmore, former Cowichan Valley Capital head coach, took over as head coach in November 2022.

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Islanders Alumni

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Matt Ellison is the only member of the Kerry Park Islanders to play in the NHL, appearing in 26 games for Chicago and Philadelphia. He spent one season with Kerry Park (1998-99) before going on to the Cowichan Valley Capitals.

 

Dale Purinton coached the Islanders from 2012-2014. He appeared in 181 NHL games with the New York Rangers, accumulating 578 penalty minutes. During the NHL lockout in 2004/05, Purinton played 25 games for the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL and was suspended twice by the league. His first suspension was for six games after a hit near the boards hospitalized Krzysztof Wieckowski of the Bakersfield Condors. His second suspension resulted from refusing to stop fighting and hair-pulling during a game at the Q Centre. The Salmon Kings released Purinton after the second suspension.

 

In 2015, Purinton was arrested for burglary and assault after breaking into a New York home. He served four months at a maximum-security prison. After his arrest, he underwent treatment for substance abuse and is outspoken on the effect concussions had on his life. His story is featured in Jeremy Allingham's book Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey In September 2016, he joined former players in Washington speaking to lawmakers about the dangers of head injuries in hockey.