It was fun while it lasted for the Quesnel Millionaires and their fans.
Their B.C. Hockey League season ended Tuesday night in Quesnel with a 5-0 loss to the Vernon Vipers in Game 6 of their Interior Conference semifinal playoff series.
The Mills ended a six-year BCHL playoff absence when they finished fifth in the Interior. They defeated the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-2 in a first-round series, then pushed the defending national-champion Vipers to six games.
Johathan Milhouse, Sahir Gill, Garrett Noonan, Connor Jones and Cole Ikkala scored for Vernon. Graeme Gordon provided shutout goaltending, stopping 25 shots.
The Vipers go on to meet the Penticton Vees, their Interior rivals, in the Interior final which starts Friday in Vernon. The Vipers are the top seed in the Interior, followed by the Vees, who advanced to the final after beating the Westside Warriors 4-3 in overtime Tuesday in Westside to clinch that series 4-2. Eric Filiou scored the winner, 8:17 into overtime.
The Powell River Kings and Alberni Valley Bulldogs, the top seeds in the Coastal Conference begin their best-of-seven final Friday in Port Alberni. The first-place Bulldogs dispatched the Nanaimo Clippers in six games, winning 5-2 Tuesday in Nanaimo. Powell River, the second-place finishers in the Coastal, swept the Langley Chiefs in four straight.
