Kamloops Blazers
CityKamloops, British Columbia
LeagueWestern Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionB.C.
Founded1966
Home arenaSandman Centre
ColoursBlue, white, orange
     
Owner(s)Tom Gaglardi (majority)[1]
Shane Doan
Jarome Iginla
Mark Recchi
Darryl Sydor
General managerShaun Clouston[2]
Head coachShaun Clouston[3]
Websitechl.ca/whl-blazers/
Franchise history
1966–1971Estevan Bruins
1971–1981New Westminster Bruins
1981–1984Kamloops Junior Oilers
1984–presentKamloops Blazers
Championships
Regular season titles7 (1983–84, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95)
Playoff championshipsEd Chynoweth Cup
6 (1984, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995)
Memorial Cup
3 (1992, 1994, 1995)

The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team plays in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference, is based in Kamloops, British Columbia, and play home games at Sandman Centre.

The Blazers originated as the Estevan Bruins in 1966, became the New Westminster Bruins in 1971, and relocated to Kamloops in 1981 as the Kamloops Junior Oilers. The Blazers have won the Memorial Cup three times; in 1992, 1994, and 1995, and the Ed Chynoweth Cup six times.

History

The franchise was granted in 1966 as the Estevan Bruins in Estevan, Saskatchewan. In 1971, it moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, and was known as the New Westminster Bruins. It then moved to Kamloops in 1981 and was known as the Junior Oilers until 1984, when it was given its present name, the Kamloops Blazers. The team moved from the Kamloops Memorial Arena to the Riverside Coliseum, then renamed the "Interior Savings Centre", in 1992, and finally changed to the Sandman Centre in 2015, due to co-owner Tom Gaglardi also owning the Sandman hotels brand.

The team has won the most Memorial Cups of any team in the WHL with five, two as New Westminster (1977 and 1978) and three as Kamloops (1992, 1994 and 1995). The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) record is seven, held by the Ontario Hockey League's Toronto Marlboros, now known as the Guelph Storm.

The franchise began in 1946 as the Humboldt Indians of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and moved to Estevan to become the Bruins in 1957. The franchise has won the President's Cup a record 11 times, once in Estevan, four times in a row in New Westminster and six times since relocating to Kamloops. The Blazers hosted the 1995 Memorial Cup, also winning the WHL championship that year.

The team was featured as a plot element in a book called Blazer Drive by Sigmund Brouwer.

WHL finals appearances

Memorial Cup appearances

Coaches

Notable head coaches in the history of the Kamloops Blazers include Ken Hitchcock, Tom Renney, Don Hay, Marc Habscheid and Dean Evason.

Players

Current roster

Updated January 11, 2024.[4]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Drafted
32 Canada Kalan Anderlini D L 18 2023 Langley, British Columbia Eligible 2024
2 Canada Logan Bairos (C) D R 21 2018 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Undrafted
14 Canada Nathan Behm C R 16 2022 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2025
27 Canada Samuel Borschowa D R 18 2023 McTaggart, Saskatchewan Undrafted
18 Canada Harrison Brunicke D R 17 2021 Johannesburg, South Africa Eligible 2024
35 Canada Dylan Ernst G L 19 2019 Weyburn, Saskatchewan Undrafted
34 Canada Ashton Ferster RW R 20 2022 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Undrafted
9 Canada Emmitt Finnie (A) C L 18 2020 Lethbridge, Alberta 2023, 201st Overall, DET
5 Canada Isa Guram D R 16 2022 Burnaby, British Columbia Eligible 2025
22 Canada Jordan Keller LW L 18 2023 Kamloops, British Columbia Undrafted
21 Canada Josh Kelly LW L 17 2023 Port Moody, British Columbia Eligible 2024
6 Czech Republic Matteo Koci D L 18 2023 Karlovy Vary, Czech Repbulic Undrafted
17 Canada Kai Matthew RW R 18 2020 Edmonton, Alberta Undrafted
12 Canada Ryan Michael (A) D L 18 2020 Langley, British Columbia Undrafted
13 Canada Bryce Minten C R 17 2021 Vancouver, British Columbia Eligible 2024
29 Canada Zach Pantelakis LW L 16 2022 North Vancouver, British Columbia Eligible 2026
10 Canada Conner Radke RW R 17 2021 Langdon, Alberta Eligible 2024
1 Canada Jesse Sanche G L 17 2021 Kamloops, British Columbia Eligible 2024
7 Canada Max Sullivan LW L 17 2021 Toronto, Ontario Eligible 2024
24 Canada Blake Swetlikoff C R 20 2024 Regina, Saskatchewan Undrafted
25 Canada Ashton Tait C R 17 2021 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Eligible 2024
19 Canada Andrew Thomson LW L 17 2022 Sherwood Park, Alberta Eligible 2025
3 Czech Republic Vojtech Vochvest D L 18 2023 Czech Republic Eligible 2024
23 Canada Cole Wadsworth LW L 17 2024 Penticton, British Columbia Eligible 2024

NHL alumni

Totals include those who played for the franchise as the Kamloops Junior Oilers

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
1981–827218531–320464374th WestLost West Division semi-final
1982–837246260–461356923rd WestLost West Division semi-final
1983–847250220–4673321001st WestWon championship
1984–857252172–4232931061st WestLost final
1985–867249194–4492991021st WestWon championship
1986–877255143–4962921131st WestLost West Division final
1987–887245261–399307911st WestLost final
1988–897234335–326309733rd WestLost West Division final
1989–907256160–4842781121st WestWon championship
1990–917250202–3852471021st WestLost West Division final
1991–927251174–3512261061st WestWon championship and Memorial Cup
1992–937242282–302253863rd WestLost West Division final
1993–947250166–3812251061st WestWon championship and Memorial Cup
1994–957252146–3752021101st WestWon championship and Memorial Cup
1995–967248222–343257982nd WestLost West Division final
1996–977228377–256285635th WestLost West Division quarter-final
1997–987237323–234253774th WestLost West Division quarter-final
1998–9972481113–2981951091st WestLost final
1999–0072363051244228784th WestLost West Division quarter-final
2000–0172352872289274793rd WestLost West Division quarter-final
2001–0272382554263230851st B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–0372392751261222842nd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2003–0472342882192182783rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2004–0572263772161211614th B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
SeasonGPWLOTLSOLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
2005–0672343323179196735th B.C.Out of playoffs
2006–0772402642245222862nd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2007–0872274122197253584th B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2008–0972333324242277723rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2009–1072323325237284713rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2010–1172293733219285645th B.C.Out of playoffs
2011–1272472023290211991st B.C.Lost Western Conference semi-final
2012–1372472023261180992nd B.C.Lost Western Conference final
2013–1472145323175305335th B.C.Out of playoffs
2014–1572283743214258634th B.C.Out of playoffs
2015–1672382554237218853rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2016–1772422424243198903rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2017–1872303714212237654th B.C.Out of playoffs
2018–1968283262196212643rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2019–2063411831271166861st B.C.Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–2122184008751361st B.C.No playoffs were held
2021–2268481730287176991st B.C.Lost Western Conference final
2022–23684813433131981031st B.C.Lost Western Conference final, 4th place at Memorial Cup

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ownership". Blazerhockey.com.
  2. ↑ "Clouston Promoted to GM / Head Coach, O'Donovan Named Assistant GM". OurSports Central. 20 July 2019.
  3. ↑ "Kamloops Blazers Name Shaun Clouston Head Coach, Darryl Sydor Associate Coach". OurSports Central. 18 June 2019.
  4. ↑ WHL Network, Western Hockey League, retrieved 2024-01-11
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