The Kamloops Blazers’ road to the Memorial Cup begins tonight.
Following the shortest offseason in franchise history – 114 days – the Blazers will open their regular season at home against the Portland Winterhawks, in what is their only game of the weekend.
Expectations are high with the Kamloops Blazers, who are coming off three consecutive B.C. Division titles. They were ranked fifth in the CHL’s pre-season rankings.
“We’re excited,” Team President, Norm Daley, told NL News.
“It is a big year for the team and there is a lot that’s going to be coming down over the next few months, but it is great just to get started and to get the fans back in the building and [for them] to make some noise and have a good time.”
Mayor Ken Christian is hoping to see Kamloops residents get behind the Blazers, noting the chance to host the Memorial Cup doesn’t come around very often.
“Good hockey is good business, and I think the ownership group with the Blazers have a special relationship with the city of Kamloops,” he said. “I’m getting the vibe like I did in the early 1990’s where a ticket to the blazers was something of a currency in an of itself in Kamloops.”
“The city benefits in a number of ways from the Blazers,” Christian added. “We have a contract with them about the use of the Sandman Centre and naming rights and advertising and food and beverage and all that, but beyond that, I think, the city in general benefits by the support that the citizens provide all throughout the year.”
With six key players still away at NHL camps – including Logan Stankoven, the reigning CHL Player of the Year – it will be a younger Blazers team on the ice tonight with as many as eight first-year players expected to dress.
“It is going to be good for some of us younger guys to play bigger roles and take the lead I guess for the games,” second-year forward Emmitt Finnie said.
Also away at NHL camps are Fraser Minten, Matthew Seminoff, Caedan Bankier, Daylan Kuefler, and new acquisition Kyle Masters.
“Obviously, a big test for us with six leaders, regular players, guys that carry a big workload for us not available tonight,” Head Coach and GM, Shaun Clouston said. “The positive, I think, is we’ll be able to get to 20 players dressed. We haven’t been there, we’ve been two or three guys short the last few games.”
Dylan Ernst will get the start taking over from the Dylan Garand, who was named CHL Goaltender of the Year. The Victoria native is eligible to return as an overage player, though he has hinted at turning pro within the New York Rangers organization.
“I haven’t really got much of a chance expect for when [Garand] went to World Juniors and [when he] got hurt, but I feel like I’m going to surprise lots of people this season,” Ernst told NL Sports.
Doors at the Sandman Centre will open at 6 p.m. with player introductions set to take place before the 7 p.m. puck drop.
Festivities on the Sandman Centre plaza and in the Norkam Mechanical Group Lounge will begin at 5 p.m., with an extended pre-game show on Radio NL getting underway at 6 p.m.
And a reminder you’ll be able to catch every Kamloops Blazers game in the 2022-23 regular season, the 2023 WHL Playoffs, and the 2023 Memorial Cup on Radio NL.
– With files from Jon Keen, Jeff Andreas, and Brett Mineer
Friday is the day we have all been waiting for, the season is finally here!
The night kicks off at 5pm with a $5 burger and $5 beer served in the Norkam Mechanical Group Lounge!
Keep an eye out for all the things listed below pic.twitter.com/35MBUxyU7j— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) September 21, 2022