Photo via WHL
The Kamloops Blazers are B.C. Division champions for the fourth consecutive season after beating the Kelowna Rockets 7-2 Saturday night.
Olen Zellweger opened the scoring for the 2023 Memorial Cup hosts early in the first period, though Andrew Cristall tied things up at 1-1 about nine minutes later.
Olen Zellweger is the definition of an Offensive Defenceman 🔥@AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/2ahvBasS9f
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) March 5, 2023
From then it was all Blazers as Caedan Bankier and Connor Levis ensured the Blazers had were up 3-1 after 20 minutes before goals from Ryan Hofer and Zellweger made it 5-1 after two periods.
Nine-game point streak, anyone?
Caedan Bankier: Me, please!@blazerhockey | @mnwild pic.twitter.com/uA7ijUnJd3
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 5, 2023
With 1.8 Seconds left in the Second, ZELL-💣@AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/Vp2ma1Lu0c
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) March 5, 2023
Daylan Kuefler and Kyle Masters got in on the action early in the third to make it six unanswered goals for the Blazers before Dylan Wightman scored a consolation goal midway through the period.
The @blazerhockey start the third period the same way they ended the second…
Scoring!@NYIslanders pic.twitter.com/jY03HYN6kS
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 5, 2023
Hofer finished with a goal and two assists with Stankoven had three assists on the night for the Blazers. Masters and Kuefler had assists to go with their goals as well.
Dylan Ernst made 26 saves for his WHL-leading 34th of the season – and second in as many nights – in the Blazers net.
Jari Kykkanen turned aside 49 of 56 shots to take the loss for the Rockets.
As B.C. Division champions, the 40-11-4-2 Blazers will face either the seventh or the eighth seed in the first round of the WHL playoffs – currently either the Vancouver Giants or the Kelowna Rockets.
Back-To-Back-To-Back-To-Back BC CHAMPIONS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/m15vbLfpZY
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) March 5, 2023
Went to Kelowna, came back as BC Champs!🔥 2019-20 – PRESENT.
📸 @sdunsmoor pic.twitter.com/AB1csLOosQ— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) March 5, 2023
Next up for the Blazers is a Tuesday night, March 7, game against the Western Conference leading Seattle Thunderbirds. The T-Birds, who are 10 points ahead of Kamloops with a 47-9-1-1 record, clinched the U.S. Division Saturday night.
The Blazers will then play a home-and-home against the Everett Silvertips Wednesday night in Everett and Friday night, March 10, at Sandman Centre in Kamloops.
