Kamloops Blazers

Kamloops Blazers
City	Kamloops, British Columbia
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Western
Division	B.C.
Founded	1981 (1981)–82
Home arena	Interior Savings Centre
Colours	Blue, white and orange
General manager	Craig Bonner
Head coach	Guy Charron
Website www.blazerhockey.com
Franchise history
1966–71	Estevan Bruins
1971–81	New Westminster Bruins
1981–84	Kamloops Junior Oilers
1984–present	Kamloops Blazers

The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.

History

Their 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 moved to Kamloops in 1981 and were known as the Junior Oilers until 1984 when they were given their present name. They moved from the Kamloops Memorial Arena to the new Riverside Coliseum (since renamed to Interior Savings Centre) in 1992.

The team has won the most Memorial Cups of any team in the WHL with five cups; two as New Westminster (1977 and 1978) and three as Kamloops (1992, 1994 and 1995). The CHL record is seven cups, held by the Toronto Marlboros, who are now the Guelph Storm. In addition, since moving to Kamloops, the Blazers have missed the playoffs just twice in 30 seasons.

The franchise began in 1946 as the Humboldt Indians of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and moved to Estevan to become the Bruins in 1957. The franchise has won the President's Cup a record eleven times: once in Estevan, four times in a row in New Westminster and six times since coming to Kamloops. The Blazers hosted the 1995 Memorial Cup, although they went in the "front door" by also winning the WHL championship that year.

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

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

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

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
1981–82	72	18	53	1	–	320	464	37	4th West	Lost West Division semi-final
1982–83	72	46	26	0	–	461	356	92	3rd West	Lost West Division semi-final
1983–84	72	50	22	0	–	467	332	100	1st West	Won championship
1984–85	72	52	17	2	–	423	293	106	1st West	Lost final
1985–86	72	49	19	4	–	449	299	102	1st West	Won championship
1986–87	72	55	14	3	–	496	292	113	1st West	Lost West Division final
1987–88	72	45	26	1	–	399	307	91	1st West	Lost final
1988–89	72	34	33	5	–	326	309	73	3rd West	Lost West Division final
1989–90	72	56	16	0	–	484	278	112	1st West	Won championship
1990–91	72	50	20	2	–	385	247	102	1st West	Lost West Division final
1991–92	72	51	17	4	–	351	226	106	1st West	Won championship and Memorial Cup
1992–93	72	42	28	2	–	302	253	86	3rd West	Lost West Division final
1993–94	72	50	16	6	–	381	225	106	1st West	Won championship and Memorial Cup
1994–95	72	52	14	6	–	375	202	108	1st West	Won championship and Memorial Cup
1995–96	72	48	22	2	–	343	257	98	2nd West	Lost West Division final
1996–97	72	28	37	7	–	256	285	63	5th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1997–98	72	37	32	3	–	234	253	77	4th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
1998–99	72	48	11	13	–	298	195	109	1st West	Lost final
1999–00	72	36	30	5	1	244	228	78	4th West	Lost West Division quarter-final
2000–01	72	35	28	7	2	289	274	79	3rd West	Lost West Division quarter-final
2001–02	72	38	25	5	4	263	230	85	1st B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2002–03	72	39	27	5	1	261	222	84	2nd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2003–04	72	34	28	8	2	192	182	78	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2004–05	72	26	37	7	2	161	211	61	4th B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
Season	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
2005–06	72	34	33	2	3	179	196	73	5th B.C.	Out of playoffs
2006–07	72	40	26	4	2	245	222	86	2nd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2007–08	72	27	41	2	2	197	253	58	4th B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2008–09	72	33	33	2	4	242	277	72	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2009–10	72	32	33	2	5	237	284	71	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2010–11	72	27	35	5	5	195	264	64	5th B.C.	Out of playoffs

Current roster

• As of January 30, 2012.

Goaltenders
#		Player	Born	Place of birth	Drafted
30		Cam Lanigan	1992	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2012
38		Cole Cheveldale	1993	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2012

Defencemen
#		Player	Born	Place of birth	Drafted
2		Tyler Hansen	1993	Magrath, Alberta	Eligible 2012
3		Marek Hrbas	1993	Plzen, Czech Republic	Eligible 2012
6		Tyler Bell	1994	Regina, Saskatchewan	Eligible 2012
7		Brady Gaudet	1994	Redvers, Saskatchewan	Eligible 2012
23		Austin Madaisky (A)	1992	Surrey, British Columbia	CBJ – Round 5, 124 pick – 2010
27		Bronson Maschmeyer (A)	1991	Bruderheim, Alberta	Free Agent
33		Landon Cross	1994	Brandon, Manitoba	Eligible 2012

Forwards
#		Player	Position	Born	Place of birth	Drafted
9		Colin Smith	C	1993	Edmonton, Alberta	Eligible 2012
10		Chase Schaber (C)	C	1991	Red Deer, Alberta	Free Agent
11		Dylan Willick (A)	RW	1992	Prince George, British Columbia	Eligible 2012
13		Ryan Hanes	LW	1992	Kamloops, British Columbia	Eligible 2012
14		Matt Needham	C	1995	Penticton, British Columbia	Eligible 2013
15		Tim Bozon	LW	1994	St. Louis, USA	Eligible 2012
17		Jordan DePape	C	1992	Winnipeg, Manitoba	Eligible 2012
19		Brendan Ranford	LW	1992	Edmonton, Alberta	PHI – Round 7, 209 pick – 2010
21		Cole Ully	LW	1995	Calgary, Alberta	Eligible 2013
25		Brock Balson	RW	1993	Kamloops, British Columbia	Eligible 2012
26		Brandon Herrod	RW	1991	Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan	Free Agent
29		Aspen Sterzer	C	1994	Canal Flats, British Columbia	Eligible 2012
34		JC Lipon	RW	1993	Regina, Saskatchewan	Eligible 2012
39		Chase Souto	RW	1994	Yorba Linda, California	Eligible 2013

Team records

Team Records for a single season
Statistic	Total	Season
Most points	113	1986–87
Most wins	56	1989–90
Most goals for	496	1986–87
Least goals for	161	2004–05
Least goals against	182	2003–04
Most goals against	464	1981–82

Individual player records for a single season
Statistic	Player	Total	Season
Most goals	Len Barrie	85	1989–90
Most assists	Rob Brown	136	1986–87
Most points	Rob Brown	212	1986–87
Most points, rookie	Mike Nottingham	91	1983–84
Most points, defenceman	Greg Hawgood	133	1987–88
Best GAA (goalie)	Devan Dubnyk	2.51	2003–04
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

NHL alumni

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

Jared Aulin Len Barrie Nolan Baumgartner Robin Bawa Brian Benning Craig Berube Doug Bodger Zac Boyer Mike Brown Rob Brown Garth Butcher Kyle Calder Erik Christensen Dave Chyzowski Dean Clark Ken Daneyko Jarrett Deuling Rob DiMaio

Robert Dirk Shane Doan Hnat Domenichelli Devan Dubnyk Micki DuPont Todd Ewen Dean Evason Scott Ferguson Mark Ferner Steve Gainey Marc Habscheid Greg Hawgood Corey Hirsch Jason Holland Ryan Huska Jarome Iginla Jonas Johansson Ty Jones

Mark Kachowski Paul Kruse Bryce Lampman Brad Lukowich David Mackey Pat MacLeod Mike MacWilliam Dean Malkoc Dave Marcinyshyn Gordon Mark Shaone Morrisonn Chris Murray Tyson Nash Mike Needham Scott Niedermayer Colton Orr Steve Passmore Ed Patterson

Rudy Poeschek Daryl Reaugh Mark Recchi Robyn Regehr Cam Severson Ron Shudra Trevor Sim Rob Skrlac Tyler Sloan Geoff Smith Ryan Stewart Jason Strudwick Darryl Sydor Darcy Tucker Scottie Upshall Gord Walker David Wilkie

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia

External links

• Kamloops Blazers official website

References

• 2005–06 WHL Guide