Kamloops Blazers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kamloops Blazers
City	Kamloops, British Columbia
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Western
Division	B.C.
Founded	1966
Home arena	Sandman Centre
Colours	Blue, white, orange
Owner(s)	Tom Gaglardi (majority) Shane Doan Jarome Iginla Mark Recchi Darryl Sydor
General manager	Shaun Clouston
Head coach	Shaun Clouston
Championships	Memorial Cup 3 (1992, 1994, 1995) Ed Chynoweth Cup 6 (1984, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995) Division Titles 9 (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999)
Franchise history
1966–1971	Estevan Bruins
1971–1981	New Westminster Bruins
1981–1984	Kamloops Junior Oilers
1984–present	Kamloops Blazers

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

The Blazers started as the Estevan Bruins in 1966. They became the New Westminster Bruins in 1971. In 1981, the team moved to Kamloops and was called the Kamloops Junior Oilers. After moving to Kamloops, the Blazers became one of the most successful teams in the WHL. They won a record six President's Cups. They also won a record seven Scotty Munro Memorial Trophies. Plus, they earned three Memorial Cup titles. All these wins happened between 1983 and 1995.

Team History: From Bruins to Blazers

The Blazers team was one of the first clubs in the league. They started as the Estevan Bruins in 1966. This was when the league first began. In 1968, the Estevan Bruins won a league title.

Two years later, in 1971, the team moved to New Westminster, British Columbia. They were then called the New Westminster Bruins. This move helped the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) grow. The New Westminster Bruins became a very strong team in the 1970s. They won four league titles in a row from 1975 to 1978. They also won the Memorial Cup in 1977 and 1978.

Even with all this success, the team moved again in 1981. They went to Kamloops. Here, the team was supported by the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. Because of this, they were first known as the Junior Oilers. In 1984, the team became owned by the community. They were then renamed the Kamloops Blazers.

A Winning Streak in Kamloops

In Kamloops, the Blazers quickly became a top team. They reached the finals three times in a row from 1984 to 1986. They won the championship in their first and third tries. After losing in the finals in 1988, they won four more President's Cups. These wins happened between 1990 and 1995.

Many future NHL stars played for the Blazers during this time. These included Scott Niedermayer, Darryl Sydor, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Darcy Tucker, and Corey Hirsch. Future NHL coaches like Ken Hitchcock and Tom Renney also managed the team. The Blazers went on to win three Memorial Cup titles in just four years. No other team has done this! The Blazers even hosted one of these Memorial Cup tournaments in 1995.

When the team first arrived in Kamloops, they played at the Kamloops Memorial Arena. In 1992, they moved to a new building called the Riverside Coliseum.

After their amazing winning streak, the Blazers had a tougher time. They went twelve seasons without winning a playoff round. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in 2006. They missed them four more times between 2011 and 2018. The team hosted the Memorial Cup again in 2023. They were eliminated in an overtime game against the Peterborough Petes.

Championship Wins

The Kamloops Blazers have won many important championships throughout their history.

• Memorial Cup (3):
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1995

• President's Cup (6): (WHL Championship)
  • 1983–84
  • 1985–86
  • 1989–90
  • 1991–92
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95

• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (7): (Award for best regular season record in the WHL)
  • 1983–84
  • 1986–87
  • 1989–90
  • 1990–91
  • 1991–92
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95

• Playoff Division titles (9):
  • 1983–84
  • 1984–85
  • 1985–86
  • 1987–88
  • 1989–90
  • 1991–92
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95
  • 1998–99

• Regular season Division titles (17):
  • 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1998–99
  • 2001–02
  • 2011–12
  • 2019–20
  • 2020–21
  • 2021–22
  • 2022–23

WHL Championship Series Results

• 1983–84: Won, 4–3 against Regina Pats
• 1984–85: Lost, 0–4 against Prince Albert Raiders
• 1985–86: Won, 4–1 against Medicine Hat Tigers
• 1987–88: Lost, 2–4 against Medicine Hat
• 1989–90: Won, 4–1 against Lethbridge Hurricanes
• 1991–92: Won, 4–3 against Saskatoon Blades
• 1993–94: Won, 4–3 against Saskatoon Blades
• 1994–95: Won, 4–2 against Brandon Wheat Kings
• 1998–99: Lost, 1–4 against Calgary Hitmen

Memorial Cup Finals Results

• 1992: Won, 5–4 against Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
• 1994: Won, 5–3 against Laval Titan
• 1995: Won, 8–2 against Detroit Junior Red Wings

Coaches Who Led the Team

Many great coaches have led the Kamloops Blazers. Some well-known head coaches include Ken Hitchcock, Tom Renney, Don Hay, Marc Habscheid, and Dean Evason.

Blazers Who Played in the NHL

Many players who started with the Kamloops Blazers went on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). This list includes players from when the team was called the Kamloops Junior Oilers.

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia

Images for kids

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  Giffen Nyren played for the Blazers between 2008 and 2010.

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  Logan Stankoven served as captain of the Blazers during the 2022–23 season.