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 super successful major junior ice hockey team. They are based in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The team plays in the B.C. Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Their home games are held at the Sandman Centre.

The Blazers have a rich history, starting as the Estevan Bruins in 1966. They later became the New Westminster Bruins in 1971. In 1981, the team moved to Kamloops and was known as the Kamloops Junior Oilers. Since becoming the Kamloops Blazers in 1984, they have been one of the most successful teams in the WHL. They have won a record six President's Cups and three Memorial Cup titles. All these big wins happened between 1983 and 1995.

Team History and Success

Early Years and Team Moves

The Blazers team was one of the first clubs when the WHL started in 1966. Back then, they were called the Estevan Bruins. They even won a league title in 1968! A few years later, in 1971, the team moved to New Westminster, British Columbia. They were renamed the New Westminster Bruins.

The New Westminster Bruins became a very strong team in the 1970s. They won the league championship four times in a row from 1975 to 1978. They also won the Memorial Cup in 1977 and 1978. Even with all that success, the team moved again in 1981. They came to Kamloops and were first known as the Kamloops Junior Oilers. This was because they were supported by the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. In 1984, the team became owned by the community and was given its current name, the Kamloops Blazers.

The Blazers' Dynasty Years

Once in Kamloops, the Blazers quickly became a powerhouse. They played in the WHL finals three years in a row from 1984 to 1986. They won the championship in 1984 and again in 1986. After another finals appearance in 1988, the team went on to win four more President's Cups between 1990 and 1995.

Many future NHL stars played for the Blazers during this time. Some famous names include Scott Niedermayer, Darryl Sydor, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Darcy Tucker, and Corey Hirsch. Their coaches, like Ken Hitchcock and Tom Renney, also went on to coach in the NHL. The Blazers achieved something amazing by winning three Memorial Cup titles in just four years. No other team has done that! They even hosted the Memorial Cup tournament in Kamloops in 1995.

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

Recent Times and Hosting the Memorial Cup

After their incredible winning streak, the Blazers had a tougher time for a while. They went twelve seasons without winning a playoff round. They even missed the playoffs for the first time in 2006. They missed the playoffs several more times between 2011 and 2018.

The Blazers had the honor of hosting the Memorial Cup for a second time in 2023. This is a huge event for a junior hockey team. At the tournament, they played hard but were eliminated in an overtime tie-breaker game against the Peterborough Petes.

Championship History

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

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

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

• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (7 wins): This trophy is for the team with the best regular season record.
  • 1983–84
  • 1986–87
  • 1989–90
  • 1990–91
  • 1991–92
  • 1993–94
  • 1994–95

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

• Regular Season Division Titles (17 wins):
  • 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 Wins

• 1983–84: Won 4–3 against Regina Pats
• 1985–86: Won 4–1 against Medicine Hat Tigers
• 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

Memorial Cup Finals Wins

• 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

Many great coaches have led the Kamloops Blazers. Some of the most well-known head coaches include Ken Hitchcock, Tom Renney, Don Hay, Marc Habscheid, and Dean Evason. These coaches helped shape the team's success.

NHL Alumni

Many players who played for the Kamloops Blazers (including when they were the Kamloops Junior Oilers) went on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). This shows how good the team is at developing young talent!

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia

Images for kids

• 

  Giffen Nyren played for the Blazers between 2008 and 2010.

• 

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