Kamloops Blazers

{{short description|Western Hockey League team in Kamloops, British Columbia}}

{{Infobox hockey team

| team = Kamloops Blazers

| colour = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#08007B 5px solid; border-bottom:#FF6200 5px solid;

| colour text = #000000

| logo = Kamloops Blazers logo.svg

| logosize =

| city = Kamloops, British Columbia

| league = Western Hockey League

| conference = Western

| division = B.C.

| founded = 1966

| arena = Sandman Centre

| colours = Blue, white, orange
{{Color box|#08007B}} {{Color box|#FFFFFF}} {{Color box|#FF6200}}

| 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)

|reg_season_titles=7 (1983–84, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95)

| owner = Tom Gaglardi (majority){{cite web|title=Ownership|url=http://www.blazerhockey.com/page/ownership|publisher=Blazerhockey.com}}
Shane Doan
Jarome Iginla
Mark Recchi
Darryl Sydor

| GM = Shaun Clouston{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/clouston-promoted-to-gm--head-coach-odonovan-named-assistant-gm/n-5722314 |title=Clouston Promoted to GM / Head Coach, O'Donovan Named Assistant GM |website=OurSports Central |date=20 July 2019}}

| coach = Shaun Clouston{{cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/kamloops-blazers-name-shaun-clouston-head-coach-darryl-sydor-associate-coach/n-5503606 |title=Kamloops Blazers Name Shaun Clouston Head Coach, Darryl Sydor Associate Coach |website=OurSports Central |date=18 June 2019}}

| website = {{URL|https://chl.ca/whl-blazers/}}

| name1 = Estevan Bruins

| dates1 = 1966–1971

| name2 = New Westminster Bruins

| dates2 = 1971–1981

| name3 = Kamloops Junior Oilers

| dates3 = 1981–1984

| name4 = Kamloops Blazers

| dates4 = 1984–present

| uniform_image=WHL-Uniform-KAM.png}}

The Kamloops Blazers are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Kamloops, British Columbia. The team plays in the B.C. Division of the Western Hockey League's Western Conference and plays its home games at the Sandman Centre. The Blazers originated as the Estevan Bruins in 1966, became the New Westminster Bruins in 1971, and relocated to Kamloops in 1981 as the Kamloops Junior Oilers. After moving to Kamloops, the Blazers became the WHL's most successful club, winning a record six President's Cups, a record seven Scotty Munro Memorial Trophies, and three Memorial Cup titles, all between 1983 and 1995.

History

The Blazers franchise originated as one of the league's founding clubs, the Estevan Bruins, when the league launched in 1966.{{Cite web |title=WHL History |url=https://whl.ca/history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731211503/https://whl.ca/history |archive-date=2023-07-31 |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=Western Hockey League}} After winning a league title in 1968, owner and manager Scotty Munro sold his stake in the club in 1969 and moved on to the Calgary Centennials; two years later, the team moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, as part of the Western Canada Hockey League's effort to span the four Western Canadian provinces. The New Westminster Bruins established a WCHL dynasty in the 1970s, winning four consecutive league titles between 1975 and 1978 and the 1977 and 1978 Memorial Cups.{{Cite news |date=2016-02-12 |title=McLean tells tales of New West's brawling Bruins |url=https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-sports/mclean-tells-tales-of-new-wests-brawling-bruins-3026241 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731211503/https://www.newwestrecord.ca/local-sports/mclean-tells-tales-of-new-wests-brawling-bruins-3026241 |archive-date=2023-07-31 |access-date=2023-07-31 |work=New Westminster Record}} Despite the team's success, it was relocated again in 1981, moving to Kamloops, where the team—supported directly by the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers—was initially known as the Junior Oilers.{{Cite book |last=Lapp |first=Richard M. |url=https://archive.org/details/localheroeshisto0000lapp/page/n3/mode/2up |title=Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League |last2=White |first2=Silas |publisher=Harbour Publishing |year=1993 |isbn=1-55017-080-5 |location=Madeira Park, British Columbia |pages=74–77 |language=en-CA |url-access=registration}} In 1984, the team came under community ownership and was renamed the Blazers.{{Cite news |last=Kovac |first=Rob |last2=Seitz |first2=Earl |date=2020-02-22 |title=The Blazers 10 year dynasty |url=https://cfjctoday.com/2020/02/22/the-blazers-10-year-dynasty/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517214003/https://cfjctoday.com/2020/02/22/the-blazers-10-year-dynasty/ |archive-date=2024-05-17 |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=CFJC}}

In Kamloops, the Blazers quickly established a dynasty of their own. The team made three straight finals appearances from 1984 to 1986, winning in their first and third appearances; after a finals loss in 1988, the team would win four more President's Cups between 1990 and 1995. Led at various times by future NHL stars Scott Niedermayer, Darryl Sydor, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Darcy Tucker, Corey Hirsch, and others, and managed by future NHL coaches including Ken Hitchcock and Tom Renney, the Blazers went on to win three Memorial Cup titles in a four-year span, the only team to achieve such a feat.{{Cite book |last=Lapp |first=Richard |url=https://archive.org/details/memorialcupcanad0000lapp/page/152/mode/2up |title=The Memorial Cup: Canada's National Junior Hockey Championship |last2=Macaulay |first2=Alec |publisher=Harbour Publishing |year=1997 |isbn=1-55017-170-4 |location=Madeira Park, B.C. |pages=279–280 |language=en-CA |url-access=registration}}{{Cite news |last=Sadler |first=Emily |date=2016-02-05 |title=Top Kamloops Blazers grads who made the NHL |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-kamloops-blazers-grads-who-made-it-to-the-nhl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517215637/https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-kamloops-blazers-grads-who-made-it-to-the-nhl/ |archive-date=2024-05-17 |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=Sportsnet}} The Blazers hosted the third Memorial Cup tournament in that run in 1995.{{Cite book |last=Lapp & Macaulay |title=The Memorial Cup |pages=264}}

When the team arrived in Kamloops, they played at the Kamloops Memorial Arena before moving to the new Riverside Coliseum in 1992.{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Kevin |date=2021-11-05 |title=Kamloops Blazers |url=https://www.whlarenaguide.com/blazers.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607064827/https://www.whlarenaguide.com/blazers.htm |archive-date=2023-06-07 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=WHL Arena Guide}}

After their run of success, the Blazers would go twelve seasons without winning a playoff round; the team missed the playoffs for the first time in 2006, and missed four more times between 2011 and 2018. The team hosted the Memorial Cup for a second time in 2023.{{Cite news |last=Ewen |first=Steve |date=2022-05-30 |title=Kamloops to host 2023 Memorial Cup as Blazers zero in on this year’s WHL final |url=https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/junior-hockey/kamloops-to-host-2023-memorial-cup-as-blazers-zero-in-on-2022-whl-final |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530235143/https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/junior-hockey/kamloops-to-host-2023-memorial-cup-as-blazers-zero-in-on-2022-whl-final |archive-date=2022-05-30 |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The Province}} At the tournament, they were eliminated in overtime of a tie-breaker game against the Peterborough Petes.{{Cite news |last=Schram |first=Carol |date=2023-06-02 |title=Memorial Cup: Petes pull off crazy comeback to eliminate Blazers in OT |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/memorial-cup-petes-pull-off-crazy-comeback-to-eliminate-blazers-in-ot |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602155739/https://thehockeynews.com/news/memorial-cup-petes-pull-off-crazy-comeback-to-eliminate-blazers-in-ot |archive-date=2023-06-02 |access-date=2024-05-17 |work=The Hockey News |publisher=Sports Illustrated}}

Season-by-season record

File:Giffen Nyren.jpg

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

File:Logan Stankoven 2023.02.20.jpg served as captain of the Blazers during the 2022–23 season.]]

Season	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
style="border-top:#08007B 5px solid; border-bottom:#FF6200 5px solid" ! 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 semifinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 1982–83	72	46	26	0	–	461	356	92	3rd West	Lost West Division semifinal
1983–84	72	50	22	0	–	467	332	100	1st West	Won Championship
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 1994–95	72	52	14	6	–	375	202	110	1st West	Won Championship and Memorial Cup
1995–96	72	48	22	2	–	343	257	98	2nd West	Lost West Division final
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 1996–97	72	28	37	7	–	256	285	63	5th West	Lost West Division quarterfinal
1997–98	72	37	32	3	–	234	253	77	4th West	Lost West Division quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 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 quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2000–01	72	35	28	7	2	289	274	79	3rd West	Lost West Division quarterfinal
2001–02	72	38	25	5	4	263	230	85	1st B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2002–03	72	39	27	5	1	261	222	84	2nd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2003–04	72	34	28	8	2	192	182	78	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2004–05	72	26	37	7	2	161	211	61	4th B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2005–06	72	34	33	2	3	179	196	73	5th B.C.	Did not qualify
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2006–07	72	40	26	4	2	245	222	86	2nd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2007–08	72	27	41	2	2	197	253	58	4th B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2008–09	72	33	33	2	4	242	277	72	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2009–10	72	32	33	2	5	237	284	71	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2010–11	72	29	37	3	3	219	285	64	5th B.C.	Did not qualify
2011–12	72	47	20	2	3	290	211	99	1st B.C.	Lost Western Conference semifinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2012–13	72	47	20	2	3	261	180	99	2nd B.C.	Lost Western Conference final
2013–14	72	14	53	2	3	175	305	33	5th B.C.	Did not qualify
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2014–15	72	28	37	4	3	214	258	63	4th B.C.	Did not qualify
2015–16	72	38	25	5	4	237	218	85	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2016–17	72	42	24	2	4	243	198	90	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2017–18	72	30	37	1	4	212	237	65	4th B.C.	Did not qualify
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2018–19	68	28	32	6	2	196	212	64	3rd B.C.	Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2019–20	63	41	18	3	1	271	166	86	1st B.C.	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2020–21	22	18	4	0	0	87	51	36	1st B.C.	No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22	68	48	17	3	0	287	176	99	1st B.C.	Lost Western Conference final
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2022–23	68	48	13	4	3	313	198	103	1st B.C.	Lost Western Conference final
2023–24	68	20	42	3	3	180	295	46	5th B.C.	Did not qualify
bgcolor="#eeeeee" \| 2024–25	68	24	39	4	1	206	271	53	4th B.C.	Did not qualify

Championship history

Memorial Cup (3): 1992, 1994, 1995
President's Cup (6): 1983–84, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95
Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (7): 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