Kamloops Blazers

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Kamloops Blazers
City: Kamloops, British Columbia
League: Western Hockey League
Conference: Western
Division: B.C.
Founded: 1981–82
Home Arena: Interior Savings Centre
Colours: blue, white & orange
Head Coach: Greg Hawgood
General Manager: Brian Fortin
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.

Division titles won: 12 -- 1983–84, 84–85, 85–86, 86–87, 87–88, 89–90, 90–91, 91–92, 93–94, 94–95, 98–99, 2001–02
Regular season titles won: 7 -- 1983–84, 86–87, 89–90, 90–91, 91–92, 93–94, 94–95
League Championships won: 6 -- 1984, 86, 90, 92, 94, 95
Memorial Cup Titles: 3 -- 1992, 94, 95

Contents

[edit] 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.

Kamloops Blazers vs. Tri-City Americans in 2006
Kamloops Blazers vs. Tri-City Americans in 2006

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.

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 has been used in a book called "Blazer Drive" by Sigmund Brower

[edit] 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 31 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

[edit] 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


[edit] NHL Alumni

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

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • 2005–06 WHL Guide
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