BLAZERS DROP 1-0 DECISION IN HOME FINALE
By Colton Davies – Follow Colton on X
The Kamloops Blazers hosted the Vancouver Giants for their final home game of the 2024-25 campaign. The Blazers started Logan Edmonstone between the pipes, while the Giants went with Burke Hood.
The game began at a slow pace, but it was the Giants who got the first major opportunity to open the scoring. A turnover led to a 3-on-0 break, but Edmonstone came up big, shutting the door to keep the game scoreless. Kamloops responded with high-danger chances from Max Sullivan and Matteo Koci, both of whom were denied by Hood. The Blazers earned a power play late in the first period but were unable to capitalize.
The second period started with the Giants quickly going to the power play after a hooking call. Edmonstone turned away multiple attempts to keep the game scoreless, even getting some help from the goalpost after a Tyler Thorpe shot rang off the iron. The Blazers then generated their best opportunity of the night when Vit Zahejsky flipped the puck over a Giants defender and broke in alone. Zahejsky faked out Hood and attempted a wraparound, with Sam Borschowa following up with a shot on net—only for Hood to make a sprawling desperation save.
Shortly after, a turnover at center ice proved costly for Kamloops. Former Blazer forward Connor Levis stripped the puck and fed Cameron Schmidt, who fired it past Edmonstone for his 40th goal of the season.
To start the third period, the Blazers gave longtime netminder Dylan Ernst the nod for his final 20 minutes at the Sandman Centre. Ernst, who will be moving on from the WHL after Saturday night’s regular-season finale, has compiled an 85-60-7 record with six shutouts over 163 games in his Blazers career.
Blazers forward Nathan Behm tried to energize the crowd with a big hit on Giants forward London Hoilett. Zahejsky then made another dazzling play, circling the offensive zone and attempting to connect with an open Rhett Ravndahl in the bumper slot, but the pass just missed his stick. Koci followed up with a highlight-reel attempt of his own, picking up the puck at the Giants’ blue line and executing a spin-o-rama between two defenders before being denied by Hood once again.
The intensity ramped up when Giants defenseman Mazden Leslie delivered a heavy hit on Blazers veteran Beau Courtney behind the Giants’ net. The hit drew an immediate response from John Szabo, who stepped in to defend his teammate, levelling Leslie and firing up the Kamloops crowd. As a result, the Blazers went to the power play when Leslie was penalized for boarding but failed to convert.
With the goalie pulled in the final moments, Kamloops pressed for the equalizer, but Hood came up big once again, stopping Lafrenière at the doorstep to seal the win for Vancouver.
The Blazers now head to Kelowna to face the Rockets in their final game of the 2024-25 campaign on Saturday