MATINEE GAME DAY IN VICTORIA

Vs. Victoria – This Season (8-Game Series)
Game 1: 10/02/11, vs. Victoria 2, Kamloops 8
Game 2: 11/25/11, vs. Victoria 1, Kamloops 4
Game 3: 11/29/11, at Victoria 3, Kamloops 4
Game 4: 11/30/11, at Victoria 5, Kamloops 6 OT
Game 5: 12/03/11, vs. Victoria 2, Kamloops 4
Game 6: 01/27/12, at Victoria 4, Kamloops 2
Game 7: 01/28/12, at Victoria 1, Kamloops 5
Game 8: 02/22/12, vs. Victoria 3, Kamloops 6

Blazers won the season series 7-1-0-0

Vs. Victoria - This Season (8-Game Series)
Game 1: 09/28/12, at Victoria 4, Kamloops 3 SO
Game 2: 09/30/12, at Victoria, Kamloops
Game 3: 10/10/12, vs. Victoria, Kamloops
Game 4: 10/27/12, vs. Victoria, Kamloops
Game 5: 01/15/13, at Victoria, Kamloops
Game 6: 01/16/13, at Victoria, Kamloops
Game 7: 01/19/13, vs. Victoria, Kamloops
Game 8: 03/05/13, vs. Victoria, Kamloops

Blazers are 0-0-0-1 in season series

ROSTER BREAKDOWN: The Blazers roster currently sits at 24 players (2 goaltenders, 8 defensemen and 14 forwards). The roster includes 12 players selected in the WHL Bantam Draft, eight players from the free agent list, three players via trade, and one player selected from the CHL Import Draft. The roster breakdown by region includes eight players from Alberta, five from B.C., five from Saskatchewan, three from Manitoba, one from the USA, one from the Czech Republic, and one from Switzerland. There are 17 WHL veterans on the roster and seven WHL rookies. Four of those rookies spent time with the Blazers throughout the regular season and playoffs last season. 20-year-old Brendan Ranford is away from the Blazers as he attends the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs training camp.

THE MATCH UP: The Blazers and Royals are meeting for the second of eight times this season. The Blazers lost to the Royals 4-3 in a shootout on Friday night. Last season, the Blazers held a 7-1-0-0 record in the eight-game series, and also swept the Royals in the first round of the WHL playoffs 4-0 in a best-of-seven series. Royals will visit the Blazers for the first time on October 10^th and again on October 27^th. 

KAMLOOPS BLAZERS ‘Who to Watch’: The Kamloops Blazers forward crop is arguably among the best in the WHL. The team consists of a strong core of forwards including the line of Colin Smith (35+50=85), JC Lipon (19+46=65) and Tim Bozon (36+35=71) which combined for 90 goals and 221 points last season. Three 20-year-olds make up another line as Brendan Ranford (40+52=92), Jordan DePape (6+8=14), and Dylan Willick (28+26=54) have been playing together throughout the preseason. DePape is out for redemption after missing all but 14 games last season due to injury. Add into the picture third-year forward Chase Souto (11+9=20), 17-year-old forwards Matt Needham (12+22=34) and Cole Ully (9+11=20) and you’ve got a strong top three lines. Don’t count out 18-year-olds Aspen Sterzer (5+13=18) and Rob Trzonkowski (1+8=9) who can skate and be a pain to play against. Add in rookies Brayden Gelsinger, Aaron Macklin and Mitch Friesen, and the Blazers boast a quick and experienced group of forwards. The Blazers return five WHL veterans on defence and will have three rookies to start the season. A pair of 19-year-old defensemen will lead the way as Tyler Hansen (1+21=22) and Marek Hrbas (1+24=25) will provide two different dynamics to the back-end. Hansen was among the league leaders in +/- last season and will be looked upon to shut down the opposition’s top players. Hrbas is expected to play in all situations. A trio of 18-year-olds will be expected to step up their game this season led by third-year rearguard Brady Gaudet (1+15=16). Along with Gaudet, Tyler Bell (1+11=12) and Landon Cross (1+5=6) are both into their second seasons. Josh Connolly and Jordan Thomson (1+0=1) will both get plenty of opportunities this season. Both defensemen have a ton of upside, but will be eased into the line-up. 17-year-old Ryan Rehill will need to mimic his game to Tyler Hansen as a stay-at-home defender. In goal, the Blazers have some experience and stability between the pipes. Cole Cheveldave (34-11-2-3, 2.62, and .909) is expected to make a bulk of the starts after suiting up for 55 games last season and finishing with a 34-11-2-3 record. The 19-year-old was a second team Western Conference All-Star last season. Cheveldave will be expected to put up similar numbers this season. He will be joined in goal by 18-year-old Taran Kozun. Kozun spent some time with the Blazers during the start of the regular season and in the playoffs last season.

VICTORIA ROYALS ‘Who to Watch’: The Royals returned a lot of key players from last season’s roster and have had a makeover in goal which should help the team. Up front, the Royals return Steven Hodges, Jamie Crooks, Brandon Magee, and Logan Nelson who all had 20+ goal seasons and are offensive threats. Ben Walker and newly acquired 20-year-old Alex Gogolev are both dynamic players and make for a talented and skilled Top 6 forward group. The Royals possess a ton of size among its other seven forwards as Tim Traber, Austin Carroll, Taylor Crunk and Luke Harrison all return to the line-up. Those four players are all over 6’0” tall and 200lbs. Newcomers include Mitch Deacon, Logan Fisher, and Brandon Fushimi. The Royals have had some turnover on defence, but still return five players to the mix. Jordan Fransoo, Keegan Kanzig, Jesse Zgraggen, Tyler Stahl and Brett Cote are all back with the Royals. The Royals currently have three 16-year-olds on defence still on the roster including Joe Hicketts, Ryan Gagnon and Jack Walker. Size is also a significant benefit to the Royals as all but two defenseman stand a minimum of 6’0” which includes Kanzig and Kolton Dixon who both stand at 6’5”. In goal, import goaltender Patrik Polivka seems to have solidified the starting job after a strong preseason and start to the season. Returnee Jared Rathjen and newcomer Coleman Vollrath are battling for the back-up job.     

NHL DRAFT: Tim Bozon (Montreal, 3^th round, 64^th overall in 2012), Colin Smith (Colorado, 7^th round, 192^nd overall in 2012)

INJURY REPORT: Tyler Hansen (Upper body, day-to-day). Man games lost due to injury – 3.

DID YOU KNOW… Rob Trzonkowski is the first Blazer to ever wear #37… Fourth year defenseman Tyler Hansen led the Blazers with a +38 rating last season… JC Lipon led the Blazers and the WHL in preseason scoring with 5 goals, 4 assists and 9 points… Dylan Willick takes over the Blazers current iron man streak playing in 190^th consecutive game tonight after Bronson Maschmeyer played in 216 consecutive games to finish his junior career… Brendan Ranford is the longest serving Blazer and has played 280 WHL games and has 271 points all with the Blazers which puts him 13^th in Blazers all-time scoring… Ranford needs to play 64 games this season to surpass C.J. Stretch’s record of 341 career games in a Blazer uniform… Colin Smith, Tyler Hansen and Dylan Willick were all named Alternate Captains last week… 16-year-old Mitch Friesen finished 6^th in scoring in the BCMML with 56 points in 40 games… The Blazers boast three players who scored 35+ goals last season in Brendan Ranford (40), Colin Smith (35) and Tim Bozon (36)… Goaltender Cole Cheveldave was named a Western Conference second team all-star… Tim Bozon was the Western Conference Rookie of the Year with 71 points in 71 games… 16-year-old Jordan Thomson is the Blazers highest WHL Bantam Draft Pick at 4^th overall in 2011… Defenseman Josh Connolly is the younger brother of former Prince George Cougar Brett Connolly… The Blazers won their first B.C. Division Title since the 2001-02 season. 

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