The Blazers are holding their Memorial Cup Anniversary weekend on Friday and Saturday (Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers)

By Chad Klassen

BLAZERS ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

A star-studded lineup this weekend to celebrate Blazers’ historic winning run

Feb 21, 2020 | 3:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — Twenty-five years after the Blazers won their last Memorial Cup — at home against the Detroit Junior Red Wings — the organization has put together an anniversary weekend to celebrate that championship-winning team and five others that are key parts of the team and city’s history.

“The amount of times the Kamloops Blazers went to the Memorial Cup in a nine or 10-year span was six. That’s unheard of,” said Blazers COO Don Moores. “So Kamloops was world-renowned for having a world-class junior hockey franchise. Fans knew that, were proud, so proud to be part of it.”

The Blazers first went to the Memorial Cup in 1984 after capturing their first-ever Western Hockey League championship. They also won the league championship in ’86 and ’90, but didn’t win their first Memorial Cup until 1992. The Blazers then became the first major junior team to win three Memorial Cups in four years (’92, ’94 and ’95).

The Blazers are welcoming 70 alumni — players, coaches and trainers — for the weekend.

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“That are coming from probably 24 to 26 cities in North America for this weekend, so it’s pretty special,” noted Moores. “It’s a real tribute to our organization to be able to put it on. I’m proud of everyone and the hard work they’ve done, and I think the fans will love it.”

The weekend kicks off tonight with a special concert by country singer Gord Bamford. His son Nash was drafted by the Blazers last year in the seventh round and Bamford wanted to begin his Rednek Tour here.

“With my son being drafted here now by the Blazers, we were here last year for camp and got to know everybody a little bit more. What a great organization, and when Donny Moores asked if I would be part of this weekend. I just said, ‘Why don’t we just kick the tour off?’ So it was on a smaller scale that grew into a big one,” said Bamford.

Bamford is also close with the Recchi family and Blazers alum Shane Doan.

“I grew up in Alberta, so Shane and I played a lot of ball against each other, and I played for Lacombe and he played for Stettler, so we got to be friends that way,” remembered Bamford. “They have the Circle Square Ranch, so [Doan] went on to do great things and he’s definitely a role model for lots of different kids out there, especially my boy.”

Blazers Advisory Board director Niki Remesz says Doan and other players will be speaking about their Blazers experience before tonight’s concert. Then on Saturday, there’s a full day planned, including a private event for veterans.

“We’re also honouring the Legion, so there will be a closed event tomorrow where we’ve got Blazers alumni coming and some veterans,” said Remesz. “We’ll have a nice lunch and have a hotstove and hear what Blazers alumni have been doing over the last several decades.”

Also on Saturday, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., there will be a meet and greet with opportunities for fans to get autographs.

The anniversary weekend will conclude with the Blazers hosting Calgary.