Franklin, Stankoven disappointed not knowing how the season could have ended

For players on the Kamloops Blazers their last game this season was March 10 in Spokane.

Suddenly, being creatures of habit, it all changed two days later, when the league paused the remainder of the season, and then yesterday cancelled it altogather.

“Our kids are so used to a routine.” says Blazers President Don Moores. “All of sudden there’s nothing going on. It’s quite a dramatic effect on them.”

For Blazers captain Zane Franklin, it was returning to the family ranch near Marwayne, Alberta.

“We are just getting into calving season here, so I’ve been pretty busy being home.” says Franklin.

For Logan Stankoven, it’s home in the city, in Kamloops.

“I did a few workouts and boxing sessions.” says Stankoven.

For both players the season came to a disappointing and abrupt end — although they did’nt know it at the time —- on March the 10th in a 3-0 loss in Spokane.

The disappointment compounded by the Blazers best season in years —– even a chance to win a league championship —– and now they’ll never know how it could have ended.

“It’s something we can’t control as players.” says Stankoven. “We go out there every night and try to play our best, and make Kamloops proud. We can’t control what the league’s decision was, and you have to respect that. I understand why they cancelled it, but at the same time we all wanted to get back out there —- but it’s just something that had to be done.”

“You know the whole feeling around the city and the team the whole year was that we had a chance.” says Franklin. “That we could have had a really good playoff run — it’s going to be tough not knowing what could have happened.”

For Franklin, as a 20 year old this season, it was the end of his four year junior hockey journey.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet — it doesn’t feel like it’s over.” says Franklin. “I think it will start to sink in here the next couple of days. Me and my Mom we were talking about it last night, and this morning and it’s disappointing for sure.”

For Logan Stankoven it was just the beginning, with as many as four more seasons in his Blazers career.

‘It’s pretty tough on the 20 year olds.” says Stankoven. “It’s not the way they wanted to end their junior hockey careers. It was pretty tough for them — the one thing I need to look forward to is I get another chance next season, so I need to start focusing on that right now.”

It’s a purely hypothetical question —– but what if, what if the league, in these unprecedented circumstances, bent the normal rules, and allowed this seasons 20 year old players to come back for one more season to take care of unfinished business — not likely to happen.

Logan Stankoven may spend some of his time brushing up on his boxing skills in Kamloops this summer —- but don’t expect a skilled player with speed and a rapid fire release on his shot to become a tough guy or enforcer anytime soon.

For Zane Franklin — Marwayne, Alberta —- population 600 and something on any given day —— cattle population at the Franklin ranch — 1300, and it’s calving season.

by Earl Seitz

Franklin, Stankoven disappointed not knowing how the season could have ended

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