Kamloops Blazers

By Earl Seitz

Kamloops Blazers

Training camp would have started today, if not for COVID-19

Aug 20, 2020 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — If this had been a normal year, Blazers training camp would be getting underway today at the Sandman Centre –with the first pre-season games next weekend, and the start of the season the third or fourth weekend in September.

Instead, because of COVID-19, the season was initially delayed to start October 2.

Earlier this month that start was pushed back again to December 4.

The last time the Blazers played a home game was on March the 6th against Lethbridge.

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Four days later on March 10 in Spokane, they did’nt know it at the time, but it would be their last game of the season.

A disappointing end, for sure, in one of the best and most promising seasons in years.

“We had depth, we had buy in, we had goaltending, we had scoring.” says head coach Shaun Clouston. “I think we had some grit too.”

It will never be known what could have been.

But Clouston says it’s time to put the past in the rear view mirror.

“In general I’ve always tried to focus on what is, not on what isn’t, or what could have been.” says Clouston. “We can’t change it so it doesn’t make a lot of sence to spend too much time there, other than to say we did a pretty good job. I think the players believe that there’s the potential to do it again.”

Throughout the summer Shaun Clouston and his staff of mental and fitness coaches have kept in touch with the players by zoom on a weekly basis.

And beginning this week, from a social distance, being able watching some players on the ice in Vancouver.

“There are some ice sessions with some of our younger players so we were able to watch all of our younger players.” says Clouston. “Say hi to the parents. So I think it’s really important to do what we can.”

Among the players they saw in Vancouver this week was Connor Levis, the 2019 first round bantam draft pick, who took a year to decide, before signing with the Blazers earlier this summer.

“When we got to that point where everyone was comfortable and they went ahead and signed it was great. I think it’s been really good for Connor since then. I think it was weighing heavy. I’ve seen a real difference in him — a focus, a committment, an energy level. He knows what he wants and he is really working to get prepared for the upcoming season.”

With it being another three months until players report to Kamloops to begin final preparations for a tentative December start to the season, Clouston says more trips like that, potentially to Albera and Saskatchewan to see players could be in the works.

Also those weekly team zoom meetings.

“We’ve got another couple of months to really work on some things that we have to improve on.” says Clouston. “Work on some deficiencies — so we’re going to do everything we can to turn this into a positive.”