(Facebook/Prince George Cougars Hockey Club).

By Aaron Schulze

Blazers 5 Cougars 4

Blazers open season with 5-4 win in Prince George

Oct 3, 2021 | 9:59 AM

PRINCE GEORGE — All’s well that ends well for the Kamloops Blazers.

In their first game of the 2021-22 Western Hockey League (WHL) regular season on Saturday (Oct. 2), the Blazers went into Prince George and held a 3-0 lead over the Cougars early in the second period, before the Cougars scored three unanswered.

The Blazers would take another lead halfway through the third period thanks a blocker-side wrist shot from Tye Spencer, before the Cougars tied it up again.

Although Connor Levis put the game away net front on the power play with under five minutes to go, en route to a 5-4 Blazers win to start the season. Goaltender Dylan Garand made 25 saves for the win, including a glove save on 16-year-old Cougars’ star Riley Heidt and a 2-on-0 breakaway.

The Blazers are off for an entire week ahead of their home opener against the Cougars on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the Sandman Centre.

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Scoring summary

First period

1-0, Blazers, Reese Belton (1) from Ryan Michael and Logan Bairos, 7:58

2-0, Blazers, Mark Stacha (1) from Josh Pillar and Nick McCarry, 18:04

Second period

3-0, Blazers, Josh Pillar (1) from Nick McCarry and Logan Stankoven, 0:45

3-1, Cougars, Hudson Thornton (1) from Craig Armstrong, 9:43

3-2, Cougars, Kyren Gronick (1) from Riley Heidt and Jonny Hooker, 12:40

3-3, Cougars, Riley Heidt (1) from Viliam Kmec and Hudson Thornton, 18:35

Third period

4-3, Blazers, Tye Spencer (1) from Emmitt Finnie and Mats Lindgren, 9:46

4-4, Cougars, Jonny Hooker (1) from Hudson Thornton and Viliam Kmec (power play), 12:55

5-4, Blazers, Connor Levis (1) from Matthew Seminoff and Dylan Sydor (power play), 15:09

Goaltending

Dylan Garand (W), Blazers, 25 saves on 29 shots in 60 minutes played.

Tyler Brennan (L), Cougars, 26 saves on 31 shots in 59 minutes played.

by Aaron Schulze