(Image credit: Facebook/Kamloops Blazers).

By Aaron Schulze

Blazers 6 Giants 3

Stankoven scores 100th goal, Blazers beat Giants 6-3 in first game after WHL trade deadline

Jan 12, 2023 | 7:09 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers won big in their first game following the Western Hockey League (WHL) trade deadline.

Logan Stankoven scored five points, including his 100^th career WHL goal, as the Blazers beat the Vancouver Giants 6-3 on Wednesday (Jan. 11) from Sandman Centre.

Caedan Bankier opened the scoring early for Kamloops with a wrist shot in between the hashmarks. The Blazers would score two more goals in the opening frame: Stankoven rifled the puck top shelf from the far circle and Daylan Kuefler pounced on his own rebound on a power play.

The Blazers didn’t relent in the second period. Bankier fed Kuefler net front for the eventual game winning goal and Aapo Sarell wristed the puck from above the circle to give the Blazers a 5-0 lead.

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The Giants would score three goals to cut the deficit to two, but newly acquired defenceman Olen Zellweger would ice his first goal as a Blazer into an empty net to secure the 6-3 win.

The Blazers improve their record to 23-8-4-2 on the 2022-23 WHL season, good for 52 points in 37 games. They’re first in the B.C. Division and third in the Western Conference.

Next up is a Friday (Jan. 13) road game where the Blazers visit the Everett Silvertips. It’s expected to be the homecoming for former Silvertips and new Blazers Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Blazers, Caedan Bankier (21) from Kyle Masters and Logan Stankoven, 3:53

2-0, Blazers, Logan Stankoven (19) from Caedan Bankier and Aapo Sarell, 14:03

3-0, Blazers, Daylan Kuefler (21) from Connor Levis and Logan Stankoven (power play), 15:11

Second Period

4-0, Blazers, Daylan Kuefler 2 (22) from Caedan Bankier and Logan Stankoven, 2:34

5-0, Blazers, Aapo Sarell (2) from Fraser Minten and Connor Levis, 17:53

Third Period

5-1, Giants, Ty Thorpe (20) from Ethan Semeniuk and Mazden Leslie (power play), 3:31

5-2, Giants, Ty Halabuda (13) unassisted, 4:30

5-3, Giants, Ty Thorpe 2 (21) unassisted, 10:32

6-3, Blazers, Olen Zellweger (11) from Caedan Bankier and Logan Stankoven (empty net), 18:19

Goaltending

Dylan Ernst (W), Blazers, 19 saves on 22 shots in 60 minutes played.

Jesper Vikman (L), Giants, 13 saves on 17 shots in 23 minutes played.

Brett Mirwald, 23 saves on 24 shots in 36 minutes played.