Image credit: Allen Douglas Photos via Facebook/Kamloops Blazers

By Aaron Schulze

Royals 5 Blazers 3

Blazers eliminated from playoff contention, fall to Royals 5-3

Mar 19, 2025 | 6:08 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers were officially eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday (March 19) night.

In a do-or-die situation for their final three games of the 2024-25 Western Hockey League (WHL) season, the Blazers fell to the Victoria Royals at home 5-3. The loss means the Seattle Thunderbirds clinched the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot. The Blazers trail the Thunderbirds by six points with two games remaining.

Goals were aplenty in the first period. While the Royals opened the scoring two minutes in, the Blazers responded a few minutes later with Vit Zahejsky putting a sitting puck home after Josh Kelly’s shot squeezed through Royals goaltender and Kamloops local Johnny Hicks.

The Royals responded with two more goals in the first period, but Kelly would finish a goal of his own on a rebound to cut the Blazers’ deficit to 3-2.

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However, the second period would end up sealing the Blazers’ fate. The Royals scored twice to extend their lead to 5-2.

Matteo Koci would score from the left circle to cut the deficit to 5-3 but the Blazers couldn’t solve Hicks again. The Royals goaltender stopped 16 shots in the third period to secure the win.

The Blazers fall to 24-37-4-1 on the 2024-25 WHL season, good for 53 points in 66 games. They’re 10th in the Western Conference and fourth in the B.C. Division.

The Blazers play their final home game of the regular season Friday, March 21 when they welcome the Vancouver Giants to Sandman Centre. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Royals, Markus Loponen (18) from Seth Fryer, 2:02

1-1, Blazers, Vit Zahejsky (3) from Josh Kelly, 6:53

2-1, Royals, Brayden Boehm (19) from Markus Loponen and Nolan Stewart, 8:13

3-1, Royals, Kenta Isogai (31) from Justin Kipkie and Brayden Boehm (power play), 10:32

3-2, Blazers, Josh Kelly (6) from Conner Radke, 16:52

Second Period

4-2, Royals, Cosmo Wilson (7) from Brandon Lisowsky and Keaton Verhoeff, 7:22

5-2, Royals, Nolan Stewart (11) unassisted, 13:11

Third Period

5-3, Blazers, Matteo Koci (4) from Conner Radke and Andrew Thomson, 2:40

Goaltending

Johnny Hicks (W), Royals, 38 saves on 41 shots in 60 minutes played.

Dylan Ernst (L), Blazers, 34 saves on 39 shots in 57 minutes played.