Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers

By Victor Kaisar

Blazers 2 Vees 1 OT

Guram scores overtime winner as Blazers win first-ever game in Penticton

Dec 7, 2025 | 8:21 AM

PENTICTON, B.C. — Isa Guram scored just 41 seconds into overtime to lift the Kamloops Blazers to a 2-1 comeback win over the Penticton Vees Saturday (Dec. 6) night in the South Okanagan.

The 17-year-old from Burnaby wired a shot past Andrew Reyelts as the Blazers beat the Vees on their teddy bear toss night, one day after Penticton the same in Kamloops.

“I just got on the ice and I saw JP [Hurlbert] wheeling around the net and he found me in front and I just tried to get it off my stick as quick as possible,” Guram said. “I’m just so happy went in.”

Guram and his teammates proceeded to celebrate with the few dozen Blazers fans who made the roughly 2.5 hour drive from Kamloops to take in the Blazers’ first-ever game at the South Okanagan Events Centre

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“I wanted to take all the boys off the ice so we could get out of here quick but JP screamed at me and was like ‘let’s go to the fans,'” Guram added. “I thought we showed them a good game and it was fun.”

Penticton opened the scoring midway through the second period through Brooks DeMars, who etched his name into Vees’ folklore by scoring the team’s first-ever teddy bear goal in the WHL era.

While goaltender Ivans Kufterins kept the Blazers in the game with some key saves, the Vees appeared to be headed for the weekend sweep. Owen Cooper, though, had other ideas, as he fired home his third of the season at 15:27 to send the game to overtime.

Standing beside the net, Cooper – the former Everett Silvertip – redirected a shot by Andrew Thomson off Reyelt’s back into the net for his third goal as a Blazer.

Kufterins was named the game’s first star as he stopped 24 on 25 shots he faced. Reyelts turned aside 21 of 23 shots in a losing effort.

Hurlbert, the WHL’s reigning rookie of the month, became the first Canadian Hockey League player to reach the 50 point plateau this season. The Allen, Texas native – who was the first WHL-skater to hit 20 goals – reached the points milestone in just 29 games.

The Blazers improve to 14-11-2-2, and sit fourth in the WHL’s Western Conference. Penticton drops to 12-8-4-3 and they’re just one point behind Kamloops in fifth place.

Next up for the Blazers is a pair of road game in Prince George against the B.C. Division-leading Cougars next Friday and Saturday night (Dec. 12 and 13). Their next home game is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, against the Tri-City Americans.