(Image Credit: Facebook/Kamloops Storm)

By Aaron Schulze

Storm 4 Heat 2

Storm sweep Heat, await Mustangs or River Rush in second round of KIJHL playoffs

Mar 12, 2026 | 6:18 AM

CHASE, B.C. — The Kamloops Storm are moving on to the elite eight of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) playoffs. 

The Storm defeated the Chase Heat on the road Wednesday (March 11) night 4-2 to sweep their first-round playoff series 4-0. 

In the Doug Birks Division Finals, the Storm will play either the Quesnel River Rush or the Williams Lake Mustangs. Quesnel leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. 

Game four between the two means on Tuesday was suspended after a Mustangs player was hospitalized following an injury. The game will resume at the West Fraser Centre in Quesnel at 7:00 p.m. Thursday (March 12) tied 1-1 with 3:31 remaining in the first period. 

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Removing bathroom doors at Barriere Secondary increases safety concerns

Apr 02, 2026

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: April 2, 2026

Apr 02, 2026

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Kamloops deserves the full story

Apr 01, 2026

Elsewhere in the KIJHL, the Merritt Centennials also staved off elimination by defeating the Revelstoke Grizzlies at home Wednesday 3-1. The Cents trail the best of seven series 3-1 as they head to Revelstoke for game five Friday (March 13). 

Storm Scoring Summary 

First Period 

1-0, Storm, Quinn Ramsay (1) from Wyatt Olson and Hayden Selin (power play), 19:41 

Second Period 

1-1, Heat, Thayer Bunbury (1) from Jace Koskimaki, 1:52 

2-1, Storm, Nicklas Wytrychowski (1) from Kuy Schmirler, 13:08 

3-1, Storm, Carson Werbowesky (1) from Cale Nachai and David Ander, 18:36 

Third Period 

4-1, Storm, Nicholas Clark (3) from Hayden Selin and Kieran Thibault, 4:39 

4-2, Heat, Briggs Olson (1) from Mason Ashcroft, 18:52 

Goaltending 

Brenner Fyfe (W), Storm, 23 saves on 25 shots in 60 minutes played. 

Stanislav Stefaniv (L), Heat, 46 saves on 50 shots in 60 minutes played.