Joaquin Geras (Image Credit: CFJC Today/Anthony Corea)

By Marty Hastings

IN THE WHL

Blazers discuss potential first-round playoff opponents, look ahead to final weekend of regular season

Mar 18, 2026 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Blazers’ head coach Shaun Clouston is thrilled his players will be rewarded for enduring hard times, with his club heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2023. 

“We’ve had some real warriors, hard-working guys who have really stuck to it for three hockey seasons and competed hard,” Clouston said. “It’s nice to clinch and look forward to playing in the post-season.” 

The Blazers will finish their regular season schedule this weekend with two games against the Vancouver Giants. 

Kamloops (29-24-7-6) will host Vancouver (25-38-1-2) on Friday (March 20), a 7:00 p.m. start at Sandman Centre, with the rematch scheduled for Saturday in Langley.

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The Blazers and Spokane Chiefs (35-29-1-0) are tied for fifth in Western Conference standings, but Spokane has one game in hand on Kamloops. 

Clouston said his club is focused on trying to play two complete games this weekend against the Giants, who are tied with the Wenatchee Wild in the WHL cellar. 

“If we do those things, yeah, we’ve got a real good chance to take care of our end of things, and a real good chance at fifth,” he said. 

Kamloops is most likely to play either Prince George or Kelowna in Round 1, the Cougars with a one-point lead on the Rockets as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Blazers’ rookie defenceman Joaquin Geras was asked about the prospect of playing the Cougars, who edged his club 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday in Prince George. 

“The travel. Six-hour road trip. Long bus rides,” Geras said. “They have a good atmosphere up there, so it can be intimidating, at times. We love playing them. We have all year. It’s been close games. It’s an exciting series if we do end up getting them.” 

The Kamloops-versus-Kelowna storylines write themselves for Blazers’ fans, an Interior-Okanagan clash between B.C. Division foes that would offer their club the opportunity to jettison the Memorial Cup hosts in Round 1.

“As a first-year guy, you hear from the older guys about that Kelowna rivalry,” Geras said. “It’s been huge. We hear it from the coaches, too. To get that first taste of it would be really nice. And they’re a Memorial Cup team, so [it would be] exciting to play a good team like that.”