Image credit: Facebook/Kamloops Blazers

By Aaron Schulze

Blazers 4 Thunderbirds 3

Behm boosts Blazers with two goals in 4-3 win over Thunderbirds

Sep 27, 2025 | 9:12 AM

KAMLOOPS — It was a warm welcome back to Sandman Centre for Kamloops Blazers forward Nathan Behm on Friday (Sept. 26).

The 18-year-old forward returned from a National Hockey League training camp stint with the Chicago Blackhawks and fired home two goals, including the game winner, in a 4-3 Blazers victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds.

The Blazers fell behind the eight ball early by surrendering two goals in the opening five minutes.

However, the man who did the heavy offensive lifting for the Blazers in their season opener helped get the game back on track. JP Hurlbert fired home a wrist shot from the right circle to get the Blazers on the board.

A few moments later, Behm was set up in the left circle, and he tied the game 2-2 at the end of the first period.

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The Thunderbirds responded again early in the second period to make it 3-2, but the Blazers returned serve again. Ty Bonkowski pounced on a rebound on the power play to tie the game 3-3.

Unfortunately, a hush fell over Sandman Centre a few moments later. Vit Zahejsky, the 18-year-old Czech forward who was healthy going into his second season with the Blazers, was stretchered off the ice. He was hit along the boards and crashed into the end wall leg-first.

With the home crowd needing a happy ending, Behm delivered again in the final three minutes with a wrist shot from a sharp angle to give the Blazers a 4-3 win.

Ivans Kufterins, the Latvian goalie taken by the Blazers in the first round of the 2025 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, made 34 saves to record his first win in his Western Hockey League (WHL) debut.

The Blazers improve to 2-0-0-0 to start the 2025-26 WHL season. They’ll host the Thunderbirds for a rematch Saturday (Sept. 27) at Sandman Centre. Puck drop is at 6:00 p.m.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Thunderbirds, Brock England (3) from Brendan Rudolph and Grayson Tash, 2:07

2-0, Thunderbirds, Coster Dunn (1) from Antonio Martorana, 4:51

2-1, Blazers, JP Hurlbert (4) from Ty Bonkowski and Dryden Deobald, 7:30

2-2, Blazers, Nathan Behm (1) from Vit Zahejsky and Isa Guram, 14:45

Second Period

3-2, Thunderbirds, Hyde Davidson (1) from Coster Dunn and Antonio Martorana, 4:08

3-3, Blazers, Ty Bonkowski (1) from Josh Evaschesen and Vit Zahejsky (power play), 14:17

Third Period

4-3, Blazers, Nathan Behm 2 (2) from JP Hurlbert and Josh Evaschesen, 16:57

Goaltending

Ivans Kufterins (W), Blazers, 34 saves on 37 shots in 60 minutes played.

Grayson Malinoski (L), Thunderbirds, 49 saves on 53 shots in 58 minutes played.