Josh Evaschesen recorded two points against the Penticton Vees on Jan. 9, 2026. (Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers/File)

By Victor Kaisar

Vees 4 Blazers 2

Vees double up Blazers as Brunicke makes WHL season debut

Jan 10, 2026 | 8:22 AM

PENTICTON — Harrison Brunicke was on the scoresheet in his first WHL game of the season, but it was the Penticton Vees who doubled up the Kamloops Blazers 4-2 Friday (Jan. 9) night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

The 19-year-old defencemen made his season debut with the Blazers just days after he was reassigned to the WHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He wasn’t able to prevent the BC Division-leading Vees from extending their win streak to eight games.

Goals from Matteo Danis in the first and Brady Birnie in the second had the Vees up 2-0 after 40 minutes Friday night. While the Blazers pulled even at 2-2 late in the third period, the 23-9-4-3 Vees scored two more to improve to 53 points from 39 games.

The Blazers made it a 2-1 game at 8:19 of the third period when Nathan Behm pounced on a loose puck after Brunicke drove to the net and fired a shot that bounced off the pad of Vees netminder Andrew Reyelts.

Brunicke creates it, Behm finishes it. 🤝🚨 pic.twitter.com/44Icbtgqvh

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) January 10, 2026

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Six minutes later, it was 2-2 after Josh Evaschesen knocked an aerial puck onto his stick before he deked and fired a shot past Reyelts at 14:27. Evaschesen finished with a multi-point night in Penticton as he also picked up the secondary assist on Behm’s opener.

Josh Evaschesen really just did that. 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/S3xFbo4h8R

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) January 10, 2026

The Vees top line responded a minute later when Tristen Petersen jammed a loose puck into the net to make it 3-2. Jacob Kvasnicka then scored into the empty net with a little over minute left to play to seal the win.

Blazers netminder Logan Edmonstone finished with 35 saves on 38 shots, while Reyelts stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced.

The loss dropped the 18-14-3-4 Blazers to sixth in the Western Conference and fourth in the BC Division. They’ll look to rebound when they rematch against the Vees at Sandman Centre at 6:00 p.m. this evening.