The U-18 AAA Thompson Blazers practicing prior to traveling to Kelowna for the B.C. Elite Hockey League championship finals. (Image Credit: CFJC Today/File photo)

By Aaron Schulze

Thompson Blazers

Thompson Blazers swept by Okanagan Rockets in U-18 AAA final

Mar 23, 2026 | 8:34 AM

KAMLOOPS — The U-18 AAA Thompson Blazers were unable to put a bow on their miraculous turnaround. 

The Blazers fell to the No. 2 seed Okanagan Rockets in two games during the best-of-three Under-18 AAA B.C. Elite Hockey League (BCEHL) championship final. 

The Rockets took game one of the championship series in Kelowna Friday (March 20) 10-3 with Isaac Gossen and Cooper Sydor scoring for the Blazers, the latter potting two goals. Kelowna completed the two-game sweep Saturday with a 7-0 shutout. 

One year after finishing at the bottom of the BCEHL standings with five wins and 31 losses, the Blazers rebounded in 2025-26 and finished fourth overall with a record of 17 wins, 16 losses and one shootout loss. 

In the 2026 playoffs, the Blazers started their run by eliminating the Vancouver North West Hawks in three games in the first round (4-3 win, 4-2 loss and 5-3 win. From there, the Blazers knocked off the top ranked Vancouver North East Chiefs in a two-game sweep, taking both games by scores of 7-5 and 6-5. 

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