J.P. Hurlbert (left). (Image Credit: Brian Johnson)

By Marty Hastings

WHL PLAYOFFS

Blazers on brink of elimination after home loss; Kelowna’s prolific pairing of Iginla, Cihar dazzles

Mar 31, 2026 | 11:27 PM

KAMLOOPS – Tij Iginla and Vojtech Cihar are skewering the Kamloops Blazers, scoring in abundance and registering timely goals to put their B.C. Division rivals on the brink of elimination from the WHL playoffs.

The Kelowna Rockets’ duo combined for three goals and eight points in a 7-4 victory over the Blazers on Tuesday [March 31] at Sandman Centre.

“We didn’t even have them playing together when they both got back from the world juniors, so it took us a while before we even tried that out,” Rockets’ head coach Derrick Martin said of the Iginla-Cihar pairing. “I won’t say it was instant [chemistry], but it was pretty close to instant. They’re both smart players. They have an ability to feed off of each other and they communicate. They have some fun with each other and I think that that helps.”

Kelowna leads the Western Conference quarter-final series 3-0, with Game 4 slated for Wednesday [April 1] in Kamloops. Game time is 7 p.m. at Sandman Centre.

“We’re still alive,” Blazers’ head coach Shaun Clouston said. “We’ve just got to get rest tonight and be ready to go tomorrow night. There are some really good signs.”

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Utah Mammoth prospect Iginla and Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Cihar were all over the Blazers’ radar after combining for nine points in the first two games of the series.

The Blazers knew they were dangerous off the rush and wanted to slow them down. Efforts were futile.

Iginla and Cihar struck off the rush to open the scoring in the first period, sucking the air out of an expectant Kamloops crowd (announced at 3,737) watching post-season Blazers’ hockey for the first time since 2023.

Iginla got off a lightning-quick shot, going backhand to forehand in an instant and using Blazers’ defenceman Rhett Ravndahl as a screen to put Kelowna up 1-0 at 6:37 of the first period.

“I just kind of got the puck in over the blue from Cihar and just tried to get a quick shot off and it found its way,” Iginla said. “I don’t know if it went through his legs or around him or what happened there, but I was happy to see it go in. Big first goal for us.”

Nate Corbet’s first goal of the post-season was an odd one, a video review — cued from the booth in the middle of play — showing a puck dislodging from underneath Blazers’ goaltender Logan Edmonstone’s skate while behind the goal line.

That goal at 13:05 of the first stanza put the visitors up 2-0 and they added one more at 15:16, one Edmonstone might want back.

Dawson Gerwing’s shot from the face-off dot got through Edmonstone to put Kelowna up 3-0, the scoreline at the intermission.

“I think there are lots of positives tonight,” Clouston said. “We scored four goals. The negative is some goals went in a little bit easy. And not necessarily putting it on the goalies. Just some seeing-eye shots.”

Latvian import Ivans Kufterins started the second period between the pipes for Kamloops and the goaltending change seemed to provide a spark.

Kamloops forced a turnover deep in Kelowna territory and hometown centreman Jordan Keller solved Rockets’ goaltender Harrison Boettiger from a bad angle.

Not long after Keller’s marker, the buoyed Blazers’ faithful were primed to send the Sandman Centre roof halfway to Juniper, with Owen Cooper bearing down on Boettiger on a 3-on-1.

Cooper’s shot did not find its mark and the crowd pop did not materialize.

When Iginla tipped in a point shot — yes, it was Cihar’s point shot, of course — the Rockets jumped back into a three-goal lead at 3:56 of the second period.

The goal had potential to quash Kamloops momentum, but it seemed to do the opposite.

Edmonton Oilers’ prospect Tommy Lafreniere and first-round NHL Draft prospect J.P. Hurlbert were menacing and their efforts helped lead to an Isa Guram goal on a long shift.

The Blazers’ defenceman was patient while crawling down off the point with the puck, delaying his shot long enough for traffic to form in front of Boettiger before wiring the puck home to cut the Kelowna lead in half.

“There’s no quitting in us,” Ravndahl said. “We’re going to battle to the end, no matter what.”

Kamloops continued to push and Lafreniere dazzled, undressing a Rockets’ d-man before flipping a puck that was labelled for the top corner, a highlight-reel effort foiled by the shaft of Boettiger’s stick.

Boettiger stopped 34 shots to pick up his third victory of the post-season.

Kufterins made a pair of formidable saves on Shane Smith in the second stanza and stopped 25 of 28 shots that came his way in relief of Edmonstone.

Clouston said his club will likely make a decision on its starting goaltender for Game 4 on Wednesday morning.

Hayden Paupanekis, with his Rockets appearing fatigued and reeling, took a penalty late in the period, the Kamloops power play unable to strike before the second intermission.

The Blazers failed to capitalize during the power-play time that remained early in the third period and Kelowna’s prolific pair soon pounced.

Cihar, the game’s second star, scored at 2:49 to make it 5-2. Iginla, the game’s first star, assisted on the dagger.

“He’s a pretty easy guy to play with,” Iginla said. “He’s got great hockey sense and a really, really good offensive mind for the game.”

Iginla finished with two goals and four points. Cihar of Czechia had a goal and three helpers.

Ryan Oothoudt added insurance for Kelowna, with his first of the post-season, the goal pushing the Rockets out to a 6-2 lead.

Blazers’ overage captain Ryan Michael tallied on the power play and Jacob Dumansky, who turned 17 in January, continued his post-season ascendence to give the home team the tiniest sliver of hope.

“We pushed back in the second,” Clouston said. “A couple more go in. We push back. It took us a little while, but we pushed back again in third. We’ve just got to be way harder against the guys you mentioned [Iginla and Cihar].”

Rowan Guest scored into an empty net to seal the Rockets’ victory.

“I didn’t think we handled the pressure very good in the second period,” Martin said. “And then I thought we went away a little bit in the third again and gave them some life.”

The Rockets were 0-for-2 and the Blazers were 1-for-3 on the power play. Kelowna outshout Kamloops 41-37.

Martin cautioned against the idea of Kamloops going quietly on Wednesday, noting he has too much respect for Clouston to assume anything except extreme pushback from a team on the brink.

“We know they’re going to be a desperate hockey team tomorrow,” Martin said. “Desperate hockey teams are usually hard teams to play against. We’ve got to make sure that we get a good night’s sleep and get ready for tomorrow night.”