River Arnason (Image Credit: CFJC Today/Anthony Corea)
In the WHL

Blazers trim roster ahead of pre-season game against Vees in Penticton

Sep 8, 2026 | 5:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers trimmed their roster to 28 players ahead of a WHL pre-season game against the Vees on Tuesday (Sept. 8) in Penticton.


Those who remain are one step closer to securing a spot on the team for the regular season.

CFJC spoke to a pair of those players on Tuesday morning – 18 year-old forward River Arnason and 16-year-old defencemen Mateo Ferreira. 

“I feel like each game I’m getting better,” said Arnason, who tallied 24 points in 42 games last season with the Junior ‘A’ Prince George Spruce Kings. “Each practice, I’m getting better. It’s been great to find chemistry with linemates and to find the back of the net. That’s been huge, just having the coaches trust me more and more each day.”

Ferreira is one of four 16-year-olds remaining on the pre-season roster, along with forwards Teagen Bouchard, Brady Ondrus and Collin Kim.

“They went through a little bit of a rough stretch there, but I feel like these past couple of drafts have been really good,” Ferreira said. “We’ve got a lot of young talent that’s going to make footsteps into the league and, hopefully, help our team out as much as they can.”

Forwards Micah Montgomery and Mazen Green, both 15, defenceman Chase Gill and forward Evan Zachgo, both 16, and 17 year-old goaltender Griffin Fair were reassigned on Tuesday.

Seventeen forwards, nine defencemen and two goalies remain on the roster.

Kamloops has two wins and one shootout loss in the pre-season.

The Blazers will wrap the exhibition slate this weekend with a pair of games against the Cougars – on Saturday in Quesnel and on Sunday in Kamloops.