By Chad Klassen

Blazers feel they can carry momentum from late-season run into next year

Apr 3, 2019 | 5:50 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Blazers reached heights this season that didn’t seem possible in the final week of the regular season. 

Down seven points to Kelowna and on its death bed, the team rallied to pull even and force a tiebreaker game, which they hosted and won in thrilling fashion. 

It looked like they might have the Victoria Royals on the ropes after a Game 4 win before falling a hard-fought six-game series. 

The players feel the momentum they carried to the playoffs will translate into next year. 

“I think it’s going to leave a taste in our mouth that we want to get back in camp, start on the right foot, and then now we know what you’re building to, so it’s huge,” said 19 year old Zane Franklin. 

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Seventeen-year-old forward Connor Zary added, “When you go on a streak like that, obviously we didn’t win every single game in a row, but when you come to the rink we have one goal in mind, the whole team just having a good time. It was really exciting.”

Zary developed into the Blazers’ go-to guy in the second half of the season, especially in the last two weeks, putting the team on his back offensively, scoring big goal after big goal. He scored five goals in the final four regular season games, one in the tiebreaker win, and another three in four playoff games against Victoria. 

“It was great for my development, especially still being young, still being 17,” said Zary. “I got a few more years left in this league, so getting that valuable experience, it’s going to help me down the road quite a bit.”

The Blazers lose their three 20-year-old players, including captain Jermaine Loewen, the heart and soul of the Blazers for the last five years. But they theoretically bring everyone back, young players who gained valuable experience with multiple elimination-type games. 

“Obviously every team is going to look different next year. I like how we have a lot of guys returning,” said 16-year-old goaltender Dylan Garand. “So obviously with the experience we had this year in the playoffs for the younger guys, it’ll be good. I’m just looking forward to it and I think we’re going to have a good team. I sure hope so.”

Garand is the projected No. 1 guy entering next season with Ferguson moving on. Garand stepped in admirably in Ferguson’s absence in the final week of the season, going 6-0-1 in seven starts to get his team into the postseason. 

The 16-year-old Victoria native feels he’s ready to be a full-time starter. 

“I think just getting the experience playing games with Fergy out, I had the starting role, I was the go-to guy every game, just learning that aspect of it,” said Garand. “I think we had seven games in 11 days, so playing every single one, it’s just getting used to that and the schedule of what being the starting goalie really prepared me. I think I can take on that challenge next year.”

The one knock on the Blazers this season, coupled with inconsistent play for most of the year, was their young backend. The defenseman will all be a year older, but general manager Matt Bardsley says he’ll be keeping his eyes open for a deal in the offseason. 

“I think we had some defense that were playing in positions that were maybe out of their comfort zone,” said Bardsley. “But they’ve learned to be able to survive to do that. Again, I think going forward next year, it’s really going to benefit them. It’s not going to be unfamiliar to them.”

Bardsley, however, will hold onto his assets tightly before and after the WHL Bantam Draft on May 2, not willing to sell the future to improve the team now.