KAMLOOPS — Tonight is the final home game of the pre-season for the Kamloops Blazers.
A pre-season game —- but not just another game. It’s Kelowna!
“I’m going to be introduced to the rivalry between Kelowna and Kamloops, and I’m looking forward to that,” says Blazers head coach Serge Lajoie.
But for Lajoie it’s about a lot more than just a rivalry between two close geographical competing cities and their highest profile teams. Jobs are still on the line. And it’s these games that will ultimately decide who stays, who goes and in some situations who plays where and when.
“We’re still in an evaluation period,” says Lajoie. “The players have to realize that. They’re still showcasing. Some guys are trying to make the team. Some guys are trying to position themselves in terms of where they might end up in the lineup.”
“We just want to be the hardest working team in the league,” says 20-year old forward Luc Smith. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing up against, whether it’s in practice or if it’s in a workout —- we are asked and we are challenged to be the hardest working team in the league. For these two games this weekend it starts with that, but then it continues over to learning how to play with each other again.”
With four veteran players — goaltender Dylan Ferguson, forward Jermaine Loewen and defencemen Montana Oneybuchi and Sean Strange at NHL camps, it’s flung the door wide open for young players, and veterans, who might be on the bubble.
“It is an opportunity for these players to be put in different situations — situations that maybe they’re not comfortable with,” says Lajoie. “That’s exactly the way they have to look at it — it’s an opportunity to have the chance to showcase what they can do.”
One of the biggest questions right now is in goaltending. As a signed 20-year old there is no guarantee that last seasons starter Dylan Ferguson will be back.
Max Palaga was the backup last season, and he’s being pushed hard by 17-year old Rayce Ramsay and 16-year old Dylan Garand.
“It’s wide open,” says Lajoie. “Whoever wants to take advantage of the chance that they’re given to put their best foot forward. You know if I was in their position I would just do it with a smile on my face and see what happens. Your confidence comes in your preparation.”
There’s nothing like a red hot, bad blood rivalry to ramp up the adrenelin. Veterans like fifth year forward Luc Smith have been through it for the last four years. This is the season they’ll begin to hand the mantle off to younger players —- many of who, like the coach, will get their first taste tonight of the Kamloops-Kelowna rivalry.
“For us older guys that have been around here for a while, we understand what the rivalry is,” says Smith. “We stepped up and we said even though it’s pre-season it still means something. We don’t like those guys over on the lake there — we’re Rivermen, we like to get after it, and we like to hunt them down.”
