By Chad Klassen

Stankoven leads charge in pushing Thompson Blazers to next level

Sep 21, 2018 | 2:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The B.C. Major Midget League season has yet to begin, but Kamloops native Logan Stankoven is already lighting things up, scoring 11 goals and adding five assists in seven preseason games with the Thompson Blazers. 

He’s the local star the team’s been waiting for after struggling for years until last season when the team earned a playoff spot. The speed and goal-scoring ability he brings is among the strengths of this year’s squad. 

“There’s a lot of strengths on our team,” said Stankoven. “Probably one would be playing at a fast pace. We play at a fast pace, drive the net. Not all the goals are going to be pretty, but they all count.” 

Stankoven opted this year to stay close to home after a year with the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford. 

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“It was a hard decision, but either way I knew it was a good choice,” he noted. “But I just decided to stay here in Kamloops and I’m really excited for the season.”

The 15 year old was drafted by the Blazers fifth overall at this year’s WHL Bantam Draft. The head coach of the Thompson Blazers, Carter Cochrane, a Kamloops native who played in the WHL, says the goal is to give Stankoven plenty of chances to flourish on this team.

“We don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but it’s a league that 15 year olds have had a lot of success in the past, especially guys of Logan’s calibre,” noted Cochrane, who last played in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverback and Trail Smoke Eaters in 2016-2017. “He’s going to get every opportunity here to be an impact player for us. For us, our goal is just to develop him, get him as ready as possible for the next level and to be a Kamloops Blazer and a good one at that.”

Despite being a highly-touted homegrown talent, Stankoven doesn’t necessarily feel pressure playing for the local major midget team. 

“No, not really. I just got to stay focused and look toward the end goal, which would be awesome next year to be playing as a 16 year old for the Blazers.”

The Blazers play two games this weekend against the Vancouver North West Hawks. The puck drops on the season-opener on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Sandman Centre before playing the Hawks again on Sunday at 11 a.m.