Giants Drop Finale in OT to Blazers
Published on March 22, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Vancouver Giants celebrate a goal against the Kamloops Blazers
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)
LANGLEY, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants lost to the Kamloops Blazers 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night at Langley Events Centre in their regular season finale on Fan Appreciation Night.
Kamloops took a 1-0 lead late in the first and extended it to 2-0 early in the second. Vancouver cut into the lead with a goal from Ethan Mittelsteadt at the 6:41 mark of the second period and then got the tying goal from Joe Iginla late in the middle frame. Vancouver took their first lead of the game with a goal from Mathis Preston midway through the third, before Kamloops responded with a goal just a minute later to send the game into overtime tied at 3-3. The Blazers then won the game with a goal just 15 seconds into overtime.
Vancouver finishes the season with a record of 25-39-2-2 (54 points), while Kamloops finishes with 75 points thanks to a record of 31-24-7-6.
Mittelsteadt, Iginla and Preston were the goal scorers for Vancouver.
Lafreniere found the back of the net twice for Kamloops, while Evaschesen and Thomson also tallied goals for the Blazers.
GAME SUMMARY
Kamloops opened the games scoring on the power play when JP Hurlbert sent a cross-ice pass to Tommy Lafreniere who sniped a one-timer home to give the Blazers the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
The Blazers added in the early second when Lafreniere sent a backhand pass to Josh Evaschesen who made a move and buried the pick to take the 2-0 lead.
Mittelsteadt got Vancouver on the board when he made a move past one defender and sniped a one-timer from the slot to make it 2-1.
The Giants tied the game near the end of the second period when Holowaychuk made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Iginla who notched it top shelf to make it 2-2 entering the final frame.
Preston got the Giants the 3-2 lead in the third period when he got his 18th goal of the season with a one-timer from the face-off dot.
The Blazers responded just a minute later when Harrison Brunicke sent a backhand to Andrew Thomson in the slot who buried it into the open net.
Kamloops then won the game 4-3 with an overtime winner just 15 seconds in when Lafreniere tipped the puck in the back of the net after a give and go with Jordan Keller.
STATISTICS
SOG: VAN - 4/11/16/0 = 31 | KAM - 16/9/6/1 = 32
PP: VAN - 0/1 | KAM - 1/3
Face-Offs: VAN - 38 | KAM - 28
3 STARS
1st: VAN - Kelton Pyne - 28 Saves on 32 Shots
2nd: VAN - Ethan Mittelsteadt - 1G, 2 SOG
3rd: VAN - Misha Volotovskii - N/A
GOALTENDING BATTLE
Vancouver: LOSS - Kelton Pyne (28 saves / 32 shots)
Kamloops: WIN - Ivans Kufterins (28 saves / 31 shots)
UPCOMING
The 2025-26 regular season has come to an end.
Images from this story
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