Vanek Scores Again, But Wild Drop 4-2 Contest Saturday at Kamloops
WHL Wenatchee Wild

Vanek Scores Again, But Wild Drop 4-2 Contest Saturday at Kamloops

Published on November 22, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Maddix McCagherty on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Maddix McCagherty on game night
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Brian Johnson/Kamloops Blazers)

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia. - Wenatchee's visit to Sandman Centre Saturday evening also meant a shift in the team's Western Hockey League schedule - after playing four games in six nights and spending 26 hours on the bus last week, this week's schedule consisted only of Saturday's game at the Kamloops Blazers. It also meant running into two of the Western Hockey League's top three scorers, and those leading scorers led the way in a 4-2 Blazer victory.

Top WHL scorer J.P. Hurlbert netted two goals in Saturday's game, while third-leading scorer Nathan Behm notched primary assists on both tallies. The Blazers climbed back above .500 for the season at 11-10-2-2, while Wenatchee fell to 6-12-1-1 with Saturday's loss.

A takeaway at the blue line allowed Behm to slide a pass to Hurlbert for a successful one-timer from the left half at 8:50 of the first period, putting Kamloops ahead first. With just 26 seconds left in the period and Kamloops on the power play, Isa Guram slung a wrist shot from the top left of the slot that sneaked over the shoulder of Tobias Tvrznik, giving the hosts a 2-0 advantage at the break.

Wenatchee's response came just 2:11 into the second period - Maddix McCagherty's shot from the right point pinballed off of Zane Saab at the net and found Blake Vanek for a weak-side rebound - Vanek punched in the extra chance to put the Wild within a goal.

After going 1-for-2 on the power play to start, Kamloops's final power play lasted just 16 seconds, as Cooper Moore roped a wrist shot through from the right-wing circle with 5:30 to play and put the Blazers ahead 3-1. However, with the Wenatchee net empty, Luka Shcherbyna found Caelan Joudrey out front to slip one by Ivans Kufterins with 2:53 to go. Kamloops clinched the win with an empty-net goal on a long-distance toss from Hurlbert with 1:18 remaining.

Moore and Guram each added an assist to their goals, and Ryan Michael picked up a couple of assists as well. Tvrznik took the loss with 27 saves, while Kufterins made 29 saves to earn his fourth win of the season. Though the Blazers finished 6-for-7 on their special teams chances, the teams were as even as possible on many counts - each team wrapped up the night with 31 shots on net, with all three periods coming out perfectly equal. Kamloops won one extra restart to win the battle at the faceoff dot, 33-32.

Shcherbyna and McCagherty each extended their point streaks to four games, tying a team-best for the year. However, Josh Toll and Mathias Silaban finished without points, seeing their runs end at three consecutive games. Joudrey and Vanek also extended their point streaks to three games by netting goals in Saturday's game.

A four-game homestand begins Wednesday evening with Wenatchee's "Wild Wednesday" promotion against the Vancouver Giants, presented by Plumb Perfect, with a koozie giveaway to the first 1,000 fans in the building. The opening puck drop for Wenatchee's Thanksgiving Eve tilt is scheduled for 6 p.m. That game begins a stretch of three home games for the club over the Thanksgiving week.

Tickets for Wednesday's game and all regular-season Wild home games are on sale now by phone at 509-888-7825, or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team's website and on the team's social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Maddix McCagherty on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Maddix McCagherty on game night
(Brian Johnson/Kamloops Blazers)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from November 22, 2025


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