Wild Finish on High Note Despite 7-2 Loss to Kamloops Friday
WHL Wenatchee Wild

Wild Finish on High Note Despite 7-2 Loss to Kamloops Friday

Published on January 24, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Grady Veary
Wenatchee Wild's Grady Veary
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)

WENATCHEE, Wash. - Even after Kamloops came out blazing in the first 40 minutes, the Wenatchee Wild didn't let up in their Western Hockey League contest Friday at Town Toyota Center.

The Kamloops Blazers leapt to a 3-0 lead after one period, and a 7-0 margin after two - however, Grady Veary earned his first WHL goal and Nolan Caffey connected on the power play to give the Wild a solid finish in a 7-2 defeat to close out the regular-season series between the teams. Kamloops climbed to 20-14-5-4 for the season as they begin a three-in-three weekend, while Wenatchee moved to 17-25-1-2 with the loss.

Kamloops got on the board 6:32 into the game, when Tommy Lafreniere found J.P. Hurlbert at the edge of the slot for a backdoor catch-and-release shot, zipping a wrister past Tobias Tvrznik to put the Blazers in front. Harrison Brunicke blasted a slap shot from high in the right circle with 3:59 left in the period for a two-goal advantage, and Lafreniere notched a stick-side goal of his own with 22.5 seconds left in the period for a three-goal margin at the break.

Wenatchee found itself down 5-on-3 in the opening seconds of the second period, and the Blazers took advantage - Brunicke scored 17 seconds out of the intermission, slipping one through Cal Conway, who made his first relief appearance of the season. A pitch from Ty Coupland at the right point clipped Josh Evaschesen's stick at the front of the net, squeaking by Conway 89 seconds out of the break to give the Blazers a second power play tally and a five-goal cushion.

At 5:46 of the period, Evaschesen struck again, rattling one low from the left-wing circle on the penalty kill for a 6-0 lead. The Blazer offense found its last marker of the night with 10.2 seconds on the second-period clock, when Joaquin Geras tossed one from the left point that evaded the traffic at the net and built the lead to seven.

The Wild weren't about to go quietly into the night - Darian Rolsing's wrist shot from the right point at 7:27 of the third bounded off Veary and past Logan Edmonstone, giving the Campbell River, British Columbia product a goal in his WHL debut. With 6:41 left in the contest, Caffey picked off a clearing attempt from the Blazers' corner, settling the puck onto his stick and sending a shot hopping past Edmonstone to cut the final margin to 7-2.

Brunicke led a trio of Blazers with three-point games, posting two goals and an assist, while Lafreniere and Hurlbert each picked up a goal and two helpers. Edmonstone earned his 12th win of the season, and Kamloops finished 2-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. Tvrznik took the loss for Wenatchee, making 14 saves on 17 Blazer chances before exiting at the first intermission in favor of Conway.

Next up for the Wild is a matchup against the Tri-City Americans on Saturday for Wenatchee's annual Guns & Hoses game. Doors for Saturday's game open at 3:30 p.m., with area police and firefighters facing off at 4 p.m., followed by the Wild and Americans at 6 p.m. Live coverage is available on Newsradio 560 KPQ and Victory+.

Tickets for Saturday'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.

Check out the Wenatchee Wild Statistics

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Grady Veary
Wenatchee Wild's Grady Veary
(Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from January 24, 2026


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