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Kamloops, Kelowna and Penticton clinch WHL playoff spots

Hockey players line up for a face off.
All three Thompson-Okanagan WHL teams are heading to the 2026 playoffs. SUBMITTED/Penticton Vees

Playoff hockey is in store for all three Thompson-Okanagan region Western Hockey League teams after Kamloops clinched the sixth spot in the west on the weekend.

The Kamloops Blazers haven’t been in the playoffs since 2023, the same year the city hosted the Memorial Cup tournament. A Seattle Thunderbirds loss on March 15 gave the Blazers a guaranteed post-season position with three games left in their season.

For Kamloops, it also marks their first return to the post-season after four straight BC Division titles, but this year that went to the league’s newest team, the Penticton Vees.

The Vees clinched a playoff spot earlier this month and, after setting a new win record for a CHL expansion team, took first place in the BC Division.

Now coming off three straight losses, they’re closing the season against the Tri-City Americans, followed by two back-to-back games against the Kelowna Rockets.

The Rockets are following the Vees at third place in the Western Conference and have nearly a week of rest before facing the Vees on March 20 and 21.

Kelowna is coming off two back-to-back victories against Kamloops, with Czech all-star Vojtech Cihar recording his first hat-trick in the league.

With the Battle of the Okanagan approaching, all of the Interior BC WHL teams are closing out the season with a playoff position.

Only one, however, is guaranteed a spot in this year’s Memorial Cup as Kelowna prepares to host the tournament after the league’s champion is crowned.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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