Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Hockey
Interior Savings Centre era over, arena gets new name
KAMLOOPS - After more than 10 years as the Interior Savings Centre the arena next to Riverside Park will now be known as The Sandman Centre. The Blazers, along with the City of Kamloops and the Sandman Hotel Group, announced a 10-year naming-rights partnership today, July 29. The arena will continue to host all Blazers...
Kelowna Rockets raise thousands to help kids with autism play hockey
KELOWNA – Players, coaches, scouts and fans of the Kelowna Rockets helped raise more than $15,000 to help children with autism enter hockey programs Friday morning. The sold out Rockets Alumni Foundation 15th Annual Golf Tournament teed off July 17 as they attempt to raise $100,000 over the next three years for the Canucks Autism...
Community celebration at Kal Beach in Vernon a hit
VERNON - It was a beach party to remember. Hundreds attended an event at Kal Beach Friday featuring activities, live music and plenty of community spirit, as well as a few National Hockey League players. The highlight for many was meeting past and present hockey idols. Jesse Vandenbrand, 7, could barely contain his excitement as...
NHL players to attend event at Vernon’s Kal Beach this summer
VERNON - Hockey fans have an exciting event to look forward to this summer in Vernon. The city announced today the National Hockey League Players’ Association will be participating in a community event and hospital fundraiser at Kalamalka Beach Friday, July 10. The family-friendly celebration will feature a significant donation of hockey equipment made by...
Heroes welcome for Kelowna Rockets
KELOWNA – Around 100 fans lined the VIP entrance to Prospera Place this afternoon to welcome home the second best team in Canadian Hockey League. The Kelowna Rockets charter bus rolled up to their home arena Monday, June 1 just before 2 p.m. to throngs of flag-waving, jersey-wearing fans of all ages. As they got...
Kelowna going to Memorial Cup semi-finals
KELOWNA - The Kelowna Rockets finished round robin play in Quebec with one win and two losses but were still able to secure a berth in the Canadian Hockey League Memorial Cup semi-final round thanks to owning a better average of goals-for and goals-against. The Rockets beat Rimouski Oceanic earlier this week but fell to...
Vernon’s Priest Valley Arena de-ices early due to electrical fire
VERNON - An electrical fire is responsible for early ice removal at Priest Valley Arena and disruptions at the Vernon Aquatic Centre over the weekend. A major breaker blew Sunday morning and caught fire, resulting in the evacuation of a minor hockey team from Kamloops. The fire was contained to the electrical panel, and firefighters...
The heart-breaking reason this nine-year-old boy quit hockey
"TO WIN AS A TEAM AND LOSE AS A TEAM IS A PRICELESS CONCEPT THAT SHOULD BE CHERISHED AND VALUED MORE THAN WINNING AT ALL COST" KELOWNA - A young hockey player made a heart-breaking decision to quit his hockey team with only two games left in the season and his father’s written reasons for...
Kelowna Rockets advance to WHL final
The Kelowna Rockets defeated the Portland Winterhawks 8-4 on Sunday afternoon in Portland, winning the WHL Western Conference Final in six games. The Rockets won three straight games in the series, erasing a 2-1 series deficit and advancing to the WHL Western Conference Final where they will take on the Brandon Wheat Kings. Madison Bowey...
Rockets lose to Victoria; can win at home
VICTORIA - The Victoria Royals defeated the Kelowna Rockets 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday night in Victoria, extending the team's 2nd round WHL playoff series to a fifth game. Greg Chase scored the game winning goal 5:30 into overtime to give the Royals the win, completing a comeback as the Rockets led 4-2 heading to...
Vees pick up another win in cup final
PENTICTON - The Penticton Vees are back at home with two wins in their back pocket after an 8-5 win Tuesday night over the Nanaimo Clippers in game three of the B.C. Hockey League Fred Page Cup Final. The Vees scored four times in the second period to build up a 5-2 lead and were...
BCHL PLAYOFFS: Vernon Vipers face Vees in Penticton
VERNON – The Vernon Vipers are looking to break the trend of losing at the South Okanagan Events Centre in the BCHL Interior Division final series against the Penticton Vees. The Snakes are in Penticton tonight, March 20, for Game 5 of the best-of-seven, with the series tied at two-games each. The final turned into...
Vernon Vipers ready to even the score on home ice against Penticton Vees
VERNON - With the Vernon Vipers winning game three against the Penticton Vees in the division finals they're aiming to even the series on home ice tonight. This will be the 11th time the two teams have met this season and defending champions Vipers will be fighting to take down the Vees who've won eight...
BCHL PLAYOFFS: West Kelowna Warriors edged by visiting Vees
WEST KELOWNA - The West Kelowna Warriors travel to Penticton for game five of the BCHL Interior Division semi-final with a 3-1 series deficit following Saturday night's 3-2 loss to the visiting Vees. The Warriors had a 2-1 lead heading into the third period on Saturday, March 7, but Penticton tied it up and got...
Hockey dad could face criminal charges
WHEN YELLING AT REFEREES GOES TOO FAR THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A Kamloops hockey dad who allegedly took his anger out on referees in the parking lot after a Junior-A hockey game in Penticton last week could face charges. Penticton RCMP Sgt. Rick Dellebuur says the 52-year-old father of a Merritt Cenntennials player allegedly threatened two referees...
Rockets and Blazers to host Super Series games
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The 2015 Super Series is again bringing high-level hockey to the region, with the Rockets and Kamloops set to host the two opening games. The Canadian Hockey League announced today, Tuesday, Feb. 17, that Kelowna and Kamloops are among the six host cities for the 2015 Subway Super Series, set to be played...
Team Canada gold medallist to be honoured at Blazer’s game
KAMLOOPS – World junior gold medallist, Joe Hicketts will be honoured at this evening’s, Jan. 14, Blazer game. Hicketts was born and raised in Kamloops. He is currently in his third season of his WHL career and is captain of the Victoria Royals. In September, the Detroit Redwings agreed on a three-year entry level contract...
WHL Roundup: Rockets defeat Blazers
KELOWNA — Rourke Chartier scored twice in his first game back after being cut by Canada's world junior team as the Rockets doubled Kamloops. Dillon Dube and Tyson Baillie also had goals for No. 2 Kelowna (29-5-3) in its third-straight win. Collin Shirley and Cole Ully chipped in for the Blazers (13-21-5), who have now...
Local players ready to represent at World Junior Championship
GET YOUR RED AND WHITE JERSEYS READY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Four members of Team Canada will be doing their best to represent local hockey at the World Junior Championship in Ontario and Quebec as the tournament officially gets underway on Boxing Day. Ottawa Senator Curtis Lazar, of Vernon, is one of only two current National Hockey...
Vernon RCMP get in the spirit of giving
VERNON - Between attending car accidents on winter roads, looking for missing people, and investigating criminal cases, Vernon police officers are finding time to give back to the community this holiday season. Vernon RCMP officer Cpl. Yannick Lescarbeau, along with several hockey coaches and managers, organized a charity hockey tournament in support of the Sick...
Vipers clobber Warriors 3-0
VERNON, BC - A game that could have gone either way in the third period Wednesday night in Vernon, went the wrong way for the West Kelowna Warriors. A back and forth battle through the first 40 minutes wielded no goals, 5 posts and 45 shots combined between the two teams, as Jarrod Schamerhorn and...
Hockey stars and politicians say goodbye to Beliveau at sombre funeral
MONTREAL - A who's who of the hockey and political worlds paid an emotional farewell on Wednesday to Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau, whose death last week unleashed a national outpouring of grief. Dickie Moore remembered his longtime teammate as a "great man." "It is a tremendous honour to stand here for my teammate and...
Ron MacLean’s Kelowna life lesson
KELOWNA – Former Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean has spent almost every summer in Kelowna over the years, so returning to the city for the Hometown Hockey tour on the weekend was kind of like coming home. In an essay published on the Hometown Hockey website, MacLean reminisces about a life lesson he...
The world’s best female hockey players are in Kamloops for this week’s 4 Nations Cup
KAMLOOPS – The four hockey teams from Canada, Sweden, Finland and the United States have arrived in Kamloops and are already on the ice practicing for the first game the 4 Nations Cup. Here’s what you need to know before the puck drops for the nineteenth international tournament held at the Interior Savings Centre: The tournament...