The Victoria Royals tumbled to their seventh consecutive loss to start the Western Hockey League season with a 3-1 loss to the Blazers on Saturday night in Kamloops.
Daylan Kuefler, just returned from the NHL training camp of the New York Islanders, put Kamloops ahead before Matthew Hodson’s second goal of the season tied the game for Victoria in the first period. Kaden Hammell put the Blazers, ranked No. 5 in the Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll, ahead in the last minute of the first frame. The game remained close until Caedan Bankier, who was in the NHL training camp of the Minnesota Wild, put it away for Kamloops with an empty-net goal in the last minute of the third period.
Tyler Palmer was a standout in making 39 saves in goal for Victoria, which returns to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to play the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday and Wednesday.
