The Blazers pose with teddy bears after Nathan Behm's goal on Dec. 1, 2023. (Photo via Allen Douglas)
Nathan Behm scored the teddy bear goal for the Kamloops Blazers in a 4-1 defeat to the Victoria Royals Friday night.
The Royals exacted a bit of revenge on the now-rebuilding Blazers, as the Victoria was on the wrong side of a 6-1 drubbing during the Blazers’ teddy bear toss game last season.
The 16-year-old Behm’s goal came at 7:32 of the second period, and as it customary on teddy bear toss night – a tradition which began in Kamloops – it rained bears at Sandman Centre.
NATHAN BEHM SCORES THE “FLUFFIEST” GOAL OF HIS CAREER! 🧸🔥 pic.twitter.com/MomuYQpS7e
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) December 2, 2023
Friday’s game came four days shy of the 30th anniversary of the very first Teddy Bear Toss game on Dec. 5, 1993, the brainchild of then Blazers Marketing Director Don Larson.
All of the bears will be counted up and then distributed to local non-profit organizations in the Kamloops area.
Kamloops native Reggie Newman scored the only goal of the first period, before Behm’s seventh of the season brought the Blazers back into the game at 1-1, which is how the second period ended.
Tanner Scott and Robin Sapousek scored a pair of goals 16 seconds apart early in the third period to put the Royals up 3-1.
Scott then tallied his second of the game into an empty net in the final minute of the third of four consecutive games between these to B.C. Division Rivals.
Dylan Ernst turned aside 20 of 23 shots he faced in a losing effort Friday night, as the Blazers dropped to 7-15-3-2 on the season, leaving them in last place in the WHL’s Western Conference.
Jayden Kraus stopped 22 of 23 shots for his sixth win of the season as the Royals continue to solidify their hold of second in the B.C. Division, with a 15-11-0-2 record.
The Blazers will host the Royals at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, in their final home game before the WHL Christmas break. They’ll then embark on a five-game East Division road trip that starts next Friday, with their next home game set for Dec. 27 against the Kelowna Rockets.
Prior to puck drop, the Blazers held a moment of silence in honour of Owyn McInnis, the Thompson Rivers University volleyball player who was killed in Wednesday’s crash on McGill Road.
