Kamloops Blazers Captain Emmitt Finnie (C), along with Assistant Captains Harrison Brunicke (L) and Jordan Keller (R) wearing the Thompson Rivers Fighting Trout uniforms, to be worn on March 15th versus Kelowna/via Kamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers have announced a unique look for one of the late-season games this coming month.
“We’ve rebranded for one night only. On March 15th, we will become the Thompson River Fighting Trout,” said Missy Cederholm, Blazers’ Game Day Operations and Ticketing Coordinator in a conversation with Radio NL. “We’ve taken the iconic Kami The Fish that was brought to life by the Chamber of Commerce and we’ve turned that into our jersey re-brand for the night.”
Cederholm says the Blazers are working in coordination with the Kamloops Chamber, which holds the copyright for Kami The Fish.
“Kami The Fish has been a symbol of Kamloops’ spirit and hospitality for decades, and we’re thrilled to see this beloved Kamloops icon swimming back into the spotlight for this special game night,” stated Acacia Pangilinan, Executive Director of the Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce on the Blazers website. “The Fighting Trout rebrand is a fun and creative way to celebrate our city’s connection to our rivers, history, and community pride. We can’t wait to see fans rally behind this one-of-a-kind event.”
Cederholm says the game-worn jerseys are available to bid on right now through an auction firm whose link is attached to the Blazers website, with the winners getting their jerseys after the March 15th game against Kelowna at the Sandman Centre.
“With proceeds going to the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC,” noted Cederholm.
“We feel very fortunate to be chosen as the funding recipient for this game,” stated Jenna Merth with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC on the Blazers website. “Kamloops is blessed with great fisheries and passionate anglers; this partnership will help us provide additional support to grow and develop the local fishing community.”
Picture of a “Fighting Trout” jersey on the 32 Auction’s website where the bidding has now opened/via 32 Auction
As for why they went with Kami The Fish, Cederholm admits they borrowed a little bit of the concept from what’s been happening with some of the WHL teams in the Eastern Conference.
“Swift Current is on that comes to mind with the [Lake Diefenbaker] Slough Sharks,” she said. “We really wanted to find something that represented Kamloops and had that community feeling, and really something that fans could get behind and bring the community together in a different way.”
Cederholm says they’re pleased that there has been interest within the business community to get involved.
“Active Care Services has come onboard as the jersey auction and game night sponsor for that night,” she said. “We’re really thankful to them. A great community partner that’s excited to be part of the night as well.”
Fans who don’t want to bid on game-worn jerseys will have an opportunity to purchase non-jersey merchandise from the gift shop during and after the game on March 15th.
**Editor’s Note: The original headline and social media post were left intentionally vague to have a bit of fun, but also to remind readers that it’s important to go beyond the headlines to better understand a story. (Apologies to those who can’t find a bit of fun in sports) pj
