Dear Kamloops: Logan Stankoven reflects on a summer he’ll never forget

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Dear Kamloops: Logan Stankoven reflects on a summer he’ll never forget

Kamloops-born Stanley Cup champion shares what it meant to bring hockey’s biggest prize home to the community that helped shape his career

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Logan Stankoven grew up dreaming of playing for the Kamloops Blazers and winning the Stanley Cup. This summer, he got to share that dream with the hometown fans who helped make it possible.

In the latest instalment of Dear Kamloops, the Kamloops-born forward reflects on a summer that brought him back to his roots, from visits to the hospital and St. Ann’s to the celebration at Riverside Park that brought the community together to see the Stanley Cup.

“I don’t know what to say about this summer except that it was unbelievable,” Stankoven writes in his letter.

“Winning is a pretty incredible thing. But being able to share it with the people who have helped and supported me made it even better.”

Stankoven’s letter also looks back on his own journey as a young hockey player in Kamloops, from watching the Blazers as a fan to being drafted by his hometown team and playing in front of packed crowds at Sandman Centre.

He remembers the excitement of playing in a tiebreaker game against Kelowna at age 15 and competing in the Memorial Cup on home ice. But it’s the fans who left the biggest impression.

“As players, we talk about it in the dressing room,” he writes. “People waving the white towels. It gives us even more motivation to win.”

Dear Kamloops is a monthly series featuring personal letters from Blazers alumni reflecting on their time in Kamloops and the lasting impact of the community that supported them. The series creates an opportunity for former players to share their stories and thank the fans who have been part of their journeys.

Stankoven’s letter is also a reminder of what today’s fans can be part of as a new generation of players builds its own memories in Kamloops.

“Keep showing up and supporting the Blazers and making the Sandman Centre loud,” he writes. “You never know when you’re watching the beginning of something special.”

At its heart, Dear Kamloops is a chance for the people who have worn the Blazers jersey to tell the community what it has meant to them, and to remind fans that their support matters.