Kamloops Blazers
Rink: Sandman Centre
Capacity: 5,464
Built: 1992
League: WHL
City: Kamloops, British Columbia
Home Of: Kamloops Blazers
Games Attended: 9
First Game: May 26, 2023 vs Quebec
Most Recent Game: June 4, 2023 Quebec vs Seattle
Unique Arena: #65
WHL Arena: #12
The Sandman Centre is located just outside of downtown Kamloops, on the banks of where the north and south Thompson rivers meet. Despite being next to a train yard, it actually makes for a beautiful backdrop with the smaller (by BC standards) mountains in the background and Riverside Park nearby. It makes for a nice little spot to hang out before the game when you’re there during a nicer time of year, as I was for the Memorial Cup with summer-like weather.
Parking in the area was a tad limited, as the biggest lot on site was taken up by Fanfest, but I would imagine during the dead of winter and regular season that it’s opened up.
As my friend Kevin has said on his WHL Arena Guide site, the best way to describe Kamloops is that it’s basically patient zero for the modern-day clone rink. The Sandman Centre was built in 1992, so despite now being 30 years old it is very similar to many mid-sized rinks that are built today. There is a bit more seating than comparable clone rinks in say Guelph, Soo or Moose Jaw, but being older I would say the concourse space is a bit smaller than those places.
Like most clone rinks, the views from most any seat in the house are good and the seats themselves are adequate molded plastic. Pregame there were some spotlights that were a tad bit annoying, but that might’ve just been extra pomp and circumstance for the Memorial Cup. There is a decent-sized team store that is very well stocked with Blazers gear, which I will point out here the Blazers have some of the best jerseys in the CHL, imo.
Also, I want to point out how loud the fans are in Kamloops. Now again I was at the Memorial Cup where emotions are higher and it’s the top stage in junior, but the Blazers fans have to be some of the loudest I’ve heard across the entire CHL. The chants of Let’s Go Blazers ring louder through this building than many home team chants across the country.
One thing that makes this clone rink different from others is the suite level. While most modern rinks have suites that go around most or all of the building on the level above the concourse, the Sandman Centre has a balcony level of 3 rows of regular seating on the sides which offers an amazing view of the ice. If I ever get back to Kamloops for a regular season game, I would love to sit up there. There are suites in the one end of the building while some more VIP style seating/makeshift suites have been built above the balcony seats on the sides at press level.
Games Attended
May 26, 2023: Quebec 8 – Kamloops 3
May 27, 2023: Seattle 6 – Peterborough 3
May 28, 2023: Kamloops 10 – Peterborough 2
May 29, 2023: Quebec 3 – Seattle 1
May 30, 2023: Peterborough 4 – Quebec 2
May 31, 2023: Seattle 6 – Kamloops 1
June 1, 2023: Peterborough 5 – Kamloops 4 OT
June 2, 2023: Seattle 4 – Peterborough 1
June 4, 2023: Quebec 5 – Seattle 0