After losing five straight games after a hot start, the Kamloops Blazers fired coach Barry Smith.
The Blazers are 8-7-2-0 with 18 points, but have quickly fallen from the top of the B.C. Division after a five-game losing streak through the East Division, where they were outscored 24-9.
"Our results this year are not acceptable," Kamloops vice president/GM Craig Bonner said in a press release. "We will not tolerate being an average team at this stage. I particularly disliked our structure and the direction our team was headed, along with the lack of emotion we have shown of late. Since I saw little to suggest that the team was trying to make the adjustments necessary to turn our play around, we had little option but to make a change."
Bonner added, "We want an aggressive type of play. We want an emotional and hard-working team. We want a team that is not standing on their heels."
Assistant coach Scott Ferguson will assume the position of interim head coach until further notice. Geoff Smith will remain as an assistant coach in a more enhanced role.
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Americans hold off Blazers 3-2
Americans hold off Blazers 3-2
KENNEWICK -- In a matchup of two heavyweights in the Western Conference, the Tri-City Americans got in the last lick to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Justin Feser scored the game winner in overtime and Ty Rimmer finished with 22 saves as the Tri-City Americans held off the Kamloops Blazers 3-2 on Saturday night before a crowd of 5,408 at Toyota Center.
"It was a good game and we expected that from them," Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. "We were dangerous around their net and we corrected what we did poorly (Friday) night (3-0 loss at Seattle). I thought it was a great crowd. There was a lot of electricity in the building."
Game Day: Kamloops at Tri-City
Game Day: Kamloops at Tri-City
We all know Calvin Pickard is a good goalie. Tops in the WHL, if you will. After playing two game with some of the top players in the WHL against the Russians, Pickard carried that momentum into Friday’s game against the Americans — to the tune of a a 3-0 shutout.
It was the first time the Americans had been shutout this season, and the loss ended their five-game win streak.
Tonight, the Kamloops Blazers are in town for their first game against the Ams this season. The Blazers haven’t had much luck at Toyota Center in the past. They haven’t won at Toyota Center since Dec. 29, 2008, a span of four games.
Tools of the trade
Tools of the trade
Over the last week, I have received the Americans media guide, the WHL media guide and Star-Spangled Hockey — Celebrating 75 years of USA Hockey.
It's like Christmas.
The WHL media guide features the 2011 WHL Champion Kootenay Ice on the front. Inside, within the 312 pages, you can find just about anything you want to know about all 22 teams, coaches past and present, regular-season and playoff records.
Ams, Blazers fighting for supremacy
Ams, Blazers fighting for supremacy
The Tri-City Americans and Kamloops Blazers already have secured playoffs spots. Now it's just a matter of where they will finish in the Western Conference standings.
The Blazers (37-12-1-3, 78 points), lead the Western Hockey League in points, two ahead of Tri-City (37-12-1-1) and the Edmonton Oil Kings (35-12-2-4), who beat the Kootenay Ice 3-1 on Tuesday.
But, the Americans, who lead the U.S. Divi-sion, have two games in hand on both teams.
Ams look to bounce back from rare loss
Ams look to bounce back from rare loss
KENNEWICK -- The Tri-City Americans have put their loss to B.C. Division-leading Kamloops behind them.
They don't have much of a choice, the competition doesn't get any easier this weekend with a game at Vancouver tonight and at Spokane on Saturday.
"We'd like to win every game, but we know that isn't possible," said Tri-City coach Jim Hiller, whose team is in the midst of a five-game road trip. "We played better last night than in a few games we won during our streak."
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