Former PRMHA player called up to the WHL

A former player with Prince Rupert Minor Hockey Association will make his Western Hockey League debut for the Kamloops Blazer tonight.

The Blazers announced on their twitter feed today the call up of Devon Oakes,  a 17 year old forward who has been playing for the Blazers developmental team the Kamloops Storm.

He will join the main roster for this evenings game against the Tri-City Americans.

You can review our first item of note on the Junior career of the young Rupertite, from this note from the Blazers training camp back in October

A full review of the call up can be found from the Kamloops Blazers website, radio coverage of the Kamloops Blazers can be found on Kamloops radio station CHNL which streams live with puck drop at 7 PM.

Update: The first WHL game for Devon Oakes saw him take shifts on the Right Wing with the Blazers fourth line, described on the CHNL broadcast as an energy line, providing some physical play and a bit of a spark for the recently lacklustre Blazers lineup.

He averaged around 4 shifts a period in the first two frames of the game and received generally favourable reviews for his play from the broadcast team calling the game. Of note is the fact that his line's ice time did not diminish very much in the third period, even though the Blazers were trailing the game and were on frequent power plays.

Head coach Guy Charron seemed to have a fair amount of confidence in his fourth line, including the play of Oakes as the fourth line found some ice time in the pivotal third period, though in the end the night would end with a 3-1 loss for Kamloops and no points, or penalties for Oakes in his WHL debut.

He can however lay claim to the night's trivia question, based on his number of 23, as Blazer fans were asked to test their memories as to which other Blazer players had worn 23 over the course of the Blazers history.

As for his debut, a solid effort from all accounts, based on the amount of ice time and situations that he was placed in during the course of the game.

He'll make the closest trek to his Prince Rupert home this weekend, when the Blazers head north to play the Prince George Cougars in a back to back two game set Friday and Saturday night at  the CN Centre in Prince George.

You can find other items on minor and junior hockey from our archive page.