Bellingham Blazers (2012)
Ice hockey team in Bellingham, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bellingham Blazers are an inactive Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Tier II junior ice hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League. The Blazers are based in Bellingham, Washington and play home games at the Bellingham Sportsplex. The team also has the local youth hockey association named after them, going by the Jr. Blazers.[2]
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| Bellingham Blazers | |
|---|---|
| |
| City | Bellingham, Washington |
| League | United States Premier Hockey League |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Home arena | Bellingham Sportsplex |
| Colors | Red, black and white |
| Owner | Whatcom Sports Commission |
| Head coach | Erick Ruud [1] |
| Website | https://whatcomsportsandrec.com/blazers/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 2012–present | Bellingham Blazers |
History
From 2012 to 2016, the Blazers played in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac/NPHL). In their first two seasons, the Blazers captured the Cascade Cup, awarded to the league playoff champions, and earned a spot in the USA National Tier III Championships. In 2013, coach Mark Collins was also awarded Coach of the Year when the Blazers won their first Cascade Cup. Collins was fired from team before the 2019 playoffs.[3]
In 2016, the team left the NPHL and USA Hockey-sanctioning with the intentions of joining the Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Western States Hockey League.[4] The team won its first WSHL division title and made its first Thorne Cup Final appearance in the 2018-19 season.
The Blazers' 2019–20 season ended early due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. The WSHL itself would cancel the rest of the season not long after. The Blazers and the WSHL returned in the 2021–22 season, but it was short-lived due to the WSHL folding all of its US-based teams. The Blazers were able to continue playing in the Canadian division, but would suspend operations not long after.
The Blazers joined the USPHL the following season after the WSHL folded. The Blazers made their first USPHL playoff appearance in the 2024–25 season, losing in the first round to the Seattle Totems.
On September 11, 2025 the Blazers suspended operations for the 2025–26 season due to a lack of players as a result of the rule changes regarding junior players being eligible for NCAA.[5][6]
On March 22nd, 2026, it was announced that the Junior Prospects Hockey League would be expanding to Bellingham. Known as the Bellingham Hockey Club, the team is scheduled to play their first season in the fall. The current fate of the Blazers is currently unknown.[7]
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Regular season finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pacific Hockey League | |||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 40 | 22 | 16 | — | 1 | 1 | 46 | 204 | 165 | 3rd of 6, NorPac | Won Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Eugene Generals Won Finals, 3–2 vs. West Sound Warriors CASCADE CUP CHAMPIONS |
| 2013–14 | 40 | 35 | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | 70 | 230 | 87 | 1st of 5, NPHL McBride Cup | Won Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Tri-City Outlaws Won Finals, 3–2 vs. West Sound Warriors CASCADE CUP CHAMPIONS |
| 2014–15 | 42 | 33 | 7 | — | 0 | 2 | 68 | 269 | 91 | 2nd of 6, NPHL | Won Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Wenatchee Wolves Lost Finals, 0–3 vs. West Sound Warriors |
| 2015–16 | 40 | 30 | 9 | — | 1 | 0 | 61 | 212 | 77 | 2nd of 6, NPHL | Won Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Eugene Generals Lost Finals, 0–3 vs. Wenatchee Wolves |
| Western States Hockey League | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 52 | 15 | 36 | — | 1 | — | 31 | 122 | 221 | 6th of 7, Northwest 22nd of 27, WSHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Butte Cobras |
| 2017–18 | 51 | 28 | 20 | — | 3 | — | 59 | 228 | 221 | 3rd of 6, Northwest 12th of 23, WSHL | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Southern Oregon Spartans Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Tahoe Icemen |
| 2018–19 | 51 | 34 | 14 | 0 | 3 | — | 105[a] | 281 | 153 | 2nd of 4, Northwest 7th of 23, WSHL | Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Southern Oregon Spartans Won Div. Finals, 2–1 vs. Seattle Totems 0–3–0–0, 6th of 6, Thorne Cup round-robin (L, 0–6 vs. Rhinos; L, 4–6 vs. Jr. Blazers; L, 1–6 vs. Aeros) |
| 2019–20 | 48 | 17 | 26 | 3 | 2 | — | 59 | 157 | 232 | 4th of 5, Northwest 15th of 20, WSHL | Playoffs cancelled[b] |
| 2020–21 | No season due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 7 | 50 | DNF | Withdrew from season[9] |
| United States Premier Hockey League - - Premier Division | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | 44 | 9 | 33 | 0 | 2 | — | 20 | 120 | 228 | 5th of 5, Northwest 60th of 70, Premier | Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | 44 | 6 | 36 | 0 | 2 | — | 14 | 120 | 228 | 5th of 5, Northwest 56th of 61, Premier | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | 44 | 27 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 176 | 154 | 3rd of 7, Northwest 21st of 73, Premier | Lost Div. Semifinal series, 0–2 (Seattle Totems) |
| 2025–26 | Suspended Season | ||||||||||
- Beginning with the 2018–19 season, the WSHL began awarding 3pts for a win, 2pts for an overtime win, and 1pt for an overtime loss.
- Bellingham was removed from the playoffs prior to the end of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[8] the entire WSHL playoffs were eventually cancelled.
Tier III Junior Hockey National Championship
The Bellingham Blazers qualified for the Tier III Junior Hockey National Championships in 2013 and 2014 by winning their league playoff championship. The Blazers have never past the round-robin stage of the tournament.
Round-robin play in pool with top four overall teams advancing to the semifinal.
| Year | Round-robin | Record | Standing | Semifinal game | Championship game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | L, Twin Cities Northern Lights (MnJHL) 0–6 L, North Iowa Bulls (NA3HL) 0–7 W, New Hampshire Junior Monarchs (EmJHL) 3–2 | 1–2–0 | 3rd of 4 National Pool | Did not advance | |
| 2014 | L, Flint Jr. Generals (NA3HL) 1–6 L, Northern Cyclones (EHL) 0–12 L, Springfield Pics (USPHL-Elite) 2–8 | 0–3–0 | 4th of 4 Pool B | Did not advance | |
