Rockets sweep Blazers and claim B.C. Division crown

Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers beat Jordon Cooke of the Kelowna Rockets with this snap shot at Interior Savings Centre on Friday, March 8. It was Ranford's 350th WHL point. Kelowna beat Kamloops 3-2.

Allen Douglas/KTW

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The B.C. Division crown will make its way to Kelowna when the WHL's regular season wraps up later this month.

Kelowna nipped in the bud the Kamloops Blazers' hopes of repeating as division champions on the weekend, downing the Blue and Orange twice — 2-1 in the Little Apple on Saturday, March 9, and 3-2 in the River City on Friday, March 8.

Kamloops will wind up third in the Western Conference, setting up a first-round playoff series with the Victoria Royals, a rematch of last season's opening-round matchup, which the Blazers swept in four games.

The Blazers wrap the regular season with a pair of games against the Prince George Cougars.

Kamloops is hosting Prince George on Friday, March 15. Game time at Interior Savings Centre is 7 p.m.

The Cougars are hosting the rematch on Saturday, March 16.

Blazer forward Matt Needham, who's been out with an upper-body injury since Feb. 15, has been skating with the team for about two weeks.

He is expected to return to action in Game 1 of the Blazers-Royals series.