Top NHL Prospect Caught Bawling His Eyes Out After Tough Loss

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Wade Messier
June 2, 2023 (3:26 PM)

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The CHL's Memorial Cup is well underway, as Canada's top junior teams face off against one another for the title of the best club in the CHL. While powerhouses such as the Seattle Thunderbirds and Peterborough Petes have been favored all season to win the tournament, the hosting Kamloops Blazers put up one of the most impressive efforts we've seen from any junior team.

Amazing Effort From Blazers

Logan Stankoven was a 2021 2nd-round pick of the Dallas Stars, who has consistently outperformed his draft slot since being selected. He was the final cut of the Dallas Stars this season and probably could've played in the NHL this year, but the decision was made to let him return to juniors and play for his hometown club, the Kamloops Blazers, who were set to host the Memorial Cup this season.

The Blazers, who are captained by Stankoven, faced off in an incredibly intense semifinal matchup against the Peterborough Petes last night to determine who would go on to play the Seattle Thunderbirds. While the Blazers fought hard, they eventually fell in overtime to the OHL's Petes.

Stankoven Says Goodbye to Hometown Club

In the moments following their loss to the Petes, Logan Stankoven and the Blazers said goodbye to their home crowd. It was especially emotional for Stankoven, who grew up in Kamloops, and dreamed of captaining this team to a Memorial Cup win.

As he prepared to leave the ice for the final time as a Blazer, Stankoven broke down crying. It was truly an emotional scene, as the young man poured so much of himself into this team.

Following the game, Stankoven had to respond to media questions. While those are usually done after a player has undressed, Stankoven kept his equipment on, presumably not wanting to take off his jersey for the last time.

«It just feels weird. I don't think it has hit me yet but this is probably my last game here.» - Logan Stankoven

We don't think there's another player who was more deserving of a Memorial Cup win, and we really do feel for Logan. Hopefully, he comes out better than ever next fall with Dallas, as he enters his rookie season.

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