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Campbell Blair Trophy (Image credit: BCHL)
By Pete McIntyre
top defenceman

BCHL names award after former Vernon Laker

Jul 19, 2022 | 10:20 AM

A former Vernon Lakers defenceman has been honoured by the BC Hockey League.

As part of a new initiative to update its year-end awards, the league’s Top Defenceman Award will now be known as the Campbell Blair Trophy, named after the former BCHL defenceman who played for the Shuswap Totems, Summerland Buckaroos and Vernon Lakers from 1983 to 1987.

Campbell Blair (Photo credit: YouTube)

Blair holds several BCHL records, including most goals by a defenceman in a single season (38) and most points by a blueliner in one season (109), both of which were with Vernon in 1986-87. He also holds career records for assists by a defenceman with 169 and points by a defenceman with 247.

In 1987, he won the award which is now named after him.

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“I had a picture of Bobby Orr in my room and he was somebody I always gravitated towards,” said Blair. “To be recognized as a top player in the league is special. It means a lot to me.”

After his time in the BCHL, Blair, 56, played four years at the University of Maine, then headed to England to play professionally and finished his career with the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL.

He started a coaching career back at the University of Maine as an assistant and eventually returned to the BCHL where he was head coach of the Victoria Salsa for five years from 1996-2001, capping things off with a Fred Page Cup championship in his final season.

He returned to coach at Maine after the 2001 campaign and also coached at the University of Alaska-Anchorage before retiring from coaching in 2013.

by Pete McIntyre
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