Jared Thomas returns as “voice of the Merritt Centennials” for 2025-26 season

With the start of the Kootenay International Junior A Hockey League (KIJHL)  just weeks away, Merritt Centennials hockey fans will have have another reason to be excited for the 2025-26 season as Q101 announces that Jared Thomas will be returning as the play-by-play voice for the upcoming season.

“Jared brings a wealth of experience and passion to the mic, with over eight years of play-by-play work with the Cents, along with previous stints calling games for the Langley Thunder of the Western Lacrosse Association and the North Vancouver Wolfpack of the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League,” said Leo Baggio , General Manager of Q101. “His deep knowledge of the game and dynamic call style are a major win for our station, the team, and the entire community.”

The Centennials begin their exhibition season on Sept. 5th when they host the Osoyoos Coyotes at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena (NVMA). It’s one of five exhibition games the Centennials will play in September as they amp up for the start of the regular season in Quesnel on Sept.19 and in Williams Lake Sept 20.

The Centennials first home game of the new season will be Friday September 26 when the Castlegar Rebels come to the NVMA.

Last season marked Merritt’s inaugural season in the KIJHL after the franchise moved from the BCHL, where they had spent more than fifty-years.

The Cents finished third in the Bill Ohlhausen Division with an impressive 26-13-3-2 record and made their first appearance in the KIJHL playoffs bowing out to the Revelstoke Grizzlies in the first round.