The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Hockey fans in Pittsburgh have an easy time remembering the arena address of their beloved Penguins. Mellon Arena is located at 66 Mario Lemieux Place, an homage to the most legendary hockey figure the community has ever seen. Now Flin Flon Bombers President Dave McPherson is hoping a similar honour will be bestowed to the most celebrated edition of the Maroon and White. McPherson wants the City to give the Whitney Forum the street address "57 Memorial Cup Drive" in commemoration of the 1957 Bombers, the underdog squad that captured the coveted Memorial Challenge Cup. "That's our national championship team," he said yesterday. "You had eight Flin Flonners on that team. That's almost unheard of. And to win a national championship was great for the community and for the Flin Flon Bombers." McPherson came up with the idea after hearing about Payuk Lake resident John Forster's request for the City to name new streets after local members on the championship club. He is supportive of Forster's idea and feels establishing 57 Memorial Cup Drive would be a good place to start. The Bomber president said he's prepared to write a letter on behalf of the club asking for the change. Mayor Dennis Ballard, who was around during the Bombers' unprecedented run in 1957, liked what he heard from McPherson. "My first reaction to this is, somebody has an idea, let's look at it," he said. The mayor said the Memorial Challenge Cup champs are very deserving of recognition for their victory. "That win was a big moment in our history," he said. "That was unheard of, for a small little town to take that Cup. Nobody thought that could happen, and the best part about it was that the team was made up of several local players." Mayor Ballard said City Council will look at the specifics of the idea once McPherson puts his proposal in writing. Although the 1957 Bombers never played in the current arena (the Whitney Forum opened in 1960), people who pass through its entrance are reminded of the championship. "You walk into that rink and see those banners... it's just unbelievable," commented McPherson. Even Bomber players who have worn the Maroon and White in recent years are aware of the 1957 team and what it did for hockey in Flin Flon, according to the club president. "They're proud to wear that bursting 'B' on their sweater, and obviously when you do have a national championship, it carries on for years and years and years," said McPherson. The Flin Flon Bombers defeated the Ottawa Canadiens to capture the 1957 Memorial Challenge Cup.
