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.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer The Flin Flon Bomber organization welcomed former player Reid Simpson and SJHL President Bill Chow to their awards gala Feb. 18. Chow was named league president in May 2011 while working as a police officer in Prince Albert. Born and raised in that Saskatchewan city with plenty of experience in a variety of jobs, Chow was seen as a good fit to lead of the SJHL. Over the course of the 2011-12 season, Chow has made several trips to Flin Flon. 'It's really been a treat, from my perspective anyway,' Chow said as one of the guest speakers at the gala, held at St. Ann's Hall. 'When you take a look around the room and you take a look around the rink, you see the...passion they have for the game, the community and the team.' Traveling to the various sites in the SJHL, Chow says it's 'very evident' why the Bombers are still in existence. 'Kudos to everyone for that and all the years they have been here,' he said. Going back a few years, Simpson wore the Maroon and White sweater with pride as he represented his home town. Starting his Bomber career when he was roughly 14, Simpson took some time to play in the Western Hockey League a few years later. Knowing he needed more experience, the Flin Flonner came home to improve his game. Simpson in time found himself in Prince Albert playing with the Raiders, and eventually made it to the big leagues, the NHL. Joking about their past encounters, Simpson and Chow met many years ago while the now-president was policing the area. 'I felt like he had a homing device on my car,' Simpson laughed. 'Anytime I was just about to get into trouble, he would somehow come around the corner and say, 'Hey, Reid, are you really thinking about doing that?'' Joking aside, the now-retired police officer was able to sit down with the Bombers earlier in the day and discuss decision making. Choice Chow talked to the team about making the choice to be the right person and making the choice to be a good teammate. '...those are the things you're going to learn from the game of hockey,' said Chow, referring to Bomber captain David Roper's speech about learning to be a man. Though decisions made in life may not reflect the immediate future, Chow says they make the difference later on. 'Probably in three to four years, when they are 25, they're going to sit back and see the opportunities they had in Flin Flon were second to none,' said Chow. Simpson can attest to that has he recently purchased a junior team in Michigan. 'I had no idea what a junior hockey player's level was at that time,' Simpson said. Sharing stories of his team, the former Bomber said he was 'thoroughly impressed' with the club in Flin Flon. An important message both Chow and Simpson mentioned were the lessons learned from playing hockey. The speakers were not just referring to the lessons of the game, but the life lessons that come with it. 'You take each experience and you try to learn from that,' said Simpson. 'I did that on the ice as well as as a person. 'If you do the right thing, whether it's on or off the ice, you will build some momentum and you'll build what you need to be as a person.' Chow attributed the success of the Flin Flon organization to the volunteers, board members, staff and community as well as the team. '...you have to recognize that everyone brings something to the team,' said Chow, mentioning the parents and billets as well. Being a Flin Flon Bomber, both Chow and Simpson said, is not just about playing hockey. 'It's not only about hockey, but it's about growing up,' said the president. 'Those are the things they are going to take with them forever.' Chow said the friends the players make in Flin Flon will stay with them forever. Simpson, who played in Russia after his NHL career ended in 2003-04, said he made lifelong friends through the hockey system. Simpson said building team camaraderie was something that never ended while he played hockey. Now 42, he retired from the sport when he was 40.
