Good news continues to roll in for the Bombers. Forward Jeremi Tremblay has put pen to paper with an NCAA Division I school and has committed to the Sacred Heart Pioneers.
Tremblay came to Flin Flon this season after two seasons spent out of his home province of Quebec - first, a year of American prep school hockey with the New Hampshire-based Holderness School, then a COVID-19-abbreviated season with the TRC Hockey Academy in Ontario, where he played a handful of games with now-current teammate Matt Egan.
In 37 regular season games with the Bombers, Tremblay scored 16 goals and 35 points. The 19-year-old forward from Quebec City, who has two more seasons of junior A eligibility remaining, has not played since Jan. 25 due to an injury.
“I chose Sacred Heart University because I felt like it was the best fit for me, and going on a visit really solidified that idea. I was absolutely certain Sacred Heart was the school for me after seeing their campus and new facilities," said Tremblay, who thanked his family, friends, teammates and coaches in a press release issued by the Bombers.
Sacred Heart plays in the Atlantic Hockey conference and play their home games in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team finished with a 15-18-4 record this season. A new $70 million on-campus facility for the school's men's and women's hockey teams is under construction and is currently slated to be completed in 2023.
The team has often gone to the SJHL for finding new talent - one current player on the team, goalie Luke Lush, was a former member of the La Ronge Ice Wolves.
The Bombers and the Pioneers have had close ties in the past, with former Flin Flon stars Tommy Castonguay and Reid MacLeod playing at the school for several years. The university is also Bomber head coach and general manager Mike Reagan's alma mater - Reagan played with the Pioneers from 2000-2004.
“We are very excited for Jeremi on his commitment to Sacred Heart University. He is going to be a great player for them, with his ability to play a power forward type of game combined with a knack for scoring goals," said Reagan.
"Jeremi has worked hard for this and will continue to put the work in to be ready to play for the Pioneers.”
Four players on the Bombers have agreed to deals with American colleges next season: Tremblay and Xavier Lapointe, who is en route to the Rochester Insitute of Technology (the same team that eliminated the Pioneers from this year's Atlantic Hockey playoffs) will play Division I hockey. Goalie Cal Schell and forward Gabriel Shipper are set to play Division III hockey - Schell with the Oswego State Lakers in upstate New York, Shipper with the Bowdoin Polar Bears in Maine.
