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.
Th e F l i n F l o n Bomb e r s h ave added local flare to their roster as Evan Akkerman was signed after the organization's spring camp. Akkerman, 18, was one of eight players signed as he impressed the coaches and scouts at the camp last month. 'Evan's obviously been on our radar for a few years now, being a local player,' head coach and GM Mike Reagan told the team's website. He's a big body that needs to play physical; look to him as a Brody Robinson-type player.' Playing with the Maroon and White is a dream come true for the forward. 'Growing up playing my entire minor hockey Flin Flon, it's always been a dream of mine to play for my hometown team,' Akkerman told the site. 'Now that the opportunity is actually here, it's a wonderful feeling _ almost surreal.' Before joining the Bombers, Akkerman played for the Midget AAA Norman Northstars out of Thompson. Standing 6'0' and weighing in at 170 lbs, he finished last season with an impressive 12 goals, 31 assists, and 43 points _ a point per game. He earned himself the East Division All-Star nod. In three years with the Northstars, Akkerman earned 26 goals, 53 assists and 79 points in 122 games. Potential The Bombers have also picked up Ryan McQueen. The Thunder Bay, Ont., native stands 6'2' with potential to become a top six forward. 'He's a kid I've watched out at the M i d g e t AAA Re g i o n a l s ( i n Kenor a) , ' s aid Reagan. 'We see him as being a big power forward. 'He's got a good skill set and he competes hard.' The coach describes McQueen as 'a pretty honest player.' Reagan says McQueen has the right character for the team _ and that's important. 'That's one thing we've been trying to be real careful with is the type of kids we're bringing in,' said the coach. The Bombers will have a younger team this coming season and the club hopes to create a Kelly Carrington Staff Writer positive atmosphere. 'You've got to be real careful when you've got some kids that can be easily influenced. They're going to be the future of your organization,' Reagan said. Re a g a n o p e s o have an 'honest, hard-working team' for the upcoming season. The club has also added forward Evan Patrick after he was on their list for three years. Patrick laced up his skates for three games with the Maroon and White last year and got a chance to see what the team is all about. Reagan thinks he'll fit right in. 'He works hard, he skates well and he's got good puck skills,' said Reagan. 'He's capable of putting up points and potentially being a top six forward.' Patrick has been on the team's list for three years after playing with t h e Swi f t Cu r r e n t Legionnaires. The Prince A l b e r t native picked up experience not only in his midget career, but also in his three games in at the junior level last year. 'Having him get some experience...with us last year was a good thing for him,' said Reagan. 'I think he'll feel a little more comfortable.' Reagan feels comfortable bringing the forward to the team as Patrick already knows the expectations of the organization. 'There's always going to be a learning curve for these kids, but at least he knows what he's getting into,' said Reagan. Another Thunder Bay native, Brent Aiken, comes to the Bombers from the Kenora Thistles of the Manitoba Midget AAA. 'He's an in-your-face type of player. He loves to finish his checks,' Reagan said. 'He's kind of like a bulldog.' Standing just shy of 6' tall, Aiken is full of energ y, a c c o r d i n g t o Reagan. 'He's going to go out there and bang and crash and compete real hard. He'll probably drop the mitts a few times,' he said. Fine line The Bombers expect to see Aiken in the penalty box a few times as Reagan says he 'walks a fine line.' 'His sole purpose is to be a sh-t disturber. He's tough to play against... and he's going to drive some people nuts, that's for sure,' said Reagan. 'We want guys that are a pain in the a-s to play against.' Rounding out the forward signings from spring camp is Ram Brar of Vancouver. 'He's a pretty skilled kid and he'll win puck battles. He'll be good against the wall,' said Reagan. Brar comes to the Bombers with a good skill set and good size, standing at roughly 6'1'. Brar won't be new to the junior level of hockey this season as he spent a year playing Junior B in B.C. His skills showed at the camp as Reagan said he was 'impressive.' 'He was one of the guys that stood out at camp. We didn't know a lot about him going into it, but right from the minute he got there he showed good skill set,' said Reagan. Brar played midget in Notre Dame and had the opportunity to watch the Bombers and Hounds face-off. '...he was excited to try out,' said the coach. Brar, along with the four other forwards signed from the camp, comes to the Bombers with a positive attitude and good character. 'Those are the guys that we're going after; the guys that are all going to bring good attitude and wo r k e t h i c , ' s a i d Reagan. Flin Flon has also signed three blueliners in Robbie Cameron, a former Saskatoon Blazer, and Brandon Workun and Keifer Schaufler, both of Calgary. All players signed will attend the Bombers' main camp in August in hopes of securing a spot on the lineup. Watch The Reminder this week for more on the defensemen, Reagan's thoughts on the new import rule and the new three-division system for the 2013-14 SJHL season.
