The Bombers made a big add for this year's team Sept. 26, acquiring one of northern Manitoba's brightest talents.
The team and SJHL confirmed that the Bombers had reached terms with The Blizzard (formerly the OCN Blizzard) of the MJHL to bring The Pas-born forward Ashton Paul to the Bombers. Going the other way is a player development fee. According to SJHL records, the Bombers and Blizzard also made a second deal, sending the rights of forward John Kremer to the Bombers for a second fee.
Paul, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound 2004-born forward, played the last two seasons with the Blizzard. Last year, he had 26 goals and 56 points in 57 games, adding two points in six playoff games. Paul has attended WHL camps with both the Prince Albert Raiders and the Wenatchee Wild - he was one of the last cuts from the Wild's recent training camp. Paul signed a standard player agreement with the Raiders last year, but never dressed in a game for the team.
Paul is a product of The Pas Minor Hockey Association and played for northern Manitoba representative teams, including the Norman Wolves U15 AAA team - where he played with current Bombers Cheechoo Lathlin and Joey Lies as a 14-year-old. Lathlin and Paul, who are the same age and grew up playing for The Pas and OCN-based travel teams, also played together in 2022 on Team Manitoba at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. Both were also former members of the Blizzard.
The addition of Paul means four northern Manitoba players will be on the team's roster starting this week, the most since 2010-11 when four northern players - Creighton's Ryan Fox, Flin Flon's Tanner Korchinski and Dillan McCombie and Cross Lake's Dougie McLeod - each played most of the season in maroon and white.
“We are excited to add another northern boy who understands the history and tradition of the organization," said head coach and general manager Mike Reagan in a team-issued statement.
"Ashton brings size, speed and is coming off a point-per-game season as an 18-year-old. He will add to our already deep forward group.”
The deal gives the Bombers a roster of 29 players in total - two goalies, eight defencemen and 19 forwards - according to the SJHL website. The second player acquired from the Blizzard, Kremer, is currently playing in the U.S. and is not expected to make his way north this season.
