Players in, players out, finances, bus repairs, board positions and aid for the Humboldt Broncos – there was a lot of information shared at the Flin Flon Bombers’ annual general meeting on May 30.
Matters of on-ice and off-ice personnel were discussed, along with the team’s financial stability. The team’s board was shuffled and the upcoming season will include a new president, vice-president and multiple new members elected.
A large number of returning players could be both good news and bad news for the Bombers.
In total, 21 players from last year’s Bomber squad are eligible to return to the team.
That number includes as many as 11 players on the roster who will begin the season as 20-year-olds, over the SJHL’s limit of eight. That includes returning top scorer Nate Hooper, forwards Daylan Marchi, Ethan Daniels, Brandson Hein and Caleb Moretz and defensemen Calvon Boots and Isaac Jackson, as well as others.
The option is open for the Bombers to do as they did in the 2016-17 season, in which the team rotated 20-year-old players, putting at least one in the press box while dressing eight.
Reagan confirmed that the team’s top nine forward and top three defenseman spots will likely be returnees.
“We’ll come into camp with about eight or nine defensemen that will be playing junior A this year and we’ll get to pick from them,” he said.
Reagan stopped short of predicting results for the upcoming season, but did express excitement over the team’s potential.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves – we know how hard it is to play in this league and have a lot of success, but if last year is any indication of how well we should do this year, the future looks bright for our team,” he said.
All of the team’s assistant coaches and scouts from last season will return for the 2018-19 campaign.
New personnel
Some players have worn the maroon and white for the last time.
That list includes forward Rob Johnson. Reagan said the team and Johnson have mutually agreed to cut ties.
“Both Rob and our staff felt it would be best for him to move on. We’re going to be looking at trading him,” said Reagan.
The 19-year-old scored 27 points in 37 games for the Bombers last season. Johnson had previously committed to play for the NCAA’s Air Force Academy Falcons for next season, but this has not been confirmed.
Another player who has left the Bombers program is prospect Owen Ozar, who has signed a deal with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
The Bombers’ top priority for the offseason is to restock the team with quality goaltending.
Last season’s top starter, Brenden Newton, was sidelined for 16 games with concussion-related issues. After his injury, the Bombers relied for long stretches on rookie netminders Niklas Anderson and Reese Jones, going 4-12 without Newton in the lineup.
“At the time, looking back on it, we probably should have made a move to bring an experienced goaltender in at the time,” said Reagan.
Reagan did eventually make a deal for a goalie, bringing in goalkeeper Colten Lancaster from the BCHL.
Nonetheless, Reagan said multiple goaltenders would be coming in to the team’s training camp this fall, including prospects from Quebec, the Maritimes and the United States.
“There’s no question that we’re looking for goaltenders. If anything, I’ve been a little bit too picky. There have been goaltenders available for us and, because of our situation last year, I think I’m looking for the golden potato. We’re being patient,” he said.
A new face will appear behind the team’s bench next year. The Bombers have hired Jason Savill as the team’s trainer, taking over from Miguel Toussaint.
Savill worked with the team at their recent spring camp, impressing the Bombers’ coaching staff.
“He’s excited about it and we’re excited for him. He’s going to do a great job,” said Reagan.
Humboldt
Reagan also provided an update for attendees regarding the Humboldt Broncos.
At the meeting, Reagan confirmed the league would be holding a dispersal draft to stock the Broncos with players for the next season.
Reagan also gave fans an update on a trade the Bombers have pending with Humboldt.
Last season, the Broncos acquired forward Nick Shumlanski from the Bombers for future considerations. Reagan confirmed the original plan for the trade was for the Bombers to select one player from Humboldt after the playoffs were completed and another before the season started in October.
In the original plan, the Broncos would have been able to protect two players from Bomber selection after the playoffs and could have protected six from selection in the fall.
After the Broncos’ fatal April 6 bus crash en route to Nipawin, plans had to change.
“Today I was on the phone for about two hours talking about how things are going to work with Humboldt,” said Reagan.
“It’s not going to be the deal that we wanted. Of course, we have to be sensitive to the situation and I think it’s a very delicate situation.”
Reagan said he had spoken with members of the Bombers’ coaching staff and with Broncos representatives and that a clear final agreement had not been made.
“We’ve talked a lot about that and we feel like we should get something in return, but we have to be sensitive to the situation. Hopefully our fans and the community understand that. Sometimes you just have to deal with the hand that you’re dealt. Going forward, I’m sure we will be in good shape regardless,” said Reagan.
The Bombers collected around $20,000 for the Humboldt Broncos community fund after a vigil held at the Whitney Forum on April 9. A formal donation of the money to the Broncos will be held at a later date.
Finances
According to an unaudited financial report, the Bombers made $581,204.65 in total revenue and had $519,731.81 in total expenses over the course of the 2017-18 season.
That leaves a net profit of $61,472.84 at season’s end.
One unexpected charge took a big bite out of the team’s bottom line. A series of repairs to the team’s bus led to around $50,000 in total repairs over the past year.
“We had some structural problems around the rear axles,” said David Brooks, who presented the team’s financial report.
“It was starting to get leaky and fatigued there. We had to gusset all that up so it’s safe. That’s the biggest thing.”
Later in the year, a major defect took the bus out of commission for a time.
“At the end of the year, we had an oil cooler transmission fail, which in turn cooked the transmission. It’s done,” added Brooks.
While the bus underwent repairs in Regina, the team hired a charter bus company to transport them to and from road playoff games. The Bombers took three trips south to Wilcox and to Nipawin, costing them approximately $15,000 in fees.
Despite the difficulties with reliability, the Bombers will be sticking with the bus, saying that the repair costs are still dwarfed by the potential cost of chartering buses with outside companies. Brooks estimated that bus rental throughout a season could potentially cost the team $100,000, much more than the team currently pays.
“It makes sense to fix the bus we have now because, going forward, I think it will be fine. It’s got new brakes, new tires, new airbags, new shocks, it’s got all kinds of good stuff,” said Brooks.
New president for new season
Tanya Benoit has stepped down as board president.
The long-time Bomber volunteer and marketing coordinator stepped aside one year after assuming the post. During her time with the team, Benoit was the only female president of a junior A hockey team in western Canada and was the first female president in team history.
Three candidates were nominated to replace Benoit at the meeting – Damian Dominey, Danny Haley and Travis Rideout. After an anonymous ballot, Rideout was named president for a two-year term. Dominey was later named vice-president and will serve for one year.
David Brooks will resume his post as the team’s treasurer after Bunny Burke stepped down from the position. Brooks, who served several years in the position before stepping down last year, helped lead the team back to financial stability after a period where the club was more than $100,000 in debt. The team paid off its final remaining loan last May.
Brooks also served as treasurer during the team’s bus purchase.
Seven directors will serve two-year terms. Tijana Clarke, Eldred Dicks, Carissa Mason, Glen Rideout, Emily Robinson, Janice Slipp and Lisa Tower all agreed to fill the posts.
Benoit, Danny Haley, Marty Ledoux, Kelly Mansell and Adam Ricard have also joined the board for one-year terms.
Randalene Lindsay will serve the second year of a two-year term, while Tim Babcock and Cal Huntley will join the board as the City of Flin Flon and Hudbay’s representatives.
