The Flin Flon Bombers coaching staff is a team within a team.
Mike Reagan is the head coach and general manager of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League squad. However, the former Bomber is quick to emphasize that himself and assistant coaches Garry Childerhose and Chris Bortis are a team. He said they share responsibility in the team’s success and failure.
“The best part about working with Mike and Garry is just how close we are as a staff,” Bortis said. “We are all friends away from the rink, which makes it easier to come to the rink every day. I think for teams to be successful they have to be a close-knit group on and off the ice and that is no different with the coaching staff.”
Reagan is currently in Nova Scotia as the head coach of Canada West, which includes Bomber Chrystopher Collin, at the World Junior A Challenge. This is the third consecutive December that, with him away with Canada West, Childerhose and Bortis have led the way. Reagan has complete faith in the duo.
“I think Garry and Chris have good work ethics,” Reagan said. “They care about the team and both understand what it takes to be a Bomber.”
This past week the Bombers were 0-3. With Reagan away at the WJAC the past two seasons, the Bombers have gone 13-1. Those were veteran laden units that made it all the way to the SJHL finals. This year’s team is packed with young, talented players.
“I think the best part about working with this young group this year is that we really get to mould these guys into being Bombers and playing Bomber hockey,” Bortis said. “In the past couple years when we’ve gone to the league finals we’ve had an older team and guys that have been with us for two or three years and they knew what it takes to be a Bomber and be successful. We knew coming into this year it would be a bit of a process and there would be growing pains, but we had to be patient. We are starting to see growth in all of our young guys and the team is benefiting from it.”
A veteran on this year’s team, captain Ben Lanfermann, said that for three years he has been “lucky enough to be coached by the best coaches and people in junior hockey.” Reagan is now in his 11th season coaching his hometown team. The squad has not missed the playoffs under his watch. He has helped a number of players make it to the next level.
“Mike is a very experienced coach who thinks and knows the game very well and it has paid off for him obviously as he is the coach for Team Canada West at the Junior A challenge,” Lanfermann said. “Reags has been there from day one pushing us to reach our potential and make us into better players on the ice and people off the ice.”
Childerhose is the Bombers assistant coach and assistant general manager. The former rival Melfort Mustang is now in his fourth season in Flin Flon. When asked what he has enjoyed most about coaching the Bombers, the Altona product said:
“I don’t think I could name one thing. It is probably a ton of things. It’s the community…I love the people here. It is a hockey town. It is a perfect fit for me.”
After last season, Childerhose was named the winner of the Dwight McMillan Award, which is presented to the SJHL’s top assistant coach. It is voted on by the league’s coaches.
“It means a lot coming from your peers,” said Childerhose, who emphasized that he feels that it is a team award.
Before joining the Bombers, Childerhose played NCAA Division III hockey for the State University of New York at Geneseo. Lanfermann said the assistant coach is very approachable and puts in time working with the players.
“He is always willing to go out early before practice and stay out after practice to help anyone with whatever they need to work on,” the captain said. “His commitment to help us get to the next level and be better hockey players definitely does not go unnoticed.”
A hometown product, Bortis serves as an assistant coach with the Bombers as well as working as an electrician at 777 Mine for Hudbay Minerals. Bortis, who has also scouted for the team, is in his fourth full season as an assistant coach after serving in that role on an interim basis in 2013-2014.
“He has sacrificed a lot of his time as he takes on a job at the mine as well as a coaching job,” Lanfermann said. “Not everyone is willing to work a 12-hour day and still show up on the bench for the games. That just goes to show his love for the game and for all the boys.”
