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.
The hottest team in the SJHL will be in town on Saturday, as the Flin Flon Bombers host the Battlefords' Stars for one game this weekend. The Stars are currently in second place in the Dodge Conference with 31 points, one behind the Kindersley Klippers with three games in hand. The Stars have only lost one game in their last ten, compared to the Bombers who have only one win in their last ten. It is the first trip to Flin Flon this season for the Stars. The two teams have met once so far this season, a 5-2 loss for Flin Flon on the road last Friday. It is unknown what kind of a team that Battleford will be icing on Saturday, as some key players are out of the lineup. One thing is for certain, they will be tough to beat, as goaltender Justin Pesony leads the league with a goals against average of 2.35 and a save percentage of 0.923. "We saw them a week ago, and they played us pretty hard," said coach Ryan Hoffman. "They have excellent goaltending, and they played us pretty hard. I don't expect their work ethic is going to change, and I expect that Pesony will get the start. We are going to have to do a better job of getting some traffic in front of him, and our special teams will have to be better than they were last week." The Bombers also learned this week that team captain Conrad Wilgenbusch will likely be out until after Christmas as he recovers from a concussion. Derek Blais will wear the 'C' for the Bombers in the meantime, and the 'A's have been shuffled around. With only one game this week, coach Hoffman is expecting a solid outing from his team. "With only one game this week, it gives us a chance to let everything hang out on Saturday," he said. "We were really looking forward to playing in Pelican with the atmosphere there, but other than that, we will be pumped up and ready to go on Saturday. We will find out on Saturday whether or not we put that extra day of practice to good use." The Flin Flon Bomber family is in mourning after learning of the passing of local hockey legend Paddy Ginnell. Ginnell was a member of the Bombers as a player during the historic 1956-57 season, and as a coach from 1966 to 1974. His number 11 banner (pictured) already hangs from the rafters at the Whitney Forum. "We, the Flin Flon Bomber Organization, are deeply saddened at the loss of a member of our Bomber family, Paddy Ginnell," said president Dave McPherson in a press release. "Paddy is a legend and will always be a legend to our community and a wonderfully respected person. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Ginnell family." The Bombers will be doing a special tribute to Paddy Ginnell followed by a moment of silence before Saturday night's game against the Battlefords' Stars. "It was tough to hear the news about Paddy Ginnell passing away," said coach Ryan Hoffman. "Every day we walk into the rink and we see the banner hanging from the roof of the Whitney Forum. It reminds us of the traditions and what an icon like Paddy meant to the organization. His passing affects everybody in the organization." The Bombers and Stars will face off at 7:30 p.m. at the Whitney Forum on Saturday.
