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 Flin Flon Bombers look to be headed in the right direction after signing seven players out of spring camp. Of the roughly 105 players on the ice last weekend, the Maroon and White will welcome six new faces to the Whitney Forum along with a local product, Evan Akkerman, all of whom are 18. Head coach and GM Mike Reagan says while the camp didnâ??t offer players like Brett Boehm or former Bomber Andrew Johnston , it was one of the best to date. â??Overall, it was a great camp. Depth-wise, this was the best that weâ??ve had,â?ù he said. â??It wasnâ??t that real high-end player (camp)...but overall I think our top 40 game was very competitive.â?ù Held in Saskatoon, the Bomber camp featured about 105 athletes and six teams. Reagan saw plenty of new faces this past weekend as he watched potential Bombers vie for roster spots. Many players were welcomed to the camp by Flin Flon scout Jon Klasson. â??...because I donâ??t get to go out on the road a lot, Jon...is the guy we rely on to list our kids,â?ù said Reagan. Spring camp gives the club a chance to see who is coming through the system. â??Itâ??s an exciting time for me to see our young guys and future prospects,â?ù Reagan said. Many of the younger players at this yearâ??s camp left a good impression on Reagan. The fact that players in their early- to mid-teens were already standing 6â??1â?ù or 6â??2â?ù bodes well for the Bombers in years to come. â??Weâ??ve got some good size on the back end, which Iâ??m really excited about,â?ù said Reagan. â??...the potential to get into that 6â??3â?ù to 6â??5â?ù range is exciting for us.â?ù The coach is crossing his fingers: â??hopefully we donâ??t lose them to the Western Hockey League.â?ù â??But, overall I think...our list is very strong,â?ù he said. Coming out of camp, the Bombers will welcome four forwards and three defenseman. There are still big changes to be made on the Flin Flon roster for the upcoming season. Currently the team has two goaltenders â?? Devin Buffalo and Brandon Wildung â?? who are both 20 years old. â??...obviously weâ??re not going to play the season with two 20-year-old goaltenders,â?ù said Reagan, as the team would start the following season without any netminders. The coach sees full starting potential in both his goaltenders, but time will tell who will stand between the pipes. The Maroon and White have other holes to fill, as well. Reagan says the first and third lines are set, but the team needs to work out the second and fourth lines. â??So maybe we look at that through trades or maybe one of these young guys can step up and fill some of those holes,â?ù said the bench boss, who will be entering his seventh season with the club. â??Or maybe some of our guys from last year can step up and contribute a little more.â?ù Taking a quick look at his eligible returning players, Reagan says he sees Tyson Empey having a good season. â??Heâ??s only going to be an 18-year-old, but heâ??s going to have to fill some shoes of guys like Konrad Litke,â?ù Reagan said. Reagan foresees Brody Robinson as another important contributor. â??Brody...is going to play a more important role for us,â?ù he said. The coach identified Landon Hiebert and Cole McCaig as players that are going to need to step up their game for the upcoming season. Goinâ?? To The Chapel Last weekend wasnâ??t all about hockey for the Bomber coaching staff, as assistant coach Michael George got married in Battleford. â??We had to schedule around his wedding (Saturday) and make a run out to Battleford. It was good, though,â?ù said Reagan, happily. â??We had some of our veteran players helping out with the camp.â?ù
