The Bombers' Friday night matchup with the Nipawin Hawks has been cancelled due to extreme cold weather - but Flin Flon's team won't be taking the night off. Instead, the Bombers will host a 3-on-3 intrasquad tournament.
The game was announced as cancelled by both teams and the SJHL Friday morning, owing to extreme cold warnings and winter conditions for Nipawin, Flin Flon and communities between the two where the Hawks would need to drive through to get to Flin Flon. The game will be rescheduled at a later date.
With the Hawks not coming to town, Bomber players will instead hold a 3-on-3 tournament among themselves. Three teams, categorized as white, maroon and black, will play at the Forum starting at 7 p.m. for anyone wanting to watch.
The teams will include four of the five players acquired by the Bombers at this week's trade deadline, as well as Matt Egan, who will make his return to the ice after being diagnosed with cancer over the holiday break.
Team White, captained by Joey Lies, will include both Lies brothers, Justin and Joey, as well as Riley Niven, Cole Tanchuk, Kylynn Olafson, Luke Lepper and newcomer Jerome Gilbert.
Team Maroon will be captained by Reid Arberry and feature him, Carter Anderson, Noah Houle, Egan, Liam Bridger, Aiden Chow, Dawson Karol, newly-acquired Anthony Bax and potentially deadline acquisition Tyson Smith - Smith, who is en route to Flin Flon after the team traded for him earlier this week, will play if he shows up in time.
Team Black is captained by Pierce Yakimchuk - "Yak" will play with Jacob Vockler, Alexi Sylvestre, Anthony Piccininno, Adam McNutt and Koen Senft, along with deadline pickup Conor Ryan. Only one Bomber, deadline pickup Keefe Gruener, won't be on the ice - Gruener is still on his way to Flin Flon and the same weather system preventing Nipawin from coming north will cause him to be delayed long enough to miss the tourney.
Teams will split goaltenders - Harmon Laser-Hume and Kenny Marquart will play as needed.
