The Flin Flon Bombers kicked off the new year by adding a pair of familiar faces to the fold ahead of the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
They added 17-year-old defenceman Curtis Roach, whose brother Josh played for the Bombers during the 2012-13 season, and forward Brett Boehm, who returns to the Bombers after winning the RBC Cup with the Yorkton Terriers last season and starting this year with Minnesota Duluth of the NCAA.
Both players were in the lineup on Sunday for Flin Flon’s 2-1 win over Humboldt.
Roach joins the Bombers from the Prince Albert Raiders, where he played in seven games with the Western Hockey League team this season.
“I thought he played really well for a kid who has only played seven games this year,” said head coach Mike Reagan. “He has good composure for a 17 year old. He logged a lot of minutes. We had him on the power play a little bit and the penalty kill. He’s a big strong kid who is only going to get better.”
Roach’s arrival is very timely, as the team has learned that Tanner Lishchynsky will not be returning. The 19-year-old defenceman is expected to finish the season with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice.
While the return of Boehm may come as a bit of a surprise, the Bombers are welcoming back one of the top offensive players in Western Canada. His addition not only adds an immediate scoring threat every time he is on the ice, but also gives his linemates more time and space, making them better player as well.
The Bombers are hoping he can recapture some of the magic that helped him lead the Yorkton Terriers to an SJHL title and a National Championship last season.
With the Terriers, Boehm scored 21 goals and 22 assists in 27 games to close out the regular season, before adding10 goals and six assists in 14 games during the SJHL playoffs. At the Western Canada Cup in Dauphin he netted nine goals and three assists in five games, and capped off the year with two goals and three assists in six games at the Royal Bank Cup.
