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.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer Flin Flon's Whoopers recreation hockey team took Winnipeg by storm as they earned the Manitoba Cup with ease Ð or so they made it seem. Made up of past and present Flin Flonners, the Whoopers earned the first-place finish last month while competing against 50 other clubs. In division four, the Whoopers took the cake and ate it too as they devoured teams by scores of 15-3, 11-4 and 12-6. In the finals against the Starbuck Buzzards, the Whoopers had their closest match of the tournament, earning a 6-2 victory. As a recreation team, the Whoopers were placed in division four, as neither the team nor the organizers knew the level they would compete at. Sitting in a division with less stipulations, the Whoopers took command. Move up Earning the Manitoba Cup, the team will now move up to division three for next season. Stacked with former Bombers and pro players, the Whoopers will move into the lowest group in division three. "We can compete in the third division with the team we have," said team manager Travis Rideout. He says the team's been around for six or seven years, but it is now used as social club for the players. "A lot of us grew up together," said Rideout, "and played together and played on the rec league team as well." Ranging in age from 19 to 37, the 15-player team is out for a good time. Other teams in the league have current MJHL players, such as those in division one. In the Manitoba Cup tournament, held over the weekend of April 23, the Whoopers took on the Neepawa Natives, the Winnipeg Twisters, Winnipeg Piston Broke, East St Paul Aces and the Starbuck Buzzards. Ray Shirran of the Whoopers earned the Tournament MVP nod. The Flin Flon Whoopers team is made up of the following players: Jon Cooper; Chris Bortis; Trevor Bentley; Ray Shirran; David Scully; Shaun Strom; Rob McKeen; Bryce Barteski; Dan Hotel; Brent Neufeld; Marty Ledoux; Ryan Bortis; Michael George; Matt Hill; and Mike Reagan.
