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.
"I still feel guilt," said Blake McCullough, former captain of the Flin Flon Bombers, who has notified the team that he's not returning. "That was the hardest phone call I ever had to make was to tell (coach) Doug (Stokes) I'm not coming back," said McCullough, when he was in town for graduation in late June. That feeling stems from a situation that took place during the Jan. 10 trade deadline. "Doug came to me and he was looking to open up another roster spot for a depth spot for the playoff run because I was done for the year," explained McCullough, who is now a Langley Chief in the BCHL. "He said what happens is that I would get released and I would be protected within Saskatchewan, but I could sign with any team elsewhere in Canada, and basically I gave Doug my word that I wouldn't go anywhere else. I essentially am going back on my word." The main reason McCullough is leaving is for a better shot at a scholarship. He claims the geography of Flin Flon hurts players' chances of landing a scholarship, as there have been three scholarships Ð Morgan Cey, Tyler Beachell, and Mike Reagan Ð in the last five years. Though he arrived with a scholarship pending, Zane Kalemba can also be included. McCullough agrees that when a team struggles it might make it harder to gain the attention of colleges, but that's not the main factor. "I think location is the number one, though, because we have a lot of good players on this team that can play college hockey and I think a prime example is Dalton Pajak," he said. "I know from living with him he only had one concrete offer and he finished seventh in the league in scoring. There's no way you shouldn't be getting more interest than that. People might say different theories, but I can only chalk that up to geography, because he's a solid two-way player Ð character off the ice Ð so it's tough." While Pajak isn't going the NCAA route, he did receive a Canadian Interuniversity Sport Scholarship with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Stokes commented on McCullough's statement. "The scouts are watching. I don't buy that argument," he said. The Chiefs, according to McCullough, had eight scholarships awarded to their team alone last year. The BCHL's website shows 10 during the 2005/06 season. "B.C.'s generally regarded as the elite league in Canada as far as play goes, and where most scouts do go and watch and (players) get scholarships," he explained. "I figured my last year, I'm just playing the percentages as the best opportunity for me to get noticed. "I just want people to realize that just because I changed my mind here, it doesn't mean I'm not a guy of my word or character or integrity. Seeing people around town, it's hard looking at them," he continued. "I really want the people to realize that those weren't my intentions when that happened. Everything I did here, I did 100 per cent and I really care about this town and the people and the team." McCullough's roster spot went to Brett Medve, who was in and out of the lineup last season, playing 21 regular season and four playoff games. Jan. 10 proved to be the day the Bombers permanently lost their captain after he suffered a season-ending injury at the end of November. The only thing is that neither side knew it. McCullough gave his word thinking the unexpected wouldn't happen. "At that time, I've played 50 games total in two years of junior hockey and I figured outside Saskatchewan no teams would be interested in me," McCullough said. Not surprisingly, Stokes feels it's the wrong decision for McCullough to go back on his word. "We had a gentleman's agreement," said a disappointed Stokes. "We planned on having him back." McCullough's move will likely become a hard lesson learned for the veteran coach. He wasn't afraid to express his feeling on the situation. "I feel somewhat betrayed," Stokes said. "I thought his word was good." Despite the role McCullough played, Stokes believes the damage is minimal. "He never played a game for me," Stokes said. "I don't think it's as big a loss as we thought. We really never lost anything. I feel confident with the group we have. Our top four will be as good as anybody."
