There will be plenty for Flin Flon Bomber fans to enjoy this season – and not just on the ice.
Every year, club volunteers put together a range of promotions, events and contests for fans at home games. This season’s expanded promotions schedule means fans will find something fun at almost every home game.
“I’ve gotten the okay to move forward with some things,” said Tanya Benoit, marketing coordinator for the Bombers. “We want to get more butts in seats. Make it more fun, make it better.”
The increase in game events was inspired by the team’s run to the Canalta Cup final last season. During that series, Benoit organized a chuck-a-puck contest to keep fans occupied at intermission. The contest was a hit.
“I was selling out,” said Benoit of puck sales. “We had 100 pucks, and everyone was loving it. We wanted to expand it.”
This year there’s a twist – the new chuck-a-chicken contest is sponsored by a local restaurant. The contest works like the a chuck-a-puck contest, except with rubber chickens.
“There will be four buckets on the ice,” said Benoit “If your rubber chicken lands in one of those, you’ll get one of our prizes.”
The chuck-a-chicken event was inspired by a conversation Benoit had with a local business owner. “When I talked to them, they knew someone who had 100 rubber chickens,” said Benoit.
The game will give new meaning to occasional chants from the Whitney Forum faithful of “We want chicken,” a reference to a previous giveaway that offered free chicken to Bomber fans after lopsided wins.
This season’s intermissions will see the return of remote-controlled monster truck races, as well as the fan favourite chuck-a-puck contest.
Another event is a partnership with Candle Lake Golf and Country Club. If the Bombers score seven goals in a home game, every fan at that game will win a free round of golf at the club.
There’s even more for season ticket holders, who will be given special coupons for free popcorn, and will be entered into draws held during Bomber power plays and penalty kills.
“If you’re a season ticket holder, you’ll be in for some treats,” said Benoit.
Some giveaways are tied to the players’ on-ice performance. For example, if a Bomber player scores a
hat trick on home ice, one season ticket holder will win a set of new tires. A Bomber goal in the first minute of any period will win one lucky season ticket holder a free pizza.
Sponsors will once again provide free tickets to local schoolchildren for certain home games. Other events, such as frisbee tosses and t-shirt giveaways, are planned, but no dates have been scheduled yet.
Another fan attraction for this season will be the team’s new official mascot, a large plush moose. Donated by the family of Bomber forward Brandon Lesko, the moose was introduced at the Canada Day parade in July and will appear at home games throughout the season.
The mascot does not have a name, but will in the coming weeks – a contest to name the moose ran throughout the summer. Name entries will be presented to the team’s board in a future meeting, and a winner will be selected.
Sadly, Benoit confirmed the moose does not have a removable leg to throw on the ice after wins.
The two main goals for this season’s promotions are to engage local businesses and keep fans entertained. Out of this year’s 28 Bomber home games, 18 have been sponsored by area businesses.
“I’m a strong believer that the more you give people the chance to win stuff and the more you give back, the more they’ll enjoy it,” said Benoit. “Who doesn’t want to win free stuff? Who doesn’t want to win a free set of tires or a pizza?”
