Flin Flon Bombers forward Joel Kocur wants to conclude his junior career as a champion.
“I have a very high drive to go out on top in my last season, and to win a championship for this organization and fans would be really special,” Kocur said.
The 20-year-old winger had seven points in games 1 and 2 of the Canalta Cup Final last weekend. His production helped the Bombers earn a split against the defending champion Melfort Mustangs.
“We were able to get a game there and to take home ice advantage away,” said Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan, whose squad outshot their Sherwood Division rivals in both contests.
Now the Mustangs must win at least one game on the road if they are to repeat as SJHL champions. The Whitney Forum is not exactly a place opponents enjoy visiting. Game 2 was played there last night, Tuesday, after The Reminder went to press, with Game 3 tonight, Wednesday.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the fans and to see how loud it gets in the Zoo with the first final here in 23 years,” Kocur said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Flin Flon’s last SJHL final appearance was in 1993, when the Bombers beat Melville.
Melfort and Flin Flon have never met in the championship round. The two have met three times in the league playoffs, with Flin Flon winning all three series.
In game 1 last Friday, April 15, Kocur had a hat trick and an assist in a 6-3 victory. He scored two more and recorded an assist in a 7-4 loss on Saturday.
When asked what allowed him to score five goals on the weekend, Kocur responded: “I think just playing the team game of getting lots of shots off and scoring the first one or two to get my confidence up.”
Through the first 10 games of the postseason, Kocur had one goal. Heading into Tuesday’s game, he had six goals and 11 points in 12 contests.
“For him to break out like that, that is a real positive sign for the team,” Reagan said. “We need him to produce.”
Reagan called the breakout a confidence booster for Kocur – and a good example for his team about how quickly things can turn around.
Kocur is a natural goal scorer and points producer. He had a team-high 34 goals in 57 games in the regular season.
“The combination of speed and skill is what makes him an effective goal scorer,” Reagan said.
An Edson AB native, Kocur played the first season (and a bit) of his junior career with the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Flin Flon acquired the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder in November 2014. He quickly embraced being a Bomber.
“What I’ve enjoyed most is just being able to put on the Bomber logo and play for such a historic and respected organization, and play for all the great Bombers who’ve played before me,” Kocur said.
During his time in Flin Flon, he has been an important part of one of the league’s top lines.
Kocur, former Wolverines teammate Brandon Switzer and fellow AJHL product Alex Smith have demonstrated chemistry and offensive firepower. All three placed in the top 11 in SJHL scoring this season. Smith, the RBC Player of the Year, was third, with Switzer sixth and Kocur 11th.
The Mustangs counter Flin Flon’s terrific trio with a formidable threesome of their own. The Minion Line of Travis Mayan, Tristan Frei, and Justin Boyer also racks up big points. Mayan has led the SJHL in scoring the past two seasons.
In playing games 1 and 2 on the road, Reagan had not really been able to match up certain lines against the Minion Line. However, he said players need to be aware of where the trio is and concentrate defensively.
In general, when it comes to playing the Mustangs in the final, Reagan said: “Our biggest thing is we have to dictate the pace.”
While top lines certainly play a role in deciding championships, so does depth. In that regard, Reagan said pretty much all the Bombers played well over the weekend.
Defenceman Braden Lacoursiere earned praise for his strong play, while Cory Thomas, a 17-year-old rookie, continues to step up his game, Reagan said, in the absence of the injured 20-year-old blueliner Pierre-Luc Morin.
Also playing well, Reagan said, are Adam Wilson, who had three points in as many games heading into Tuesday, and Jason Lavallee, who got pucks to the net but was not rewarded on the scoresheet Saturday.
For more on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games, visit The Reminder’s website at www.thereminder.ca. Like “Flin Flon Reminder” on Facebook to receive breaking news and sports updates.
