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 Following a fiercely competitive main camp, the Flin Flon Bombers are now in mid-preseason. Head coach and GM Mike Reagan says players at the camp worked hard and never let up. 'There were no disappointments, really,' said the coach, now entering his sixth season behind the bench. 'We were pretty happy with everyone and the way they came to camp and the (competition) level.' Having an older and more mature group of guys at the main camp this year brought the competition to a new level, said the coach. '...making the trade in the off-season and bringing in two new forwards really made everything competitive,' said Reagan. 'We've got some tough decisions to make.' The camp started with 55 Bomber hopefuls and was trimmed down to 33 before this weekend's action. Tough decisions are still ahead as the team will have to drop a few more players as the season progresses. 'The skill level of this camp is a lot higher than we've had in the past,' said Reagan. The Bomber rookies took their game on the road and defeated the Nipawin Hawks 6-1 at their first exhibition game this past Monday, Sept. 3. Flin Flon lost 4-3 the following night while in OCN to take on the rival Blizzard of the MJHL. Monday's high-scoring road game impressed Reagan, but he knows one can't read too much into the preseason. But, he says, even the practices the team is holding are looking promising. 'Very impressed' 'I'm very impressed with how we've moved the puck and even...our first real practice _ a pre-game skate _ they look like they are mid-season form with some of the things they are doing,' said Reagan. 'I think that's really exciting.' Reagan, himself a former Bomber, says the momentum from the practices and the competitiveness from the camp is a good thing. '...there is going to be highs and lows throughout the year,' he said when asked if burning out early was a possibility. 'We know that you're going to go through stretches where you lose a couple in a row,' he said. 'That's to be expected.' And when those stretches occur, Reagan said focus will be crucial. 'When that happens, your biggest focus has to be to get out of a skid, and as quick as possible,' the coach said. Though this year's players are older than last year's, Reagan reminds fans that some are still teenagers. '...some teams handle (the mental) part of the game better than others,' he said. 'We'd be fooling ourselves to think we weren't going to have some tough stretches throughout the year.' The Bombers will host the Swan Valley Stampeders tonight and the Nipawin Hawks on Sunday. The OCN Blizzard will be in town this Tuesday, Sept. 11, for a rematch before Flin Flon heads to Swan Valley next Friday to end out the preseason. Heading into a tough division once again, Reagan says the Bombers know full well this season is going to be competitive. 'It always is. Wins are tough to come by in the North,' he said. Preseason The Bombers earned a strong 6-1 win over the Hawks to start their exhibition season. 'We got some lucky goals, but they were earned lucky goals,' Reagan said. 'We worked really hard.' The Bombers and Hawks both dressed rookies for their first matchup. 'I thought for a bunch of rookies, we competed hard. It's tough to win games on the road,' Reagan said. The team's first game was a 'good start' to the preseason, he said. Next, the Bombers were in OCN Tuesday night, narrowly losing 4-3. 'It's always an interesting affair in OCN,' Reagan said prior to the game. With a new coach on the OCN bench, Reagan said he wasn't sure what to expect, but hoped to see more hockey than boxing. 'That's my biggest concern,' he said. 'That's not what we're here to do. We're here to play hockey and hopefully they are, too.' Tonight, the Bombers welcome Swan Valley before hosting their annual golf tournament tomorrow. Reagan said the matchup against the Hawks was going to be the game to watch. The teams are both set to dress mainly veterans, depending on injuries, for their second game against each other this preseason. 'They've got a good returning group and so do we,' Reagan said. 'We expect that to be very competitive.' Preseason is important for teams as it gives coaches and players an idea of how everyone matches up, but Reagan says it's not something to put all your effort into. 'We don't want to put too much into preseason, but at the same time, you can really use it as momentum going into the season,' said the coach. Reagan says everyone has to realize that these are exhibition games. If the team performs well, they can't get too wrapped up in it. And if the team doesn't do as well, they can't beat themselves up over it. 'It's about seeing where your team is at and tweaking a few things,' the coach said, adding that it's a chance to see who works well together. The Bombers will start their season on Sept. 21 in Melfort and will bring the Mustangs to the Whitney Forum the next night for their own home opener.
