Tyler Millar and Rylan Tkachuk did not regularly appear on the score sheet last season, but in their own ways they helped the Flin Flon Bombers reach the SJHL final.
As a pair of rookies, they worked hard, saw limited action and even suited up for the West Central Rage Junior B team. Their effort and character was important in the team’s success, in the view of Bombers head coach Mike Reagan.
“I give those guys a lot of credit. They were almost as important as an overtime goal … or a big save, because they never disrupted the dressing room once,’ he said.
This season Millar and Tkachuk – now 19-year-olds – are seeking larger roles as they try to help the Bombers match and surpass last season’s success.
Millar remembers last season with fondness.
“The best part for me was the experience and the amount of fun involved with a winning team,” he said. “Last year was my first taste of junior hockey. Following in the footsteps of veteran players and having a successful team to share that with was something I won’t ever forget.”
Millar saw action in 26 regular season games in 2015-16, scoring one goal, and played in three playoff contests. Tkachuk played in seven regular season games and two playoff tilts.
This season Millar has already played in 13 games and has an assist. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward brings size and gets around the ice well. He is also very defensive minded, something Reagan respects.
“It takes a special player to understand that role, and he does that,’ Reagan said.
Tkachuk has missed some games with an injury this season. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound defenceman has an assist in two games.
“Rylan has a good hockey IQ and puck skills,” Reagan said. “For a man his size, he moves pretty well.”
Millar and Tkachuk are enjoying the opportunity to contribute more to the Bombers.
“Having a larger role on the team this year has been challenging, but it has pushed me to try and be the best I can be every day to help the team succeed,” Millar said. “I had a good offseason and I really focused on becoming more confident as a player. So far, that has seemed to help me a lot and will continue to help as my confidence grows even more.”
Last season was certainly a learning experience for Millar (Vermillion, AB) and Tkachuk (Boyle, AB). They feel it made them better players.
“Being a part of last year’s team was great because you had guys like [Brandon] Switzer making sure you did the right things in practice, and if you didn’t he would let you know in a good way,” Tkachuk said.
Both Tkachuk and Millar had an opportunity to play at the Junior B level last season. Millar had two points in three games for the Kerrobert, SK-based Rage, while Tkachuk posted two assists in eight contests.
“I found that the Junior B last year helped me out lots because it built my confidence with and without the puck,” Tkachuk said.
