Every season he has been in Flin Flon, Bombers forward Kristian St. Onge has taken major steps forward.
“He’s come a long way and been a workhorse for us over the last two years,” Flin Flon Bombers head coach and general manager Mike Reagan said of St. Onge.
St. Onge, 20, has developed into a point-a-game scorer. After posting five points as a rookie, the Saskatoon product had 26 in 58 games last season. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has already equaled that in 25 games this season.
As well, St. Onge’s 14 goals so far surpasses the 12 he had last season when he helped the Bombers reach the SJHL final.
“I think confidence is a big thing for me that has helped me find the net more often this season, but it’s mostly the guys I’m playing with that I can thank,” St. Onge said. “[Rylee] Zimmer, [Brandon] Lesko, [Nick] Shumlanski and [Tyler] Nyman are all great players and create lots of offence. It’s fun to play with skilled players like them.”
Although St. Onge has missed some games this season, he is fifth on the Bombers in points and third in scoring. He is also in the top five in the SJHL for game-winning goals (four) and power-play goals (seven). He had 11-game points streak earlier this season.
“He has a really quick release,” Flin Flon assistant coach Garry Childerhose said. “He does a really good job of going backhand to forehand, which tricks goaltenders.”
St. Onge’s impact on the Bombers is about more than just the numbers. Childerhose said St. Onge plays a good, honest game and is strong defensively.
An assistant captain, St. Onge leads by example, Reagan said. He emphasized St. Onge has “great character and tremendous work ethic. He does all the little things right.”
A Saskatoon Blazers midget AAA product, St. Onge was first listed by the Bombers as a 15-year-old. He acknowledges, “I had never heard of Flin Flon before then.” However, the City Built on Rock has now become like a second home to him.
“I love the community and the fans,” St. Onge said. “During last year’s playoff run the support we had from the town was amazing. The people of Flin Flon are what make Flin Flon such a special and unique place to play.”
St. Onge said transitioning to junior A hockey was a big adjustment from midget AAA.
“Mainly the strength of everybody in the league was eye-opening to me,” he said.
Last season St. Onge recorded five times more points than he had as a rookie. He often skated on a line with Greyson Reitmeier and the departed Adam Wilson, who were at times counted on to get the team off to a good start. St. Onge had four points during the SJHL playoffs.
“Last year’s playoff run helped me understand what it takes to win and really showed me how difficult it is to be successful,” he said. “You have to prepare and compete every night if you ever want a chance at winning.”
This season St. Onge is seeking to help the Bombers get back to the final and win a championship.
As for next year, he hopes to pursue college hockey in Canada or the US. At this time, he is considering studying business.
