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.
At the Flin Flon Bomber Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night, 131 supporters came out to hear what the organization had to say about the 2004-05 season, and what they intend to do next season to stop the downward spiral that the team has been in for the past four years. Outgoing president Dave McPherson was not able to attend, so the meeting was chaired by vice-president Glen LaValley, who read a statement on Dave's behalf. "My two years as president have certainly been a learning experience," it said. "Mostly good and some bad. We are at the point where we have to be a winning organization on and off the ice." He went on to thank those people who supported him, and wished the incoming president and board good luck. LaValley took off where McPherson left off, thanking the fans for their support in trying times. "We are once again the best average attendance in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League," said LaValley. "After four seasons, and especially the last one that none of us are proud of, that is really great. The fans here certainly deserve to have a lot more to cheer about. Working together, I see no reason why we can't rebuild the success of this team." Secretary-treasurer Dave Woodward presented the financial report, and pointed out that the team will be close to breaking even at the conclusion of its fiscal year at the end of May. Due to problems with lottery licenses, the team did not make as much money as they had hoped to on a couple of fundraisers, and even lost money on the cash calendars. Another contributing factor was that a game set for Pelican Narrows was canceled, and the team lost $7,000 because of it. Corporate sponsorship is also down from previous years. The Bombers started the year with a deficit of $72,000, and it is expected that the team will not be able to put any money toward lowering that figure. One area that did not go down was the tremendous support from season ticket holders and walk-up ticket buyers, as the team generated $132,423.45 in ticket sales, their largest revenue source, including nearly $99,000 in season ticket revenue. See 'Revenues' P.# Con't from P.# Although the income statement was not complete, it showed that the Bombers generated $320,241.03, while expenses totaled $315,143.93 for a net income of $5,097.10. Woodward noted that although there were some revenues still coming in, there were also some large bills to pay before their year end. Governor Dan Reagan talked about business at the League level, stating that the SJHL will likely use the same playoff format next season, although changes to the regular season may be made to add some games down the stretch against southern opponents. Reagan noted that the Bombers have had problems getting players to report to Flin Flon after being traded, and there was a direction from the floor to approach the league about suspending players who refuse to report. During the coach's report, Ryan Hoffman outlined some of the high points in the year, and addressed some of the concerns that were brought up during the season. One of the major concerns from the membership was the discipline of the players. Some of the people in attendance thought that the players weren't being held accountable, and did not show respect on the ice or in the community. Hoffman noted that most of the problems were the result of one player acting out, and that player was traded in December. "This season was a trying one for players, coaches, executive members, sponsors and fans alike," said Hoffman. "It did not go as planned for a number of reasons. We had a number of unexpected issues with respect to character and discipline that we had to deal with. That resulted in trades, which turned into the problems with players reporting." Looking ahead, Hoffman noted that of the 19 players eligible to return next season, 16 are expected to be back in the fall. The coaching staff has already reached verbal agreements with some of their prospects, and details will be released once the cards are signed. Hoffman said that in recruiting this year, the coaching staff has taken a harder look at the character of the players they are bringing in, in order to avoid discipline problems down the road. Contract Of special note, coach Hoffman sat down with the board earlier this year to rewrite his contract extension. If the Bombers aren't in playoff contention by mid-November/December, the coach's contract is terminated. After a quick break, elections were held, starting with the president. Duke Rodnisky returns to the Bomber board as the president for the next two seasons. Vice-president Glen LaValley and secretary-treasurer Dave Woodward each have one year remaining on their term. Returning board members are Paul Garrett, Ken Stelnicki, Hank Kosar and Ken Entwistle. New to the board for two-year terms are Rob Hart, Jason Mandes, Dennis Boutellier, Kelly Davis and Lee Deary. Chuck Woods was elected for a one-year term. The new board will get right to work, meeting for the first time on Tuesday.
