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.
Jordan CroneÕs dream of signing with his hometown Flin Flon Bombers came true last Friday, but he canÕt afford to stay on Cloud Nine for very long. With so many players returning from last yearÕs turnaround season, the gritty 18-year-old winger may have his work cut out for him in cracking the lineup. ÒIÕve got lots of training to do,Ó says the 6 ft., 180 lb. grinder with a scoring touch. Crone called it Òpretty amazingÓ to sign with the Bombers, but he knows that as a local product, the Whitney Forum faithful will have high expectations of him. ÒThereÕs always that little bit of pressure,Ó he said. ÒYouÕve got a lot of fans expecting a lot out of you.Ó Crone is coming off a successful campaign with the Norman Northstars AAA Midget team in which he placed sixth in team scoring with 13 goals and 13 assists in 34 games. He wasnÕt a penalty liability, either, spending 14 minutes in the sin bin. His blend of skills are a welcome addition for coach and GM Mike Reagan. ÒHeÕs just a hard worker, good team guy with a little bit of scoring touch,Ó said Reagan. ÒI think heÕs going to play well in the corners and bring a physical presence, finish his checks and just be a good energy guy for us and a depth player for us.Ó Reagan gave credit to Crone for working hard this off-season to show that he wants to be a Bomber. ÒObviously playing at home is something heÕs always wanted to do,Ó he said. As a Flin Flonner who skated four seasons with the Bombers, Reagan acknowledged the added pressure Crone will face as a local. But the coach believes the situation will bring its advantages. ÒI think it can be tough, definitely, playing in front of your friends and family all the time,Ó said Reagan. ÒSometimes the fans are a little more critical of the local guys. But thereÕs also the other end of it, too, where the fans are excited to have local guys in the lineup. ÒI think the advantage of having a guy from Flin Flon is that he knows what the Bombers are all about, and the tradition and history, and I think that they want to win a little bit more because it is their hometown team and they have that special place in their heart for them.Ó Crone certainly fits that category. And with the Bombers back on track after years of disappointment, he is optimistic about the clubÕs future. ÒTheyÕve got a lot of returning players, so they should do really good in the standings,Ó he said. Crone is the second local on the Bomber roster following the signing of defenceman Tanner Korchinski earlier this off-season. Korchinski spent last season as CroneÕs teammate on the Northstars.
