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.
Dear Editor: The recent trading of Spencer Davis from the Flin Flon Bombers has shocked and disappointed me. It also brings me to wonder what the Bomber management is doing with this franchise. I will admit that my interest level in the Bombers has been nearly non-existent since the conclusion of the Royal Bank Cup a few years ago. As a student living away from Flin Flon for the entire season, it has been hard to maintain interest beyond keeping updates on the occasional play of local players. What made it even easier to lose interest was the team's sustained position at the bottom of league standings. But this year the permanent line-up position of my friend, Spencer Davis, rehashed my interest in the team. For the first time in years, I followed the team's progress and even travelled to The Battlefords to watch a game in November. Spencer is not a highly offensive player, his career stats are more than proof of this. However, Spencer is a dependable defenseman. He prevents goals and can be counted upon. But even this is not Spencer's best attribute. It is what you, the fans watching the game, cannot see that Spencer brought to the Bombers. Spencer is a leader, a leader who remained positive, no matter what the team's record was. A leader who got excited for every game, for every shift on the ice. He was one of the few who were still proud and happy to slip the Bomber jersey over his head as the team slipped from contention once again. In addition to this, on a team whose performance has been beyond dismal the past few years, Spencer had been a bright spot. He was a local player on a team that has lacked consistent local flavour since its last winning season. He was a person that the fans have known for years and could talk to on the streets everyday. He was the product of local minor hockey. He was a reason to go watch, even when you knew the homeside might lose. Trades such as this tend to only consider players' skill, ability and experience or youthfulness. They are just an equivalent exchange of some combination of these qualities. But no matter what the Bombers receive in return for Spencer, even if they gain skill, ability or youthfulness, they will never replace what has been lost. In Flin Flon, Spencer's worth far exceeded his on-ice ability. Spencer drew a large fan base among the younger adults from Flin Flon, many of whom live in Flin Flon while many others are away at school like myself. I know that the large contingent of Spencer's fan club who have travelled home for the Christmas break probably won't be attending any Bomber games as they had planned, just as Spencer's fan club - Saskatoon chapter won't be making a trip to Humboldt in January. I hope the Bomber management realizes they have lost a valuable member from the team. The team needs more players like Spencer, rather than fewer. - Brad Russell
