The Flin Flon Bombers’ 2017-2018 season came to an end in the quarterfinals of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s playoffs.
The Bombers, who entered the playoffs as the No. 9 seed, battled the top-seeded Hawks, who had been ranked in the top 10 in the country in the final poll before the playoffs. The Hawks won the series 4-1, but it was not easy. Three games in the series were decided by one goal – including the final where the only goal was scored on a power play in overtime.
“I thought our compete level was real high and we battled,” said Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan, who said his team learned a lot during the series.
The series loss brings to an end the junior careers of four Bombers. Twenty-year-olds Brenden Newton and captain Ben Lanfermann age out after helping the Bombers to three straight postseasons and two SJHL finals. Fellow 20-year-olds Tyler Nyman and Jordan McCausland, who both battled injuries this season, played parts of two seasons in Flin Flon.
During the 2017-2018 regular season, the Bombers compiled a 24-26-3-5 record. Flin Flon beat Notre Dame, the No. 8-seed, in a wild card series, 2-1, before battling the Hawks. The playoff experience gained will be important in the future for the young Flin Flon squad.
“I’m very excited for next season and feel that we should have a great opportunity to be one of the better teams in the league,” Reagan said. “There is a lot of work to do and some things need to fall in place but we have a good nucleus to build from. I think that our young guys matured and grew a lot from this playoff experience.”
In the playoffs, rookie forward Donovan Houle-Villeneuve of Montreal led the Bombers with six points. He accumulated them – all goals – against the Hounds. Winnipeg’s Brandson Hein and Chrystopher Collin, who grew up in the Montreal area, each had five points.
Veteran goaltender Brenden Newton of Medicine Hat played in all eight of Flin Flon’s playoff games. He posted a 2.90 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. In the final game, Newton made 53 saves and did not allow a goal until after almost 20 minutes of overtime.
“I thought Newts did what he needed to do to give us a chance at winning and that’s what you expect from your No. 1 goalie,” Reagan said. “I was real proud of him in the last game because he was sensational in his final game as a Bomber. I think he should be proud of that. It’s how he should be remembered.”
One of the highlights of the Bombers’ season has been the development of their young players. The team included 11 rookies. Defenseman Calvon Boots of Fairbanks, Alaska was the Sherwood Division’s Rookie of the Year, a nominee for the SJHL Rookie of the Year, and earned SJHL All-Rookie Team honours. He was just one of a number of rookies who played big roles.
Collin, an 18-year-old with about 20 games of previous Junior A experience, led the Bombers in the regular season with 22 goals. He was a member of Team Canada West, led by Reagan, that won the World Junior A Challenge. Collin scored in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Top Prospects Game.
“Playing for the Bombers this year has been an honour,” Collin said. “The support we got from the fans was incredible. It was special to be part of this. It was a really amazing season for me this year. Mike was great and helped me get my game to the level it is now. I’m looking forward to coming back to Flin Flon next season and having a longer run in the playoffs.”
Second-year man Nate Hooper of Winnipeg paced the squad with 56 points and 36 assists. He was second with 20 goals. Newton led the Bombers with 17 wins and had a 2.98 GAA and .910 save percentage. Lanfermann led the Flin Flon blue liners with 33 points.
