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Ex-Bomber Shiel remembers his most close-knit team

Since playing for the Flin Flon Bombers in the 1999-2001 seasons, Chad Shiel has found plenty of ways to stay involved in the game he loves.
Chad Shiel

Since playing for the Flin Flon Bombers in the 1999-2001 seasons, Chad Shiel has found plenty of ways to stay involved in the game he loves.

“Training hockey players, coaching, scouting, and being a [general manager] are ways that have allowed me to stay involved in the game,” Shiel said.

Since 2006, Shiel has owned and operated Stride Athletics and Fitness in his hometown of Calgary. For the past 16 years, he has worked as a strength and conditioning specialist and a skill development coach. While he works mostly with hockey players, Shiel also trains mixed martial arts fighters, downhill ski racers, dirt bike racers, and athletes in sports such as baseball, football, soccer, basketball and lacrosse.

Shiel, who has a 10-year-old son Kaden and a 5-year-old daughter Storm, has remained involved in hockey in other ways. He has coached teams ranging from novice to midget AAA. He was once the general manager of the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Calgary Canucks, and has scouted junior A hockey for the past 15 years.

As a player, Shiel suited up at the junior level for a number of teams, but said Flin Flon holds a special place in his heart. In his second season in Flin Flon, the physical forward had 11 points and 230 penalty minutes in 35 games.

“I played parts of two seasons with the Bombers and those were the tightest and closest teams that I ever played on,” Shiel said. “We had such an awesome group of guys. Plus Flin Flon really suited and embraced my style of play like no other place I have ever played. The fans were incredible.”

After his final junior season, Shiel inked a deal with the top affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. During training camp, he suffered a back injury which ended his playing career later that season. Shiel played 12 games with the West Coast Hockey League’s Anchorage Aces during that campaign.

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