The Flin Flon Bombers hope their victories on the opening weekend of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season are just the beginning of a successful campaign.
Flin Flon beat the La Ronge Ice Wolves, 7-4, on the road on Friday. With 1,436 cheering on the Bombers on Saturday, the team downed La Ronge, 8-5. Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan said his team was good offensively, but he was not pleased with the Bombers allowing so many goals.
“It’s early on in the season,” he said. “You are not going to be perfect at this point. There are things to work on.”
After the opening week of play, the Bombers are one of four teams that are 2-0. The others include the defending SJHL champion Nipawin Hawks, the Kindersley Klippers, and the Estevan Bruins.
“You want to start off on the right foot, especially with our home opener. You never want to disappoint a crowd like that,” Bombers defenceman Mason Martin, who hails from Winnipeg, said. “We still have lots of work to do as a team, but it’s going to be a fun year, and I think we can win a lot of games this year.”
On Saturday, the Whitney Forum drew the largest crowd – by more than 300 people – of the opening weekend. Only last Wednesday’s contest between the Humboldt Broncos – playing their first game since the April 6 bus crash tragedy – and the Nipawin Hawks drew more fans. That game was attended by 1,998 people, with a national audience, including the Bombers watching as a team, viewing it on TSN. Of the fans who came out to the Whitney Forum on Saturday, Reagan said, “Our crowd was amazing. Almost 1,500 people. You could not ask for a better atmosphere to start the season.”
The head coach, a former Bomber, was pleased with the support from the community and, although he does not expect that number every night, said he hopes it is a sign of things to come. Reagan felt the Bombers put forth a good effort for the fans – both at home and on the road.
“Our work ethic was good all weekend. I think we are a team that plays pretty honest. They are going to compete,” said the coach, who also praised his team’s character.
Reagan wants to see the Bombers tighten things up defensively and said that will be a focus of practice this week. Reagan stated, “Becoming a better defensive team is easier I think than becoming a better offensive team.”
On the weekend, the Bombers showed they can light the lamp with 15 goals in two games. Brandson Hein from Winnipeg opened the season with a hat trick, then had four assists on Saturday.
“Many things factor in how players are able to score goals,” Hein said. “For (the first game), I was in the right place at the right time. I was ready to execute, and my teammates all did their jobs.”
Veteran players were key in the Bombers’ offensive prowess on the opening weekend. Newly named captain Nate Hooper and defenceman Calvon Boots each had six points. Donavan Houle-Villeneuve tallied five, including three goals to tie him with Hein for the team lead, while Caleb Moretz and Daylan Marchi each had four points.
Newcomers also helped the team to victory. In net, 20-year-old Pierce Diamond from Edmonton backstopped the team to both wins. Alec Cokley of New Castle, Colo., Winnipeg’s Billy Klymchuk, and Vincent Nardone of Rosemere, Que., all scored their first goals with the team. On the blue line, 18-year-old Ryder Richmond was arguably one of the team’s top defenceman, Reagan said.
“His poise with the puck and his decision making was excellent.”
After the opening weekend, the Bombers had 27 players, including four goaltenders, with them. Reagan said some tough decisions will have to be made to pare the roster down.
The Bombers will play their next four games in five days. After a home-and-home series against Nipawin this coming weekend, the Flin Flon team plays two games in Warman at the annual SJHL Showcase early next week. The event brings all of the league’s teams together in one place in front of scouts from the major junior, pro, college, and university ranks.
“The Showcase is always exciting,” Reagan said. “Hopefully, we can work out some of the kinks … Nipawin will be a tough test.”
He noted that the defending champs have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Declan Hobbs. On Saturday, Hobbs made 49 saves to shutout the Broncos. In his first two games this season, he has stopped 88 of the 89 shots he has faced.
