After what seems to have been a very quick summer, the puck is ready to drop on another SJHL season.

The Melville Millionares will host the Estevan Bruins on Thursday, with 5 matchups ready to hit the ice on Friday including the Flin Flon Bombers playing host to the Nipawin Hawks in the first half of the home and home.

The Bombers finished  (23-30-1-2) 49 points, third in the Sherwood.

Nipawin finished ( 25-27-1-1) 54 points, second in the Sherwood.

The season series finished 3-3, with both teams going 2-1 at home, and 1-2 in the opposition's building.

It was the amazing finish that had the SJHL talking about Mike Reagan's crew, who were able  to win 7 out of their last 10 including a 7-1 demolition over Laronge in the last home game of the regular season.

Flin Flon and Weyburn were actually  tied with 49 points, but the Bombers won the season series and grabbed the last playoff spot.

The Bombers would eventually bow out to the Estevan Bruins in 5 games in the SJHL Elimination series, but certainly showed the league that they were starting to become a force that is ready to vault back up the standings.

Tyson Empey, Austin Evans and Eric Pedersen all had a great stretch run and I think are 3 legitimate offensive stars in this league.

Throw in the best 6 Defensemen Flin Flon have  had in a decade, and a confident Simon Hofley and this looks like it will be another fun season calling Bomber hockey this year.

Flin Flon has also got some WHL cuts in the very capable Dustin Perillat who spent a good chunk of the season with the Bombers last year, and Logan Harland who has just been released from the Saskatoon Blades.

Mike Reagan has worked very hard with a number of big trades at last year's deadline, not to mention travelling all over the country to find the right players to try and bring back a championship for the first time since 1993.

Melfort is expected to give Flin Flon their toughest test in the Sherwood, but we all know how tough this league is and you can never count anybody out. Nipawin will not lie down this weekend.

In what is becoming a tradition the last several years, I sat down with Mike Stackhouse and we put together our annual SJHL preview show. We chatted about the early season power rankings and have taken a look at all 12 teams one by one.

Give a listen and don't hesitate to shoot me out an e-mail at rhart@arcticradio.ca