The SJHL Playoffs came to a crashing halt on March the 13th due to Covid 19 when Hockey Canada cancelled the remainder of the season.

This affected all of hockey across North America including the Flin Flon Bombers who were the only team in the SJ to book their ticket into the second round after sweeping the Humboldt Bronco's four straight.

The SJHL has done their best to have some type of closure to the season so they have created a virtual playoff simulating contests using  the game NHL 2020 on PS4.

You will be able to watch a simulated game between the Flin Flon Bombers and Melfort Mustangs from the Whitney Forum tomorrow night starting at 8.

You can watch for free from your phone or desk top at twitch.com/sjhlhockey.

The Mustangs advanced to the final four with a 4 games to 1 virtual series win over Estevan.

Posted yesterday at 10:05am by News Release

To keep Manitobans safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Sport Manitoba and the Dauphin Host Society have announced that the Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro that were set to take place from August 9–15, 2020, have been postponed and will take place next summer in Dauphin from July 11–17, 2021.

Sport Manitoba and the Dauphin Host Society worked with the City of Dauphin and the Provincial Sport Organizations to reach the collective decision to postpone the event, and will work with all Games partners in the coming months to continue to prepare and plan for the new Games date.

The Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro are staged every two years and alternate between summer and winter sporting events, and are the largest ongoing multi-sport event in the province. The Games involve upwards of 3,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers, and represent an opportunity for young athletes to compete and prepare to reach national and international sporting stages.

The sports showcased at the 2021 Manitoba Games include: Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Cycling, Golf, Rugby, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Triathlon and Volleyball.

Flin Flon Creighton Minor Ball has decided to cancel this up coming season due to the Corona 19 pandemic.

Here is the announcement courtesy of their web-site.

Due to the social distancing requirements in place because of Covid-19, FFCR Minor Ball WILL NOT be running the 2020 baseball this season and therefore the season has been cancelled.

Our top priority is the safety of the kids and their families. Please stay safe and healthy this spring and summer and we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Thank you ALL for your understanding on this matter and please once again, stay safe ????

FFCR MInor Ball Board

Flin Flon Minor Hockey handed out their year end awards last night live on Facebook. Special Events Coordinator and Vice President Brandi Moore presented the awards.

Moore started the evening by thanking the board, coach's, managers, officials, sponsors, volunteers and players.

FFMH also congratulated the Atom and Pee- Wee Girls on their Gold medals from Provincials and the Werbicki Trucking Bantam AA Bombers on their Silver medal from Provincials.

Here are last night's award winners:

Official Awards-Referee Awards
Most Promising- Gage Gogal
Most Improved- Evan Madarash
Most Deserving- Brad Fox

NOVICE LEAGUE AWARDS

MVP- Hayden Biberdorf
MOST INSPIRATIONAL - Bentley Crone
MOST IMPROVED - Dex Tetlock
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE - Hunter Waslyk
TOP DEFENSEMAN - Davin McKeen
TOP GOALTENDER - Zoey Boucher

ATOM LEAGUE AWARDS
MVP - Braden Thompson
MOST INSPIRATIONAL - Jack Dubinak
MOST IMPROVED - Cohen Brough
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE - Brody Flynn
TOP DEFENSEMAN - Hailey Biberdorf
TOP GOALTENDER - Joslyn Tetlock

PEEWEE LEAGUE AWARDS
MVP - Kyson McCallum
MOST INSPIRATIONAL - Myles Koivisto
MOST IMPROVED - Scott Morin
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE - Emma Gardiner
TOP DEFENSEMAN - Logan Simon
TOP GOALTENDER - Bailey Schwartz

Some unfortunate news from the PLSC today regarding their up coming season.

Due to the recent extension of Manitoba's State Of Emergency and now the announcement that Saskatoon Youth Soccer has cancelled all outdoor tournaments, the PLSC has decided to cancel their season.

The PLSC travel teams would travel down to Saskatoon for various tournaments through out the summer and has decided to adhere to the direction given by the governing body.

The PLSC recognizes that the players, coach's and volunteers will miss the season but want to make sure that everyone remains safe and healthy.

Flin Flon Minor Hockey will get a chance to hand out their year end awards afterall with the Triad Realty Awards Gala this Sunday.

FFMH will do the awards live on facebook starting this Sunday at 7. All you have to do is follow them on Facebook to interact during the live event.

Awards will be handed out for all minor hockey from Novice to Bantam.

There will also be door prizes including 5 hoodies sponsored by Ped's Threads and a free registration next year , sponsored by FFMH.

It was a very exciting day in the Lies house hold as 14 year old Joey Lies was drafted by the Swift Current Bronco's in the 7th round of the WHL Draft yesterday afternoon.

Lies went 133rd overall and now joins his brother Justin who was drafted in the third round, 56th overall by the Vancouver Giants two years ago.

Joey suited up for the Norman Bantam Triple A Wolves this past year and led his team in scoring with 42 points in 34 games and was also their  team captain.

Lies did have a lot of interest from several WHL clubs,  but did tell me that Swift Current was the first team to reach out to him last fall and were also the last team to talk to him the day before the draft.

We caught up with Joey just after the announcement yesterday afternoon and he said he was very excited about the news and thrilled to be protected by Swift Current. " The entire family was watching online and we were on the couch patiently waiting and then it happened. It was exciting and I didn't really react and then it kind of hit me and I was ah this feels good."

For yesterday's full interview you can go to flinflononline.com/home/flinflontoday.

courtesy of SJHL.ca

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) is getting set to drop the puck on Canalta Cup postseason action via game simulation on PlayStation 4 (PS4).

The games will pick up where the teams left off when the remainder of the 2019-20 season was canceled on March 13 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The SJHL is currently inputting its teams and rosters, along with actual team and player statistics, into NHL 2020 for this venture. The simulation will begin on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:00 PM with live broadcasters calling the play-by-play.

The following is the schedule for the quarterfinals;

LaRonge Ice Wolves @ Yorkton Terriers GAME 5 April 23rd 7:00 PM
Nipawin Hawks @ Battleford North Stars GAME 5 April 24th 7:00 PM
Estevan Bruins @ Melfort Mustangs GAME 5 April 25th 2:00 PM
Battleford North Stars @ Nipawin Hawks GAME 6 (If Necessary) April 25th 6:30 PM
Yorkton Terries @ LaRonge Ice Wolves GAME 6 April 26th 3:00 PM
Melfort Mustangs @ Battleford North Stars GAME 6 (If Necessary) April 26th 6:00 PM
Nipawin Hawks @ Nipawin Hawks GAME 7 (If Necessary) April 27th 5:00 PM
LaRonge Ice Wolves @ Yorkton Terriers GAME 7 (If Necessary) April 27th 7:00 PM
Estevan Bruins @ Melfort Mustangs GAME 7 (If Necessary April 28th 7:00 PM

The motivation for this venture is to provide SJHL fans, and hockey fans in general, with the ability to watch the game simulations and provide entertainment during these uncertain times. Given the restrictions of self-isolation, it is hoped that these game simulations will bring people and communities together in a time where the population is feeling disconnected.

So join us, from wherever you might be, as we aim to pull the global hockey community closer together than it’s ever been— but, buckle up, because we’re getting set to drop the puck on a whole new game.

Congratulations to Hapnot Collegiate's Meadow Taylor who was selected to the Manitoba High School's Graduating All Star Team for basketball.

Out of the 11 players chosen. Meadow was the only athlete from the North to be selected. Taylor is the real deal and is an all around good player who can put up lots of points and is very solid defensively.

Meadow was a key member for the Senior Hapnot Queens this past season and helped guide her team to a Zone title when they breezed through the competition in Norway House.

The Queens then had their season cut short by Covid 19 as they were off to represent their region at Provincials in late March.

Head Coach Steve Lytwyn says it was a pleasure to coach Meadow. " Meadow was a tremendous leader both off and on the court and always wanted the ball no matter how many points she scored or the situation in the game. She was also a big reason why we were ranked number two in the province and were one of the favorites to win it all."

With the snow slowly starting to disappear and both spring and summer on the horizon, this is the time of year we are usually preparing for soccer.

Over 300 kids, coach's, parents, officials and volunteers are wondering if they will get a chance to enjoy one of the most popular sports in Canada and the World with the current Covid 19 out break.

The Phantom Lake Soccer Club has proven to be one of the top programs for it's size in all of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and has produced athletes that have been able to play at the National level.

The PLSC has not given up hope on this season and will soon be offering online registration in the next few weeks.

The start up for the 2020 season will depend on both the Saskatchewan and Manitoba governing bodies for travel. The PLSC will work with both bodies and make sure they follow the guidelines in ensuring safety for the players, coach's and officials.

You will be able to stay up to date at the phantom lake soccer facebook page and at flinflononline.com.

Congratulations to the Flin Flon Bombers Tristan Lemyre, who is a finalist for the CJHL Rookie Of The Year.

The CJHL announced the 5 nominees yesterday which was determined through a voting process of the CJHL'S 10 member leagues.

Lemyre captured the SJHL Rookie Of The Year back in March and was a unanimous selection on behalf of the SJHL.

Lemyre, who hails from Mirabel, Que,  the 2001-born forward had one of the most dominating offensive 18-year-old rookie campaigns the SJHL has seen in recent memory.

 Lemyre battled an injury that caused him to miss the entire month of October, but still managed to put a wide distance between himself and other first year players as far as scoring statistics were concerned.

 He had 30 goals and 32 assists for 62 points in 44 games, finishing 12 points ahead of the second-highest scoring rookie despite the fact he missed a dozen contests.

Lemyre was the second-highest-scoring player in the entire SJHL since December 1.  The NCAA took notice as Lemyre has accepted a scholarship to the University of Denver (NCHC). 

“We are very proud of Tristan and the adversity he has faced this year with his injury that kept him out of the line-up for the first part of the season and prevented him from probably making Canada West (WJAC),” Bombers head coach Mike Reagan said. “He is one of the most committed players that I have coached in my 13 years here in Flin Flon. "

Lemyre should be on of the top scorers in the league when the SJHL resumes in the fall.

Not only,  have the Flin Flon Bombers developed one of the top programs on the ice in Junior A hockey the last decade,  they have also been one of the most successful in getting their players to the next level.

In the last 10 years the Bombers have graduated 53 players to the NCAA and Canadien Universities including 4 commitments for this season.

Donavan Houle-Villeneuve - University of Maine (NCAA Div I)
Tristan Lemyre - University of Denver (NCAA Div I)
Cole Rafuse - Acadia University (USPORTS)
Caleb Franklin - Vancouver Island University (BCIHL)

Mike Reagan has had great success in his 13 plus years with the organization and one of the reasons is he continues to work extremely hard to get his players to the next level.

He continues to meet with scouts on a regular basis and was one of the SJHL Coach's who really pushed for the SJHL/MJHL Showcase which takes place in Regina and has become a great event to recruit top Junior A talent.

What really stands out to me is that Flin Flon may be a long way from every where, but Reagan continues to find a number of his graduating players, places to play.

For a complete list of all the SJHL Commitments from the last decade , go to sjhl.ca

This Saturday night get ready to re-live Flin Flon's greatest hockey moment as we will go back to May the 8th, 1957 when the Flin Flon Bombers shocked the world and Ottawa Canadiens to win the prestigious Memorial Cup, 3-2 in Regina.

To this day, Flin Flon is still the smallest centre to ever win Junior Hockey's greatest trophy.

What makes this so special, 63 years after the fact is that a number of players were home town boys including Team Captain, Teddy Hampson, Mel Pearson, George Konik, Carl Forster and Ron Hutchinson.

Harvey Fleming was from Ontario and after a few pro playing and coaching stints returned to Flin Flon and still lives here today.

Pat Ginnell was also part of that historic squad and would return to Flin Flon to coach some of the most talented teams between 1967 and 1974.

Led by Bobby Clarke, Reggie Leach, Gerry Hart and Ray Martyniuk the Bombers would reel off 3 Championships in 4 years between 1966 and 70 and were the class of Junior Hockey.

Due to all kinds of politics the Bombers never got to play for another Memorial Cup and you would have to think they would of garnered a couple more National Championships.

I heard Bobby Clarke and Gerry Hart both speak publicly how the 1957 Bombers inspired them to be great Bombers in their own right and prepared them for lengthy NHL careers.

Join us this Saturday at 7:05 on 102.9 CFAR and flinflononline.com as we will re-broadcast the third period from Regina's Exhibition Stadium with Lyle Armatage doing the play by play.

We will re-live Teddy Hampson's game winning goal and lots of post game dramatics as the Flin Flon Bombers take down the Ottawa Canadiens in a historic game 7.

We will also re-air interviews with Teddy Hampson and Harvey Fleming who I had a chance to interview a few years back at a team reunion.

The 1957 team was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall Of Fame and the Manitoba Hockey Hall Of Fame.

Age Division Name Change Bulletin

As most of you are aware, on Saturday, November 16, 2019, the Hockey Canada membership ratified the Board of Directors' decision to change the names of the hockey age divisions (as they will appear in the rule book and in the HCR).

The age divisions will become U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, U18, impacting all minor hockey programs under the Hockey Canada umbrella. The change will come into effect for the 2020 - 2021 season.

Here is the official release from Hockey Canada, announcing the change to age-division names: https://www.hockeycanada.ca/…/2020-21-coach-changes-made-to…

Below is Hockey Canada's Minor Hockey Age Division Chart for the 2020 - 2021 season:

Under-7 (U7)
2014 and earlier

Under-9 (U9)
2013
2012

Under-11 (U11)
2011
2010

Under-13 (U13)
2009
2008

Under-15 (U15)
2007
2006

Under-18 (U18)
2005
2004
2003

Beginning next season, the names of age divisions at every level of minor hockey will be simplified.

Congratulations to Flin Flon's Carson Lee who has received the Howard Nixon Trophy as the U of S Men's  Rookie Of The Year.

Due to the COVID 19 out break, the U of S announced the award winners on line yesterday.

Carson had a tremendous year and was named,  Canada West and U-Sports Rookie Of The Year and was a double Gold medalist at Nationals and Conferences.

He was perfect in both those events in the 82 KG event.

His brother, Hunter was a finalist for the E.Kent Phillips Trophy as Male Athlete Of The Year.

The OCN Blizzard have made it official, that local product Chris Perchaluk will be moving into the full time role of Head Coach and General Manager.

Chris has been the acting Head Coach since November and will now handle all the day to day operations including decisions on players, trades and the development of the hockey club.

Greg Hunter,  will now move into the role of Director Of Player Development and will be an advisor to Chris and will assist with the scouting staff in bringing top notch JR.A talent to OCN.

Nik Rusak will continue in his role of video and analytics coach.

The OCN Blizzard will now be looking to add a full time Assistant Coach and a Director Of Marketing and Business Operations.

They hope to have both these roles filled by mid April and if you need more information you can contact Kris Menard (Governor) at blizzard.governor@gmail.com