The Flin Flon Bomber store will be closed today but will re-open tomorrow from 12-2 for merchandise, Player Raffle tickets and Season Ticket Refund Options.

The hockey club wants to thank the fans that have come out and are overwhelmed with the amount of season ticket donations that they have received. Once again proving why we have the best fans in Junior hockey.

The Bombers will also be opening the store next week for a regular schedule of hours, with more details being released.

You can email the team right now at flinflonbombers@mymts.net and give them the details on what season ticket option you want.

The Bombers will also be announcing the deadline for refunds for the 2020-21 season tickets shortly. 

Flin Flon's Hunter Lee will get a chance to get back on the mat this weekend as Canadiens will be off to the Ukraine for a Memorial tournament in Kiev.

The Memorial tournament starts today and go's through Sunday , then he is off to Rome for another competition the following weekend.

Hunter will be competing in the 86 kg event and you can follow his progress including webcasts and results at the United World Wrestling's Event pages.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) announced today that the annual MJHL Draft will move from a U16 Draft (formerly Bantam Draft) to a U17 Draft highlighting players who are going into their 16-year-old season.

As a result, there will be no 2021 MJHL Draft with the current 2006-born draft eligible age-group carrying forward into the inaugural U17 MJHL Draft to be held in the spring of 2022.

Players who will be eligible for the the draft are Manitoba players who are registered to play hockey in Manitoba according to Hockey Manitoba regulations and are in their 16th year.

“Moving the draft eligible age group to a year older will give MJHL organizations the ability to watch players develop for an additional season to allow for a better understanding of that players continued development and potential to play elite junior hockey,” shared MJHL Commissioner, Kevin Saurette.

The MJHL has conducted virtual MJHL Prospect Presentations over the past several months with the 2006 age-group.  These presentations have provided players and families with important information on what it takes to get to junior hockey and the significance of the MJHL being a strong pathway to the WHL, NCAA, U Sports and eventually professional hockey at the highest levels.

The MJHL is also currently in the planning process of including additional development and exposure events for the draft eligible age-group each season.  These events will compliment local league play in showcasing and educating players prior to each annual MJHL Draft.

Please stay tuned for further announcements in the coming weeks.

(MJHL Press Release)

It will be a little different, but the Jimmy The Jackfish Fishing Derby will take place once again starting March the 1st.

This will be a virtual event this year and you can fish any lake you like north of the 53rd parallel.

Over $7,500.00 worth of prizes can be won in the Walleye, Burbot and Jackfish categories. Prizes will be handed out to first, second and third in each category.

Entry fee is $40.00 and you can enter by downloading the fish donkey app. Information is also available on the Jimmy Jackfish Fishing Derby facebook page.

The event will go two weeks wrapping up on March the 14th.

Congratulations to Flin Flon's Michael Cook who won $250.00 in the early bird draw.

Week 4 of the Koop Geotechnical Ski Series wrapped up on Saturday with 56 skiers taking part.

The warm weather was a big factor as they nearly doubled their group total of making it to Fidlers and back recording a total of 241 km.

Here are this weekend's past winners. 

Male Participation- Rob Abbott- $25.00 gift certificate from Kick It

Female Participation- Lexsey Lindsay- $25.00 gift certificate from Creighton Pizza

Group Distance Draw Winner- Leanne Pickering- $25.00 gift certificate from Mugsy's Deli.

Fastest Male- Brett Unrau 2.1 km in 6:34- $25.00 gift certificate from Pharmasave

Fastest Female- Ruth Unrau 2.1 km in 9:15- $25.00 gift certificate from Orange Toad

This week they will be tackling the Boundary trail . This is a classic only technique and will be looking for participation and fastest times again. Start and finish at the chalet door and ski the trail clockwise.

The group participation goal this week will be to ski to the Laronge Ski Club, so they will need lots of skiers to hit 322 km's.

Don't forget to send in your times to bigisland5959@gmail.com.

courtesy of bombers.ca

The Flin Flon Bombers are proud to announce that forwards Hayden Clayton, Chase Haygarth and Easton Haygarth have committed to play ACAC hockey for Red Deer College next season.

“Red Deer College is a great opportunity for me. I decided to commit there because they have plenty of opportunities for my education and they have a successful and winning hockey program.” – Hayden Clayton

Clayton, 20, was acquired from the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines in exchange for forward Brandon Cianflone during 2020 January 10th Trade Deadline. In 19 games last season, Clayton produced 12 points (6g-6a). Hayden plans on majoring in criminal justice.

Chase and Easton Haygarth were acquired in a blockbuster trade during the summer of 2019 when the Bombers shipped out forward Vincent Nardone to the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Chase currently has a slight lead over Easton in career points as a Bomber. Chase has produced 59 points in 62 games. While Easton has put up 58 points in 62 games.  Chase is currently still deciding which major to take while Easton will be studying Business Administration.

“Red Deer College has a great hockey program and I had some very good conversations with head coach, Trevor Keeper. It’s also an opportunity to play close to home. But most importantly, I get to play with two of my best friends for four more years, which I’m really excited about.” – Chase Haygarth

“I owe a lot to Mike Reagan, Cole McCaig and the entire Bomber organization. They showed a lot of confidence in me ever since they traded for me. They gave me an opportunity to be an impact player. I’ll forever cherish my time as a Bomber and all the friendships and memories I have made.” – Easton Haygarth

Red Deer College finished the 2019-20 regular season with a 20-6-2 record before the playoffs were shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020-21 ACAC season was cancelled.

The Phantom Lake Soccer Club is in need of volunteers to fill a couple of spots on their board for the potential 2021 season.

They are looking for a President and a Secretary. list of qualifications can be seen on their website.

The future of the 2021 season is unknown, the PLSC is optimistic and are preparing to go ahead once they get the green light.

Stay tuned for more details with the return to play and if you have any questions about these two board positions please submit to presidentplsc@gmail.com

The PLSC is looking for two people to step up and help them get ready for the season.

As we head into the later part of February and still no word from the SJHL, a return to the ice is not looking good for the Flin Flon Bombers at least at the Whitney Forum.

Travis Rideout, the Flin Flon Bomber President was on 102.9 CFAR yesterday and indicated that the league was still looking at returning in a bubble format in a neautral location.

The team appreciates all the support from the fans and sponsors through a very difficult time and are very disappointed that they will not be able to play the rest of this season's games at the Whitney Forum.

The Hockey club is offering these different options for refunds for season ticket holders.

Option 1 – A charitable donation to the club, complete with Tax Receipt

Option 2 – Cash Credit for souvenirs at the Bomber Store and Souvenir Booth

Option 3 – Refund

The office will be open next Monday through Wednesday between 3 to 5 and you can call 204-687-4404 or e-mail flinflonbombers@mymts.net to let them know your request.

Travis Rideout the Bomber President talks about their challenge in moving forward. " We are doing our due dilligence as a board to be responsible financially when it comes to the season,  by keeping our office open selling souvenirs and  taking advantage of all the government help with wages and different loans. We are being responsible where we are putting our money and making sure the big bills are being paid. It is unfortunate with what is going on as it has been a year with not a lot of money coming in."

Effective immediately,  the Board Of Directors of Flin Flon Minor Hockey have decided to cancel the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Minor Hockey posted on their web-site yesterday with the current restrictions  a season is not feasible at this time. They stated they are not closing the door on hockey, just the Flin Flon Minor Hockey  season.

Flin Flon Minor Hockey will be working on providing refunds to their members over the next few months. The refunds will be pro rated upon Hockey Manitoba and amount of activity that has taken place. 

No refunds will be issued til your team jerseys have been returned to your league co-ordinator.

The full release can be seen at flinflonminorhockey.ca.

Even with the very cold weather, 15 skiers braved the elements and participated in the Koop Geotechnical Ski Series this past week.

With the cold weather there was only the participation category and congratulations to Tim Spencer who won a $25.00 gift certificate from Pharmasave and Hollee Babcock who won a $25.00 gift certificate from Baba's Bulk Bin.

Week no.4 is now under way and is an open technique going clockwise on the Centoba Trail. Start and end from the Chalet door and be careful on the hills.

Temperatures should be decent this week so they will once again be looking for a fastest male and female skier this week.

Group kilometer goal remains the same as last week, out to Fidler's and back.

A big thanks to Koop Geotechnical for once again sponsoring this event.

The OCN Blizzard and the other 11 teams in the MJHL will not  get the opportunity to hit the ice again this year as the league has decided to cancel the remainder of the season.

The MJHL had multiple discussions with Manitoba Health, the Provincial Government, Facility Managers and the League Governors and felt they were left with no alternitive.

The Province still doesn't have a time table when teams can start practising let alone getting back on the ice for games and time seems to be running out as we hit late February.

League President, Kevin Saurette had this to say on the MJHL web-site over the weekend.

" I would like to personally thank all of our stakeholders for their commitment, patience and understanding during a very difficult and challenging season.

We are very grateful to our Communities, Billets, Sponsors, Supporters, Officials, Volunteers, League Staff, Team Staff and Players for their support and leadership in navigating through the very difficult challenges faced over this past year.

Although we are extremely saddened to make this announcement, we now look forward to the future as we prepare for bigger and better things for the 2021/22 season."

With the SJHL season remaining on hold, the Flin Flon Bombers continue to sign players and should have a very deep lineup when they get the green light to play.

The Bombers have signed their second player out of the Tisdale Trojans organization with the addition of defenseman Cole Tanchuk after signing goaltender Hunter Lolacher a day earlier.

Tanchuk who is only 16 was drafted in the second round,  19th overall in the 2019 SJHL Draft.

His hometown is Prince Albert and he has suited up for 33 games for the Tisdale Trojans where he has picked up 9 points including three goals. He was also drafted by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 5th round of the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft.

“I’m very excited to become a Bomber and honoured to be a part of an organization with their storied history and reputation for developing players and moving them on to the next level. I’m looking forward to the next step in my journey and I’m excited for the upcoming season.” – Cole Tanchuk

courtesy of hockey canada.ca

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the decision has been made to cancel all spring 2021 national championships, including the Esso Cup, TELUS Cup, Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, and Allan Cup. The following is a statement on behalf of Hockey Canada from Tom Renney, chief executive officer, and Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer:

“Despite a strong desire to work with four great communities to host the top players at various levels across the country this season, the health and safety of all participants and the communities at large continues to be of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada. The ongoing pandemic, coupled with the fact that many regions in the country are not currently playing organized hockey, left us with no other option. We believe the decision to cancel our spring 2021 national championships is the safest decision given the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic at a local level, as well as the uncertainty around each region being able to compete for a national championship.

Hockey Canada is grateful for the continued support of local host committees and event partners, including B.C. Hockey, Hockey Alberta, the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, the Ontario Hockey Federation and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), as well as the communities of Penticton, B.C., Prince Albert, Sask., Calgary, Alta., and Dundas, Ont., and all local and provincial funding partners. Our organization is appreciative of the commitment and support of all stakeholders and we look forward to showcasing our national championships and all participants to fans next year.”

Hockey Canada will continue to work with event stakeholders to host the spring 2022 national championships with a confirmation of all 2022 host communities to be announced in the coming months.

Mike Reagan was our special guest on yesterday's Norman Sportsline Program where he talked about the recent signings he has made for the hockey club.

Reagan also discussed what a return to play might look like if the SJHL was able to resume the season and how discussions were going between the league and Saskatchewan Gov't.

You can hear yesterday's full show right here: https://soundcloud.com/102-9-cfar-podcasts

Restrictions continue to be lifted with Covid 19 and a number of Junior teams across the country are busy trying to put together a competitive roster when games get going again.

The Flin Flon Bombers have shown no signs of slowing down and not only want to be in the thick of things when this season resumes but are also looking to the future.

Mike Reagan, the Head Coach and GM of the Bombers was on our Norman Sportsline Program yesterday, and mentioned that just because you arn't playing doesn't mean you stop working.

"If you sit back on your hands during the pandemic, then you are going to be left behind. It is no different in the summer time when  you are always trying to imrove your team."

The Bombers have signed a goalie this time out of the Tisdale Trojans program of the Saskatchewan Midget Triple A League.

The Bombers announced on social media today the addition of 2003 born goalie Hunter Lolacher. Hunter has been the starting goalie for Tisdale the past two seasons and went 15-14 last year with a GAA of 3.22 and a .900 SV %. 

Lolacher was also Tisdale's MVP last year playing for former Bomber Captain Dennis Kubat.

“It’s a great feeling to sign with the Bombers and I’m excited to get things started. I chose Flin Flon because I felt it would be the best place for my development as a goaltender. I have heard nothing but great things about Flin Flon and I’m excited to commit to such a great organization.” – Hunter Lolacher

The second week of the Koop Geotechnical Ski Series has wrapped up and the Polar Vortex didn't stop lots of people from coming out and ski-ing.

77 people came out and posted times this past week with 45 ladies entries and 32 from the men.

Once again lots of great prizes were handed out in the Participation Event with Kriss Lee winning a $25.00 gift certificate from Kick It and Sheri McPhee winning a $25.00 gift certificate from the Art Emporium.

Fastest Skier- Male was Duane Davis who gets a $25.00 gift certificate from Creighton's Pizza.

Fastest Skier- Female went to Ruth Unrau who picked up a $25.00 gift certificate from Chicken Chef.

With the weather calling for cold temperatures again this week, there will only be a Participation and Group Participation event .

Week 3 will be a 1.2 Classic Ski on Moonlight Trail. The Group Participation goal will be to ski to Fidler's and back to Flin Flon, 128 km total.

The Lee brothers, Carson and Hunter have been the talk of wrestling for the last several years and have become two huge ambassadors for Flin Flon.

They have also been the cornerstones of the U of S Wrestling team and are looked up to by everybody in the University.

The success these two brothers have had over the last few years in nothing short of exceptional.

Two National Gold medals, Two Conference Gold Medals, a Team Conference Championship and a National Rookie Of The Year Award, which were all won in 2019-20. They also helped guide the U of S to one of their most impressive seasons in the program's history.

I have had the opportunity to interview both these brothers on several occasions and the one big thing that always stands out to me is their dedication and determination.

They train excessively whether it is in Saskatoon or their back yard in Flin Flon, mostly without a coach.

They actually coach and are a training partner for each other and have proven it doesn't matter where you train if you have the desire to excel. "Training in Flin Flon absolutely shapes how I view training,” said Carson. “I did three years of competitive international wrestling while being based in Flin Flon so it made me come to appreciate the training sessions that I got, even when I travelled six hours for a practice or two on the weekend to then drive six hours back home. I always made sure that I made the most of every practice I went to.”

Covid 19 has wiped out university sports but the brothers continue to train and both are still attending classes.

The only thing eluding these two special athletes is a trip to the Olympics and the brothers continue to work hard for their return to the mat.

For a complete look at the Lee brothers success at the Uof S, check this out.HUSKIES.USASK.CA

Even though Covid numbers are coming down in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the junior hockey season remains in limbo,

The Manitoba Government is asking for feedback from the public on loosening restrictions, but indoor sports does not seem to be part of the equation.

This could be very difficult for any teams in Manitoba to get back on the ice for at least the rest of this season.

The Flin Flon Bombers do play in the SJHL, but are recognized as a Manitoba team and do fall under Manitoba jurisdiction.

Travis Rideout the Bomber President did mention last week that the organization was holding on to hope that they could get back on the ice. They were meeting as a board this week to decide what to do with their  season ticket situation.

Mike Reagan also mentioned that a coach's committee had been formed,  to put together a proposal to the Saskatchewan Government on a return to play.

My understanding is that there are a few different scenarios they are looking at including  the league breaking up into two bubbles. The North teams would be in one bubble and the Southern teams in another.

They were also looking at each club only playing a certain amount of teams. No final decisions have been made as of yet.

It looks like it will be an uphill battle in Saskatchewan with both the Melville Millionaires and Melfort Mustangs  making proposals to their city council's to keep the ice in their local rinks.

The ice has been removed from the Creighton Sportex and you have to wonder how much longer it will stay in the Whitney Forum not being used.

The Alberta government made an announcement last week that they had cleared the way for their WHL clubs to resume playing , so there may be some new hope.

We are expecting formal announcements from the SJHL and Flin Flon Bombers very soon.

The Flin Flon Bombers have signed another elite prospect and for the second straight day have gone into Southern Manitoba.

The Bombers have signed Winnipeg Wild captain, Dean Gorchynski.

Gorchynski will bring strong leadership to the hockey club and decent numbers from last season where he added 55 points in 47 games. He also had 5 ponits in 5 playoff games including 4 goals.

The Bombers have had a lot of success adding players from the Manitoba Midget Triple A League including the Wild, with Gorchynski the fourth player to come out of that program in the last 10 years.

Bombers Manitoba scout, Mark Patton had this to say about the signing. “Dean has good vision and awareness. He is strong on his skates and gets to good spots around the net. He shows commitment to playing the game the right way on both sides of the puck and uses his big frame well to protect the puck. His decision making is a strength and he showcases excellent leadership qualities.” 

The SJHL season remains on hold, but the Flin Flon Bombers continue to sign players as they continue to prepare for the return of the season.

This time the Bombers have gone into Southern Manitoba with the addition of Matt Egan from St. Adolphe.

Egan is currently playing with the TRC Hockey Academy and has one assist in his first four games. Egan had a very good season last year with the Eastman Selects where he put up 18 goals and 29 assists.

Egan can hardly wait to make his debut in a Bomber uniform. “I’m extremely honoured and excited to have this opportunity to become a Flin Flon Bomber. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the teams history, fans, and organization overall. Flin Flon is going to be a great fit for me and I’m excited to become a Bomber.”

Week One of the Koop Geotechnical Ski Series is in the books. It was a very good start to the season with 53 people taking part.

The ladies made up 35 entries and men the other 18.

Congratulations to Noel Lindsay who won a $25.00 gift certificate from the Orange Toad and congratulations to Corey Dewhirst who won a $25.00 gift certificate from Mugsy's.

Times for the first week ranged from 16:37 to 40:00 for the ladies and 11:12 to 40:00 for the men.

Week two is under way with the open technique (skate or classic) on the 4.2 km Classic Trail. This is one of the most popular trails, with a few small hills to be aware of your first time out.

Entries will be accepted at bigisland5959@gmail.com between now and this Saturday Feb the 6th.

The last weekend of January has been one of the most special weekends for SJHL players the past few seasons which has allowed them to suit up against their counterparts of the MJHL.

This allows the best players from both leagues to face off against one another in their different age groups in the annual SJHL/MJHL Showcase.

With Covid going strong all Junior hockey remains shut down including the Showcase, so the powers from the SJHL decided to offer something for their fans virtually.

Fans were able to tune in to twitch.tv/sjhlhockey for plenty of action this past Friday and Saturday for a virtual one of a kind SJHL Showcase.

The final game went Saturday night and it was the Global Ag Risk Division knocking off the Sherwood Division in a thriller 8 to 7 in OT.

Kindersley Klipper forward, Logan Linklater was the game MVP with 4 points including a hat-trick. Steve Keslering of the Battleford Stars scored the over time winning goal.

Plenty of Flin Flon Bombers made their presence felt including Cole Duperreault who scored two goals. Jaeden Mercier added two asists and Noah Kuntz picked up one assist.

The Haygarth brothers suited up for team Sherwood and both had strong games with Easton picking up one goal and two assists. Chase collected one goal and one assist.