Bombers bow out

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This article was published 24/11/2020 (1791 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Flin Flon Bombers grew tired of waiting for an answer. 

With Manitoba in a code-red lockdown, the Bombers, who play in the SJHL, were put in a tough predictament. Unable to practise or play at Flin Flon’s Whitney Forum, the team approached Saskatchewan health authorities for approval to move their practices to Creighton, which is only minutes away.

Two weeks after not receiving an answer, the organization has decided to suspend all team activities for the rest of 2020. The other 11 SJHL teams are continuing to practise and play. 

“There’s bigger issues. I mean, their (COVID-19) numbers are going up and I get that,” Bombers team president Travis Rideout said Tuesday. “We’re not naive when it comes to everything and what’s going on with their numbers and how small on the spectrum we actually are. I think there are a lot of underlying issues that prevented us from getting an answer and the players were getting frustrated with waiting and you can’t blame them. It’s something we just had to do for everyone to keep their head on straight and hopefully we can reset come January.”

The Bombers will have 14 games erased from their schedule. If they’re able to return after the Christmas break, they’ll still be in the post-season race as the SJHL decided prior to the season that the playoff bracket will be determined by winning percentage instead of points.

“Right now we’re just trying to digest everything and take a deep breath. It’s been a very emotional two-and-a-half weeks here,” said Bombers head coach and general manager Mike Reagan. “Throughout these last six or seven months things seem to be changing hourly, so to really predict what a return to play is gonna look like in a month or two is difficult. Throughout this whole process, my big thing is, it might sound crazy, but not to plan too much for the near future because it’s probably going to change about 10 times before that takes place. You’re wasting a lot of time and energy on that. Definitely we want to be prepared, but it’s tough to be prepared when you don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

The team has played just two games this season, losing both to the Melfort Mustangs.

Rideout said the team is not complaining about not getting the approval they needed to play.

“It’s not a frustrating thing. it’s totally understandable. I get it. It is sport at the end of the day and we get that, but we’re also a business,” Rideout said.

“We’re also a million-dollar business. We employ staff, we have an office and a store and a footprint on Main Street here in Flin Flon. There’s a lot of things under the surface. It’s more than just a hockey team. I do get it. I think the whole process was frustrating, more waiting for answers than anything, but the whole process is what it is. It’s understandable.”

Reagan won’t be throwing an intense home workout plan at his players right away. He senses the uncertainty surrounding the season has taken its toll.

“They are mentally fatigued and it’s very apparent. They look drained,” Reagan said. “Even if we were able to get back on the ice, I think sometimes the mental fatigue is harder than the physical fatigue.”

Saskatchewan’s COVID cases are less than half of Manitoba’s, but their numbers are on the rise. The MJHL has been forced to the sidelines owing to the province’s current restrictions.

SJHL president Bill Chow said the league will cross that bridge when, or if, they get there.

“I’ve vowed I won’t do this. I won’t play the ‘what if?’ game,” said Chow.

“We can only deal with what comes up in front of us and currently we’re able to play. We’ll follow the guidelines laid out to us by Saskatchewan Health and the government and we’ll follow those rules and regulations. If they change for some reason, then obviously we’ll have to change as well and continue to do whatever we’re allowed to.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31