The Flin Flon Bombers are set to kickoff their 2021-22 SJHL campaign Sept 24th on the road against the Melfort Mustangs. The Bombers Home Opener will be Saturday Sept 25th at 7:30pm against the Mustangs. The Bombers will have a few familiar faces in the lineup along with a few new ones. Familiar faces from the 2019-20 campaign include: Jaeden Mercier, Cole Vardy and Cal Schell. Some of last year’s signee’s returning are Nate Gagne, Cole Duperreualt and Noah Kuntz. Notable newcomers this year are Jeremi Tremblay and Xaiver Lappointe.
Jaeden Mercier ’02 (Saskatoon, Sk) A graduate of the Saskatoon Contacts U18AAA Mercier made the jump to the Bombers as an underager posting 5g, 11a, 16pts in 44 games during the 2019-20 season. This season Mercier will look to have a breakout offensively. HC/GM Mike Regan had this to say “Mercier is very skilled with the puck and has great vision. We need him to step up and lead the offensive attack this year.”
Cole Duperreault ‘02 (Martinsville, SK) Won the U18AAA Rookie of the Year award posting 30g, 43a, 73pts in 44 games with the Beardy’s Blackhawks during the 2019-20 season before joining the Bombers for the 2020-21 season. Like Mercier, Dupperreault will be looking to use his speed and skill to breakout offensively. HC/GM Mike Regan has this to say; “[Dupperreault is an] honest player that doesn’t cheat on either side of the puck, he skates real well and will be relied on to produce.”
Jaxon Martens ’02 (Warman, SK) played his U18AAA with the Swift Current Legionnaires posting 16g, 22a, 38pts in 2019-20 before joining the Bombers for the 2020-21 season. The two-way centreman will be relied upon for steady offensive production and sound defensive play. HC/GM Mike Regan had this to share when asked about Martens; “great skater with good puck skills. We need him to be a consistent point producer.”
Nate Gagne ’02 (St-Jerome, QC) Arguably the team’s best sharp shooter Gagne will be the trigger man lots this year. HC/GM Mike Regan had this to say about Gagne; “Maybe our purest scorer. Nate has a heavy shot and is capable of scoring a lot of goals this year.”
Jeremi Tremblay ‘03 (Quebec, QC) Yet again another recruit from La Belle Province. Fans should be able to expect a skilled forward if the past pipeline has any indication of what may be coming. HC/GM Mike Regan had this to say about Tremblay “[I’m] Expecting him to be a huge part of our team in his rookie season. Skilled player that plays hard and isn’t afraid to play physical.”
Cole Vardy ‘01 (Hammonds Plain, NS) the 6’3 rearguard will be looked upon to play big minutes against other team’s top players. Asst. Coach/GM Cole McCaig had this to say about Vardy; “Vardy is much more than just a big and strong shut down type of defenseman. He has the ability to make plays and he’s got a lethal shot. We expect him to be a leader on this team as well.”
Xaiver Lapointe ‘02(Quebec, QC) A late offseason addition to the club who is Division 1 committed to RIT for next year. Xavier has the ability to carry the puck and make crisp, timely passes. Asst. Coach/GM Cole McCaig had the following to say; “Xavier is a smooth skating two-way defenseman that I expect to log a ton of minutes for us. He’s a huge addition to our backend not just because of his skill set but I believe our other defensemen are going to learn a lot from him on what it takes to have the opportunity to play Division I hockey. I expect him to be a leader on this team and from what I’ve seen so far, Xavier is a true professional and his work ethic has been outstanding.”
Noah Kuntz ’02 (Regina, SK) the 6’4 rearguard like Vardy will be relied upon heavily to play against other teams’ top players. His size, smooth skating and hockey IQ will be key assets for the big defender. Asst. Coach/GM Cole McCaig said this about Kuntz; “Noah is a 6’4 defenseman that has good mobility for his size. He’s not the type where he’s going to wow you in any criteria however his hockey IQ is extremely impressive and that’s something you can’t necessarily teach. If you watch Noah closely you’ll notice he rarely makes mistakes. He’s a two-way defenseman that defends well with his body and stick positioning. He’s great on the power play and penalty kill. Like Lapointe and Vardy, Kuntz is going to log minutes for us.”
Cal Schell ‘01 (Burlington, ON) was acquired in a 2019 deadline deal. The 6’3 goaltender quickly settled in posting a stellar 6-1-1 record down the stretch and was terrific in playoff action making 44 saves on 45 shots in a series clinching game. HC/GM Mike Regan had this to say; “Cal Schell has looked like a true number 1 through camp and exhibition. We believe he can be one of the top goalies in the league. He has a lot to be motivated about going into his 20 year old season.”