The Bombers didn’t make a ton of trades at this year’s SJHL roster deadline, but they got their man in their biggest move.
On January 10 - the trade deadline for all CJHL-affiliated leagues nationwide - the Bombers picked up one of the biggest pieces on the market, scooping up defenceman Liam Hunks from the Notre Dame Hounds. The Bombers sent a big basket of goodies back to Wilcox in exchange - forward Evin Bossel, defender Wylie Smith, the rights to prospect forward Brennan Brown and a player development fee.
Bomber head coach and general manager Mike Reagan said that the team’s biggest priority going in wasn’t just to pick up a top-four defenceman - he wanted Hunks specifically. There were other players the Bombers chased in case things didn’t work out with the Hounds, but Hunks was the main target.
“Our goal was to get Liam Hunks. I’ll be honest with you - he was our number one target. We’ve had our eye on him since last year,” he said.
“He was a guy that I figured, going into this year, would lead the league in defenceman scoring. We always knew that we needed help on the backend. We liked our team but we also knew that if you’re going to be a position to win, you have to solidify your D corps with veteran guys.”
Hunks, a native of Beaumont, Alta., played both this year and the last two seasons for the Hounds, playing 111 games and putting up 21 goals and 64 points. Hunks was the Hounds’ top D-man this year, putting up 24 points in 31 games before the trade. With star Hounds defender Vinny Palmarin starting the season in the BCHL and later leaving for the QMJHL, Hunks helmed the team’s powerplay and penalty kill, playing big minutes. Hunks is the league’s fourth-highest scoring D man this season, just behind new teammate Luke Lepper.
“We had talked with Notre Dame for about four or five days and were eventually able to come to an agreement [on a trade],” said Reagan.
“We love our group. We felt the main focus and number one thing we wanted to address was getting a veteran D in our lineup and we believe we now have the top two defencemen in the league with Hunks and Lepper. Our confidence in our back end has skyrocketed.”
The cost was heavy, with Flin Flon moving two of their prized recruits from last summer. While Brennan Brown is playing AAA in Moose Jaw, both current players reported to Notre Dame Friday and played for the team last weekend - Bossel scored a goal, while Smith got an assist.
“It’’s tough when you move to guys that have been with you for the entire year and we believe both of those guys, Wylie and Evin, are going to be good players for Notre Dame. We also want the trade to work for them too - I think that’s important, making sure that you’re making a deal that is going to make sense for them too,” said Reagan.
The Hunks trade was not the Bombers’ only move of the deadline. Not long before time was called, the Bombers moved defender Nate Schaefer to the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. In exchange, the Bombers receive both a player development fee and the CJHL rights to defenceman Cole Slobodian.
Slobodian, a Brandon native who played with the Oil Capitals last year, is currently with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and is not expected to join the Bombers this season. Reagan said Slobodian, who played both U15 and U18 hockey alongside current Bomber defender Luke Lepper, could play for the team in the future.
“Acquiring Hunks meant we had nine D men and there was no way we were carrying nine. It makes it really difficult to manage your back end,” Reagan said.
Flin Flon also almost got a different deal done, according to Reagan - the coach said the team had a deal fall through in the eleventh hour that would have seen Flin Flon acquire a forward in exchange for defenceman Schaefer. With less than an hour before the deadline, the trade fell through, leading to the Schaefer deal with Virden.
“We did have a deal for a forward that fell through with about 20 minutes left. We wanted to use a defenceman to get a depth forward and Schaefer was the guy they wanted. We had to pivot quickly and make the trade with Virden,” said Reagan.
“Part of what we like in the Virden deal was we were getting cash and the rights to a WHL guy that could end up in our lineup at some point. You always want to think down the road.”
The Bombers will now have a 24-man roster, one below the maximum limit of 25 players - two goalies, eight defencemen and 14 forwards. Out of those 24 players, nine of those are 2004-born players - goalie Matt Kieper, defenders Hunks and Cole Tanchuk and forwards Leighton Carruthers, Carter Cormier, Keefe Gruener, Kylynn Olafson, Anthony Piccininno and Ryder Ringor. Two of those veterans, Carruthers and Olafson, are out of the lineup with injuries, meaning the Bombers won’t have to healthy scratch any 20-year-olds at first, but they may have to juggle who plays and who won’t once they’re back in full health.
The Bombers have one remaining roster spot, which Reagan said could be used for a player released from another team or league if possible - while trades are no longer permitted, free agent players can be picked up until Feb. 10.
Reagan said the Bombers won’t have an issue with too many veterans down the stretch, citing injury and suspension issues with 20-year-old players down the stretch in both the Bombers’ 2022 and 2024 playoff runs.
“The year we were in the Centennial Cup, we had Cole Vardy, we had Mason Kaspick and Rylan Thiessen all out at the same time - three 20-year-olds. Last year, we had Matt Egan suspended in the finals, then Tyson Smith played in his place and he got injured in the game where Egan’s suspension was up,” he said.
“If you’re going to go deep, there’s going to be injuries and we’re confident that we’ll be able to manage the situation.”
Elsewhere in the SJHL, Humboldt and Weyburn pulled off a big deal, sending goalie Dazza Mitchell to the Broncos for backup goalie Ty Matonovich and forward Joshua Sale. La Ronge sent forward Mason Bueckert, arguably the league’s best available forward, to Kindersley along with a third-round pick in this year’s SJHL draft. In return, the Ice Wolves picked up forward Dayton Tailfeathers, swingman Alex Mack, a player development fee and a second-round pick in this year’s draft. Estevan made a slew of trades, including one to bring in forward Rylan Ringor from MJHL Dauphin - the 20-year-old forward and twin brother of the Bomber’s Ryder Ringor was with Melfort earlier this year before being dealt to Manitoba.
