During his short time with the Flin Flon Bombers, Jason Bone established himself as a physical presence.
Nowadays Bone, who accumulated 226 penalty minutes in just 26 games for Flin Flon in 2000-01, is making a name for himself in the academic world.
Earlier this month Bone successfully defended his Master of Arts thesis at the University of Manitoba. It was entitled Baagak Aadisookewin: Legends of History and Memory.
Now Bone, who grew up on Manitoba’s Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation, is bridging into pursuing a doctorate in native studies.
“My goal is to see if teaching at the university tenure level is possible for me,” he said. “I am happy to have made it this far academically and I am insisting there is a place for my Anishinaabe-Ojibway-story-based research in the current landscape of academia.”
As well as studying at the U of M, Bone is a researcher at the institution. He is also involved in youth mentoring.
Bone and his wife, Janice, have been married for five years. They have two young children.
Combat – on and off the ice – has long been a part of Bone’s life. A former boxer and mixed-martial arts fighter, he is currently a brown-belt instructor in Behring Manitoba self-defence and progressive jiu jitsu system at two places in Manitoba.
Bone came to the Bombers after spending time in the Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League. He was at a crossroads and ended up leaving Flin Flon before the community hosted the 2001 Royal Bank Cup.
“I enjoyed the company of the billets I lived with,” Bone said. “One was local RCMP: the police ridealongs, riding his skidoo and ice fishing were my pleasant memories there.”
After his time with the Bombers, Bone headed to school and also pursued a boxing career. However, he was drawn back to hockey and carved out a seven-year professional career with toughness and a willingness to drop his gloves. He saw action in an alphabet soup of leagues: UHL, QSMHL, CHL, LNAH and the SPHL.
According to Hockeydb.com, Bone played with seven different pro teams. He also attended camps with others.
He recalls well a tryout with the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top farm team.
“It is a highlight of my career to wear that jersey and fight future NHL heavyweight [Deryk Engelland[ in the legendary Hershey Bears arena,” Bone said.
After shoulder surgery, Bone played some senior AAA hockey in Alberta and fought mixed-martial arts before focusing on academics full time.
