The puck has dropped for a northern Manitoba midget hockey league – and Flin Flon, the league’s newest team, is off to a decent start.
Action with the NorMan Midget AA Hockey League (NMAAHL) started on Oct. 26, with four teams – the Cross Lake Islanders, Flin Flon midget AA Bombers, Norway House North Stars and Thompson King Miners – hitting the road for a number of weekend series throughout the rest of the hockey season.
The midget AA Bombers headed to Thompson for a season-opening series on Oct. 26 and 27 against the King Miners. Thompson took over early in both games, winning 9-4 and 5-0. Jonathan Saunders led the way for Thompson, scoring five goals and six points through the first two games. Bomber netminder Shayne Price was busy through the opening series, making 75 total saves.
The Bombers got to make their home debut at the Whitney Forum on Nov. 3 and 4 against Cross Lake. In the first matchup, Flin Flon grabbed a 6-3 win. Cree Nicholas led the way for the Bombers with a pair of goals and an assist, while Cross Lake goalie Colby Moore made 41 stops.
One day later, Cross Lake flipped the script and beat the Bombers 6-5 in overtime. Islander Christian Ross led all scorers with four points.
Last weekend, the Bombers hit the highway for a pair of road games against Cross Lake and Norway House. The first game, between the Bombers and Islanders on Nov. 10, ended with a crushing 11-1 defeat. Cross Lake’s Christian Ross led all scorers with five points, while Wilfred McLeod added four goals for the Islanders. Austin McLean scored Flin Flon’s lone goal.
The next day in Norway House was a different story, as the Bombers bounced back with a 6-2 road win. Chayce Busby scored a hat-trick, while Blake Alexander and Aidan Collard each added three points.
After the first three weeks of the season, Flin Flon sits in third place with five points.
