It was with a sense of excitement, that local hockey fans streamed into the Memorial Arena in Sioux Lookout that evening.  Finally we were to have our own Junior A Hockey Team!... THE FLYERS!!

            It had been reported on July 29^th in the Chronicle Journal, that at the year-end meeting of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) a franchise had been granted, to one Basil Goochild Sr.  to build a Team in our town.  Now the reality was about to occur.  We knew it would be a challenging year for the expansion club, but also that in many ways they would make us proud. They improved a lot in a short amount of time.       

           And so it was, that on September 6^th 2008 the Sioux Lookout Flyers coached by Ray Miller, took to the ice for their first game in franchise history:  an exhibition game against the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres in Sioux Lookout. The final score was 9-1 Sabres but there were some positives for the Flyers such as the play of goaltender Josh Kozar and defenseman AJ Wensley who blocked a shot and had some good hits. This game also marked the emergence of Andrew Lilly as a gritty enforcer for the Flyers with Andrew winning a unanimous decision over a Sabres challenger.

             The next exhibition game for the Flyers saw further emergence of their character as a physical no-nonsense Team.  Facing the Sabres on September 7^th  in Sioux Lookout goaltender Curtis Barker impressed with his stand-up play in close. Flyers defenseman, A. J. Wensley, formerly of the Sabres, served notice of stellar play to come with a solid performance.  Forward David Heeps a.k.a. “ Texas ” Brought the crowd to a roar, with a dominant performance during a corner dust-up. Oh Yes!  We had our own Team alright! In  a 4-0  loss at Eagle Lake Arena against the Dryden Icedogs on September 16th it was a thrilling, edge of your seat game with  the score being  0-0 after the first period and 1-0 Icedogs after 2 before Dryden pulled away in the third period.

             The Flyers then traveled to Schreiber to play their first 2 regular season games on September 19^th and 20^th with the final score on the 19^th a tough 10-2 loss. Shayne Kakegamic played a spirited game for the Flyers getting a goal and dropping the gloves and Paul Peterson played well getting a goal.

             The Flyers played better on the 20^th with the final score being 6-2 Diesels. On September 26^th the Flyers played their first regular season home game vs the Icedogs and it was an exciting game with defenseman Wade Beardy who possesses a thrilling  mix of size and skill scored the first goal of the game for the Flyers, and speedy forward Paul Peterson notched a beautiful top shelf goal to give the orange and black a 2-1 lead before the Icedogs went on to win the game 6-2.

             Then the powerhouse Fort William North Stars  came to town for 2 games on September 27^th and 28^th  handing the Flyers two losses 11-1 and 14-2. In a sign of things to come, Ian Alcock had a good game on the 28^th getting a goal and an assist.

            As the month progressed,  the scores of the games began to get closer and the intensity shown by the Flyers increased which undoubtedly gave the team some confidence heading into October.  They would continue their search for a winning formula.

Part 2  "October"  will be published in the coming weeks.

OCTOBER 2008 SO NEAR YET SO FAR

The game of hockey is one of momentum, and what the Hockey Gods giveth, the Hockey Gods can taketh away. And so it was in October, when the Flyers campaign for that first win, to gain momentum, would several times be within their grasp. Would they secure that elusive first victory? How would players respond to the call?

    In a truly classic game, On October 5th , the Flyers battled the Schreiber Diesels at the Memorial Arena in Sioux Lookout. Flyers Goaltender, Josh Michano, was sensational making several big saves including a high light reel stop where he went post to post with blazing speed to rob the Diesels late in the first period. Stefan Bruyere and Spencer Gyori both dished out some big hits in the game and the Flyers out shot the Diesels in the first and third periods. After the Diesels took a 5-2 lead in the third period the Flyers came storming back with goals from Ryan Dolence and Spencer Gyori to pull within 1. Shayne Kakegamic and Basil Goodchild both had strong games for the Flyers finishing with 2 points each. Final score 5-4 Diesels. This game coming after an 11-0 loss to the Sabres on the first of the month showed the resilience of the Flyers.

    Following a 7-0 loss to the Thunder Bay Bearcats on October 11th in Sioux Lookout, the Flyers gave the powerful Bearcats a run for their money the very next day in the 2nd game of the 2 game set. The Flyers played well with Chris Carver scoring the games first goal at 1:32 of the first period. After the Bearcats tied the game at 1, forward, Spencer Gyori, answered to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. As the Flyers had out shot the Bearcats in the first two periods, victory was close. In the third period, emerging stalwart, Kevin Paul, pumped up the crowd with a spirited scrap. While the final score was 4-2 Bearcats, it was the second time in their last three games that they had out-shot an opposing team in two periods of a game.

    The Flyers then made the trip to Fort Frances for a game on October 14th against the Sabres where Fort Frances prevailed 6-3. The Flyers had the advantage in the first, taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission with goals by Spencer Gyori and Brad Mailman but could not maintain that pace for the entire game. Brad Mailman with a goal and an assist, Kevin Paul with 2 assists, and Bryce Moore with 2 assists all had 2 point games for the Flyers. The Flyers returned to Fort Frances to tangle with the Sabres on October 17th and the Sabres prevailed 7-2 and then the Flyers played the Dryden Ice Dogs in Dryden on October 22nd with the final score being 4-0 Icedogs.
It was a much different game, on October 25th , when the Flyers took on the Ice Dogs in Sioux Lookout. Basil Goodchild's goal, rifled into the top right corner, just seconds into the first period, shocked the Ice dogs faithful in attendance, and electrified the home town fans. Ice Dogs scored the next 2 goals of the game to take a 2-1 lead. Goodchild then scored his second goal of the contest to tie the game at 2. We had a barn-burner on our hands. Andrew Lilly and Stefan Bruyere were 2 wrecking balls with some big hits for the Flyers. Lilly stepped into the man with authority, sending him to the ice. Once again goaltender, Josh Michano, was spectacular, making big saves in net for the orange and black. Again, the hockey Gods denied us as the game ended 3-2 for the Ice Dogs.

    The Flyers finished off the month of October with a tough 11-2 loss to the North Stars on October 29th in Thunder Bay. Winnipeg native, Will Kinsman, marked his debut with the Flyers by scoring the second goal. Kevin Paul scored the first.

  The Flyers had made significant progress in their quest for success. Many players had taken on important roles, yet that first win still eluded them. Often the Flyers had given their opposition good competition with characteristic determination. That determination would be tested further in November.

Part 3  "November"  will be published in the coming weeks.

NOVEMBER 2008 - CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME:      

 The  Flyers played their best hockey of  the 2008 portion of the regular season during the two game set against the  Schreiber Diesels on the 7^th and 8^th.  However, off-ice circumstances would present serious challenges to overcome.
     If fans thought that the last Flyers-Diesels game in Sioux Lookout was a good one, then they must have really enjoyed the games on November 7^th and 8^th in Sioux Lookout  The former, against the Diesels, was a real gem with the Flyers leaving it all on the ice. With the score knotted at 2, the Flyers ignited  when Shayne Kakegamic scored a classic top shelf goal in the third period.  Seconds later, Jordan Nabigon scored  to give the Flyers a 4-2 lead. Meanwhile, Josh Michano made some big saves, stopping Jared Saunders on a dangerous looking partial breakaway. Then the Diesels scored twice to tie the game at 4.  It was overtime, and the fans were on the edge of their seats. Neither team allowed a goal in OT.  Suspense built as the game went to a shoot out. Chris Carver scored the Flyers shoot out goal. While the Diesels had prevailed 5-4, the hometown Flyers had earned their first point in the SIJHL standings, in one of the best games yet.

     The game on November 8^th was another great one. The Flyers showed a lot of heart battling back from a 3-1 deficit to take  a 4-3 lead on a goal by Chris Carver.  Once again the Diesels had an answer scoring 3 goals in a row to get the win. Kevin Paul and Spencer Gyori both had 3 point games with Kevin getting 3 assists and Spencer getting a goal and 2 assists.

      Off-ice however, the young Flyers Team and the community, would face their biggest challenge yet. Flyers owner,  Basil Goodchild Sr., had suddenly left. Outside inquiries were being made about the players. The Team was in grave danger of folding.  Eleventh hour discussions with the Commissioner of the SIJHL, Ron Whitehead, and Hockey Canada , would freeze the players hockey cards until midnight the next day.  Action had to be taken and fast!

     Over a hundred Sioux Lookout citizens attended an emergency meeting called that morning by Debbie Bray. The majority of the players were in attendance.  Richard B., presented a community team concept that was well received, and came on board as coach.   Through the hard work of many in the community: fans, players, local hockey people from all levels, sponsors, and many volunteers,  the Sioux Lookout Flyers began the process of reconstruction  In the weeks and months that followed many would commit to the Team in various ways.  Examples of this commitment are: the financial leadership role played by Tom Nebbs of  Home Hardware, sponsors Wasaya Air,  Keewatin-Aski, Lac Seul First Nation, and local Hockey Club The Aces, to name a few, as well as many many volunteers including the tireless work of Debra Bray, Mitch Wills, Les Wills and Peter and Emma Watkins.

     Despite their off-ice troubles, a reduced but determined Flyers squad took to the ice on November19th against the Dryden Ice Dogs in Dryden.  The Flyers had lost some players, but the remaining  ones worked real hard. Collin Boivin played a responsible two way game getting some scoring chances. Ryan Watkins with a big hit signaled the survival of the Flyers physical game, as did Ian Alcock who dropped the gloves and landed some good punches.  Randy Perron made some good defensive plays.  However, it was a tough one with the Ice Dogs winning 8-0.

    In the November 22^nd  game versus the Diesels, in Sioux Lookout,  the Flyers  served notice that they were alive and well.  Players: Kevin Paul, Brad Mailman, and Will Kinsman,  led the Teams attack with two points each.  Andrew Lilly’s huge hit,  where he sent a Diesels player sailing into the Flyers bench, and AJ Wensley’s thunderous hit on big Kyle Lapenskie also signaled that the Flyers were back in business. The final score was 6-2 Diesels.

   Maverick Blackhawk was the star for the Flyers in the second game of the series on the 23^rd notching two goals. Both AJ Wensley and Ian Alcock had 2 assists. Brad Mailman got the other Flyers goal in the game.  Final score 8-3 Diesels.

   On November 28^th , the Flyers played the Ice Dogs at home and the final score was 9-2 Icedogs. Emerging offensive defenseman, A J Wensley, had 2 assists giving him his second consecutive 2 assist game.  Will Kinsman stretched his point streak to 3 games with a goal. Maverick Blackhawk scored his third goal in his last 2 games.

    The Flyers concluded the month of November with a 5-0 loss in Fort Frances to the Sabres where Flyers goalie David Novak  was named the games third star.

    The month of November had been like a roller coaster ride, but the Flyers and the Community of Sioux Lookout had rallied to save the Team. Despite the short bench, many hockey players had stepped up to take on important roles for the Team.  Much work remained to be done both on and off the ice.  That first win still eluded us.  Calls had been issued for reinforcements.  Would they arrive in December?

 Part 4  "December"  will be published in the coming weeks.

Flyers Season in Review - Part 4
M.Morin - Staff Writer

DECEMBER 2008 A TOUGH END TO THE YEAR BUT HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

As the sixties song says, "It's a winter's day… and it's deep and dark December", and so it was for the nascent short-handed Flyers. Veterans on the Team gritted their teeth as they bounced off the low point of the season, and began to integrate the promised reinforcements. Together, they would eventually make a difference.

Flyers had a good show against the powerful Fort Frances Junior Sabres in Sioux Lookout on December 4th. Flyers goalie, Josh Michano, stepped up with an inspired performance, slamming the door shut until the 19:57 mark, when the visitors made it 1-0. In the second stanza both teams found the back of the net once, with smooth skating, stick handling newcomer: forward Brad Bienvenu getting the Flyers goal. Brad, who was acquired from the Yorkton Terriers of the SJHL, . showed courage and leadership, in his willingness to become part of the strengthening process of the Flyers. In the third frame, Michano was strong again keeping the opposition off the score board until 17:59. Ryan Watkins had a solid performance using his speed to draw a penalty during the game. Final score was 3-1 Sabres. The Flyers had come close.

Eighteen year old Garrett Barr, recently acquired goaltender from the OCN Blizzard of the MJHL, and a native of Anchorage Alaska, made his debut on the December 6th Flyers vs Sabres rematch in Sioux Lookout. He made some big stops including a save on a breakaway. There were some good fights that created energy in the rink but the Flyers could not shut down the Sabres offense with the final score 5-0. The Flyers then traveled to Thunder Bay to play the Fort William North Stars on December 10th and the Bearcats on December 11th which were both hard games for the orange and black. The final score vs the North Stars was 10-1 with Kevin Paul turning on the red light on assisted by Wade Beardy and Brad Bienvenu. The next night against the Bearcats, Flyers goalie, Garrett Barr was named the games third star, making an impressive 52 saves. Another piece of the Flyers puzzle had been put in place.

The Flyers then returned home to face the Thunder Bay Bearcats on Saturday December 13th and 14th, with the end result on the 13th being a 7-1 defeat. The Flyers had a better performance then Thursday increasing their shots on goal to 21. Fast improving rookie, Kalan Ewald, played well displaying speed as did Wade Beardy who had some scoring chances. Josh Michano played well making some good saves during the game. On the 14th the final score was 9-1 Bearcats and despite the score , Flyers goalie David Novak made some big saves including a save on a Chris Kitt breakaway. For the second game in a row, the Flyers increased their shots on goal this time from 21 to 26. Brad Mailman got the Flyers goal assisted by AJ Wensley and Brad Bienvenu. Flyers Team members had begun the process of integration with the new arrivals.

The Flyers then ventured to Thunder Bay to face the first place Fort William North Stars on December 19th and 20th with the game on 19th being the toughest game of the season for the Flyers resulting in a 20-0 loss. The Flyers played much better on the 20th with the final score being 3-1 North Stars with Will Kinsman scoring short handed and goalie Josh Michano being named first star of the game.

December had lived up to its somber reputation for the Flyers, but through grit and determination, they had survived. Hope springs eternal however, as Flyers stalwarts would be joined in the New Year by three excellent hockey players. One, a tough as nails player from Atikokan, one a promising eighteen year old from Denwood Alberta, and one being a 20 year old from Vegreville Alberta. They together with emerging stars from the existing roster, would author several electrifying performances in the New Year. Stay tuned.

Part 5  "January"  will be published in the coming weeks.

Flyers Season in Review - Part 5
M.Morin - Staff Writer

The FLYERS version 2.0-  An exciting and improved squad

    After the darkness of December, the skies cleared for the Flyers in January, with several thrilling games, and the addition of a man who knows what it takes to build a championship team.  

     The Flyers traveled to Dryden on January 2nd  with some new player acquisitions that they hoped would provide a spark to the team, and true to form, the new formula did not disappoint the large contingent of Flyers fans in attendance. With the Ice Dogs leading 2-0 in the second, it was local lad Andrew Lilly who scored first for the Flyers. Ice Dogs quickly responded with a goal by Heinen making it 3-1.  Recent newcomer Galen Matyjanka, from Denwood Alberta , scored to make it 3-2 after two periods of play.  The formula was beginning to work. The Flyers roared out on the ice for period three vowing to accept nothing less than victory.  Will Kinsman scored at 2:40 of the third assisted by Brad Mailman and Kevin Paul on the power play goal, making it 3-3.  Brendan Church scored for Dryden. It was now 4-3 Dryden.  At 5:50 star Flyer, Brad Mailman scored assisted by Kinsman and Matyjanka tying the score at 4. And then it happened.  Brad Mailman scored at 2:19 of OT assisted by Matyjanka and Beardy to give the Flyers their first glorious win.  The bench emptied en masse as the Flyers leapt on ice to celebrate their victory.  Flyers fans in attendance were ecstatic.  The Flyers  had twice erased a 2 goal deficit.  Jeffrey Bienvenue, Adam Wensley, and Shayne Kakegamic all played well for the Flyers with Jeff winning many face-offs, Adam displaying some good stick-handling and Shayne Kakegamic stepping up and blocking a hard shot. Flyers goalie Garrett Barr was sensational stopping 18 of 19 shots replacing David Novak who got  banged up.  The Flyers Team and their fans will never forget the thrilling come from behind, 5-4 victory over the Dryden Ice Dogs in Overtime.

      The orange and black returned to Sioux Lookout to play the Ice Dogs on January 3rd   and they played well. Brad Mailman continued his excellent play, getting 1 goal and 1 assist to give him 5 points in his last 2 games and Shayne Kakegamic also notched a goal and an assist in the contest. Garrett Barr made some impressive stops including a high light reel glove save.  Ryan Watkins earned his first 2 SIJHL points with 2 assists in the game. Ian Alcock played well getting an assist and Jeffrey Bienvenue got his first point as a Flyer assisting on Brad Bienvenu’s goal at 2:33 of the first period.

     In early January, in a big moment for the young franchise, Coach and GM, Randy Lulashnyk, formerly of the Bill Salonen Cup winning 2007-2008 Dryden Ice Dogs, was hired to pilot the Team. Management, led by Doug Lawrance, president of the Flyers, was hard at work.

     The Flyers then traveled to Thunder Bay to play the Bearcats on January 9th and 10th and the game on the 9th  was a classic. Star defenseman, AJ Wensley who had 3 points in the game opened the scoring at 1:47 into the first period. Unfortunately, the Flyers found themselves down 5-2 after 2 periods. In a characteristically hard fought third period the Flyers battled back to climb within a goal. Jeffrey Bienvenue, Brad Mailman, and Wade Beardy all had 2 point games with Jeff getting 1 goal and 1 assist, Brad getting 1 goal and 1 assist and Wade getting 2 assists.

      The game on the 10th was a tougher one for the Flyers with the final score being 8-2 Bearcats and Jeffrey Bienvenue, Brad Bienvenu, and AJ Wensley all increased their point streak with Jeff getting a goal and an assist , Brad getting 2 assists and AJ getting a goal.

      The Flyers played the Ice Dogs in Sioux Lookout on January 14th    and it was a real barn burner. The Flyers played really well taking a 3-1 lead but the Ice Dogs come back to tie the game at 3 before Brad Bienvenu scored to give the Flyers a 4-3 lead.  The Ice Dogs answered tying the game at 4 to push the game into over time. Neither team scored in  overtime so the game went to a shoot out where the Ice Dogs prevailed out scoring the Flyers 2-0. Flyers super star and face-off expert, Jeffrey Bienvenue scored 2 goals which gave him his 3rd consecutive 2 point game.

     The powerful first place North Stars came to town  the next night and after a tough first period by the Flyers being outscored 4-0 the Flyers came storming out of the gate in the second period scoring the first 2 goals of the period and chasing North Stars goalie Patrick Sullivan from the net to be replaced by Jay Pelletier. The North Stars responded by scoring 2 goals in the second period but Flyers goalie Garrett Barr did not allow the dominant North Stars offence to strike in the third period with the final score being 6-2 Fort William. Flyers forward Adam Wensley played a gritty and physical game and Jeffrey Bienvenue displayed a lot of speed and won some face-offs during the game.         
      
       Next up for the Flyers was a game in Fort Frances versus the Sabres on January 27th and the Flyers meant business in this one from the moment they stepped on the ice.  The orange and black scored a huge 7-4 win against the third place, Sabres. The trio of Jeffrey Bienvenue, Brad Mailman, and defenseman AJ Wensley were unstoppable with Jeffrey notching his highest single game point total of the season with a dominant 5 points. Brad Mailman and  former Sabre AJ Wensley followed close behind with 4 points each. Another former Sabre  David Novak had a strong game in net for the Flyers.

     January had been a stellar month for the Flyers in many ways. The two wins could very well have been four or five wins.  Veteran regional and local players, along with the new acquisitions, were finding that on and off-ice chemistry which puts the “T” in Team.  The arrival of Coach and GM Randy Lulashnyk was huge for the Team and the community of Sioux Lookout.  His winning record , and connections in both hockey and education would spell success for the Flyers in the future.

Part 6  "February"  will be published in the coming weeks.

Flyers Season in Review - Part 6
M.Morin - Staff Writer

FEBRUARY 2009  The Toughest Challenge in Hockey  

            After January, which had been the best month so far for the Flyers, the month of February presented some challenges.  The injury of a key player, and a nasty flu bug tested the character of the Team. 

            The Flyers and Sabres had a rematch February 1st in Sioux Lookout.  Early in the game, Flyers key player Jeff Bienvenue, was injured.  Stepping up was Galen Matyjanka, who scored on the power-play assisted by Kevin Paul. Responsible defenseman Kalan Ewald, played an effective game as well.

            Up next it was a 2 game series vs the Schreiber Diesels in Schreiber on the 6th and 7th .  Captain Brad Bienvenu scored  one  and Galen Matyjanka tallied 2 goals for the Flyers. Kendall Gardner had a good game getting 2 assists and playing hard during the game.  Final score 7-3 Diesels.

            On the 7th , a scoreless first period gave promise of a closely fought contest.  Brad Bienvenu, scored the first goal of the game with Will Kinsman and Ryan Watkins assisting on the play at 6:16 of the second period. Schrieber then pulled ahead 2-1. Promising forward, Galen Matyjanka, continued his hot streak getting a goal and tying up the game at 2 goals apiece. Unfortunately the period ended with the score 4-2 for the Diesels.  The the two teams battled in the third with the only goal coming off the stick of Wade Beardy. Defenseman AJ Wensley had a good game getting 2 assists as well.  The Flyers were definitely in this one. 

             A nasty flu bug spreading through the team began to take its toll on the Flyers with the team dropping an 11-0 decision to the Bearcats in Thunder Bay on February 8th and then falling to the Diesels 13-2 on the road on February 10th before surviving 7-0 versus the North Stars in Thunder Bay on February 11th.

             The Flyers then returned home to face the Thunder Bay Bearcats at home on February 13th with the final score being 7-0 Bearcats. Kendall Gardner unleashed a big open ice hit which sparked 3 simultaneous scraps at center ice and Brent Lundy and Ryan Watkins were a physical presence with some solid hits in the game.

             The Flyers next game was in Dryden vs the Icedogs on February 17th and it was another entertaining game between these historic rivals.  Jeffrey Bienvenue gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead before Dryden scored the next 2 goals of the game. The Flyers flying forward, Brad Mailman scored another crucial goal to tie the game at 2. Then the Icedogs scored 3 goals in a row to make it 5-2.  In the third, each team scored once to finish the contest 6-3. The Dynamic duo of Jeffrey Bienvenue and Brad Mailman both had 3 points in the game. The Flyers play while short handed,  was stellar with the orange and black getting 3 chances to score while at a man power disadvantage. During a physical 3rd there were several fights including a tilt where Kevin Paul landed some heavy shots. It had been a classic game, between the northern rivals with promise of more to come.

            On February 20th, the Flyers returned home to host the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres.

The Flyers worked really hard to put on a show for the home town fans:

• Courtesy of Adam Wensley, Jeff Bienvenue, and Brad Bienvenu the Flyers scored 3 goals on Ryan Faragher, one of the best goalies in the SIJHL.
• Randy Perron, a local player, and graduate of the Queen Elizabeth District High School Warriors. dropped the gloves to defend a team-mate.
• Intense forward Adam Wensley, had a memorable fight where he landed tons of hard and lightening quick shots.

             In the last game of February versus the Ice Dogs in Dryden,  emerging star forward Brad Mailman scored what was arguably the prettiest goal of the Flyers season.  As he crossed the blue line on the right wing, Brad feigned to the right, then sped to the left of the Ice Dog defender, bearing in on goal at a high rate of speed roofing the puck with a lightening shot into the top right corner of the net.  Other positives in the game were: the penalty killing of Galen Matyjanka and Ian Alcock and goals scored for the Flyers by Jeffrey Bienvenue and Shayne Kakegamic.

            The month of February had presented to the first year Team one of the most difficult tests in all of hockey… playing through illness.  Despite this, the Flyers had provided in that month, some memorable moments of hockey.  Often these came  in the third period, or when at a man power disadvantage, which spoke of the characteristic never say die attitude of the Sioux Lookout stalwarts-both home grown and adopted.  Promising individual and Team players had stepped forward in this another chapter in the Flyers building for the Future.

Part 7  "March"  will be published in the coming weeks.

Part > Sep  Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar

Flyers Season in Review - Part 7
M.Morin - Staff Writer

MARCH 2009   The Flyers: The Evolution of a Team

             Hockey Fans were treated to some exciting games played by the Flyers in March.  As the season came to a close, it was evident that the scoreboard  had not always told the entire story. Here was an organization, a community, and a group of players, that had met their expansion year challenges head on, emerging as a Team.  

            A case in point, was the home game on the 8th  of March against the League leading North Stars. In the first period, the always dangerous Jeffrey Bienvenue authored an electrifying performance scoring 2 goals in just 26 seconds to send the Flyers into the first intermission down by one goal. In what would be a candidate for save of the season, Flyer’s goalie Garrett Barr,  made a high light reel stick save on SIJHL scoring leader Trevor Gamache. As well, by the end of the two game series with the North Stars,  emerging offensive threat, Galen Matyjanka, had three more points to add to his total of fourteen for the season.

            The next day the Flyers made the trip to Thunder Bay to play their final regular season game of 2008-2009 against the Bearcats.  What followed was an entertaining display of wide-open fire-wagon hockey.  It did not take Flyer’s Jeffrey Bienvenue long to hit high gear scoring the first goal just 29 seconds into the game.  In a wild first period, the fans would see 9 goals scored with the Bearcats getting 6 and the Flyers getting 3. Jeff finished the game with a goal and 2 assists and other Flyers who had strong games were Kalan Ewald with 2 assists, AJ Wensley with a goal and assist, Adam Wensley with a goal and assist and Brad Mailman with a goal and an assist. While the final score was 9-4 Bearcats, fans had witnessed an exciting game.

            At the end of the regular season, Defenseman AJ Wensley had an impressive performance finishing tied for 5th in points by an SIJHL defenseman and tied for 5th in assists by an SIJHL defenseman.  Kevin Paul and Brad Mailman finished tied for the Flyers points lead. It goes without saying that Jeffrey Bienvenue packed 2 seasons worth of stellar play into his partial season with the orange and black and definitely provided some memorable moments for Flyers fans.

Also, President of the Flyers, Doug Lawrance, was named winner of the prestigious, Gary Cook Memorial trophy for Executive of the Year, in recognition  of his leadership role in rebuilding the Flyers.

            Now it was time for the Flyers to prepare for their first ever playoff series.

In a very close hard fought contest with the Fort Frances Junior Sabres, Flyers goalie David Novak, put on a show in game 2, stopping 41 shots.  It wasn’t until 4:36 of the third, that Atikokan product, Adam Wensley, scored a big goal for the Flyers tying the game at one. Assisting on the goal was Captain Brad Bienvenu and Sioux Lookout stalwart, Shayne Kakegamic.  The Sabres would squeak by in this classic back and forth game, with Mitch Cain scoring the winner from Kyle Turgeon anf Mike Boese.

             In game 3 at the Memorial Arena in Sioux Lookout, on March 17th  , the Flyers got off to a good start in the first period drawing 2 penalties but could not grab the momentum. Soon the Sabres took control, taking a 4-0 lead into the first intermission.  Refusing to give up, the Flyers played well in the second period with Brad Mailman unleashing a big hit and Kalan Ewald scoring a goal assisted by Kevin Paul. In a sign post of teamwork, the shots on goal in the second were 10-8 in favour of the Flyers. Adding 2 more goals in the third period, the Sabres made the final score 7-1  in their favour, thus earning the right to move on to play the Thunder Bay Bearcats in a best of seven semi final series.

            At the final whistle, the record crowd of 451 at the Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena, gave the Flyers a standing ovation in recognition of the hard work by every Flyers player. In many ways the Flyers had made us proud, in their inaugural year, by playing a brand of fast, physical and never-say-die hockey. As the following awards would indicate, individuals had stepped forward, and the players had evolved as a Team.

             On March 19th the Flyers held their first end of season Awards banquet, at the Calvary Baptist Church .   The well attended affair,  MC’d by Les Wills, Business Manager, and VP of  Marketing, was proof positive of the evolution of the Flyers Team, and Organization. A sense of family, and  player solidarity prevailed as  awards were given, by many of the Team sponsors, in honor of some excellent performances:

>  Ian Alcock was named the most improved player,

>  Brad Bienvenu was named the most gentlemanly player,

>  Jeffrey Bienvenue was named top forward,

>  A.J. Wensley was named best defenseman,

>  Shayne Kakegamic was named regular season MVP,

>  Brad Mailman was named playoff MVP,

>  Ryan Watkins won the community service award, and

>  Kalan Ewald won rookie of the year.

             Particularly evident at the enjoyable evening, was the  bond established between the players, the billeting families, and the Community of Sioux Lookout. Star Forward, Jeffrey Bienvenue, said it best at the dinner when he shared that, ‘I am glad I came to Sioux Lookout. Now I have a future in hockey.’*

            Looking forward to next season, Coach and General Manager of the Flyers, Randy Lulashnyk, was quoted in the Sioux Lookout Bulletin, as saying, “ We’ve got a Board of Directors, and a community that’s going to be expecting some wins at home next season and we’re expecting to put together a winning program.”

 *Post Scripts: 

            For next season, Flyer’s # 10 Jeffrey Bienvenue was recruited to play for the NCAA Division 3 defending Champions, The Neuman University Knights.

            As we write this final report in mid-July, signed local players Ian Alcock and Shayne Kakegamic are hard at work in the gym, setting the bar high in physical fitness for the upcoming Flyers Hockey Camps.

 Stay tuned for exciting  Sioux Lookout Flyers Hockey in Season # 2