After a 12 day break the Flin Flon Bombers return to the ice tonight to kick off 2026.

 

The Bombers begin the new year first overall at 21-9-0-1, one point up on the Weyburn Red Wings with 43 points.

 

Flin Flon will kick off the new year with a home and home against  the Melfort Mustangs tonight at the Whitney Form with the rematch in Melfort tomorrow night at the Northern Lights Palace.

 

The defending league champion Mustangs are struggling and if the playoffs were to start today, Melfort would be on the outside looking in at 11-14-1-2. They trail the 8th place Humboldt Broncos by 7 points for the final playoff spot. Melfort does have a game in hand.

 

Saying that, I would never count out a Trevor Blevins team and there is still a good chunk of the season remaining, and a win in Flin Flon tonight could really give them a big spark. It is very hard to imagine a Melfort team not in the post season,  and I personally think the back to back champs will be better in the second half.

 

The Bombers have beaten the Mustangs in all 4 head to head matchups  this season,  out scoring them 17 to 6 including a 5 to 2 win in Melfort in their last meeting November the 22nd. Joey Lies had a hattrick that night.

 

Lies along with Reid Arberry and Sam Ward will not be in uniform for the Bombers  tonight as they are at the Viking Cup in Camrose Alberta. The Mustangs will be without the services of their top scorer Zayden Sadlemyer and Bo Eisner who are also in Camrose.

 

Puck drop at the Whitney Forum is 7:30 tonight and there will be no radio broadcast, but we are on FLO Sports. We will have tomorrow night's broadcast from Melfort beginning with the Great North GM Coach's Show at 7:10 and drop of the puck at 7:30 for Creighton Furniture.

 

Happy New Year everybody.