Champions!

Sioux Lookout Bombers sweep reigning champion Kam River Fighting Walleye to win Bill Salonen Cup

Tim Brody - Editor

With a Game Four 3-2 overtime victory, the Sioux Lookout Bombes are Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) champions.
In front of a packed house at the Hangar (Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena) on April 21, Bombers Forward Jonah Smith scored the overtime game winner, sending the crowd into thunderous cheers and earning the Bombers their first Bill Salonen Cup in just their second year in the league.
Bombers Goalie Jack Osmond, who was a wall in net for his team throughout the playoffs, picked up series MVP honours.
The Bombers had defeated the Walleye 4-2 the previous evening in Sioux Lookout to take a 3-0 stranglehold on the best of seven SIJHL final series.
The scoreless first period was a goaltenders’ duel between Osmond and Fighting Walleye Goalie Ashton Sadauskas.
Alex Lucas broke the stalemate, scoring at 14:26 for the Bombers in the second period.
Matteo Salvatore answered back for the Fighting Walley at 3:01 in the third period to tie the match 1-1.
Carter Poddubny scored at 9:51 to give the Walleye a 2-1 lead.
Blake Burke scored at 13:33 for the Bombers to tie things up 2-2.
Jonah Smith was the hero of the match, scoring the game winning goal for the Bombers at 5:23 in overtime. 
Bombers Head Coach Carson Johnstone said it was a solid effort from his players, “I mean just commitment, right, commitment to the little things and just what we talked about all year long, trying to get rewarded for just sticking with it, staying committed, so it was awesome.”
Winning the championship in just their second year as an organization, Johnstone said, “Real huge for us. It kind of just solidifies our culture and the things we wanted to do starting this program.”
Commenting on the sweep he said, “It feels good. Credit to these guys and just how hard they worked and the style of play… it lends itself to good playoff hockey how hard they play… couldn’t be happier with my players and their commitment to their efforts.”
Prior to being defeated by the Bombers in Game One of the SIJHL final, the Fighting Walleye had been on a 23 game win streak.
Johnstone commented of Smith’s goal and overall effort during the playoffs, “He had 11 goals this playoff in 13 games, so he could have been close runner-up for an MVP next to Jack. Jack was fantastic obviously in every game this series, so huge bright spot for us, but yeah, Jonah Smith is another one.”
Asked what he told his players heading into overtime, Johnstone shared, “I just said, hey fellas, we’ve talked about the opportunities we’ve earned ourselves all year, you’ve earned yourselves an opportunity, you’re one shot away. We battle all year on Tuesdays for this moment right here, one shot, get it done.”
And get it done they did, in becoming SIJHL champions, the Bombers punched their ticket to the CJHL Centennial Cup National Junior A Hockey Championships taking place in Oakville, ON beginning Thursday, May 9.
Asked his plan for the Centennial Cup, Johnstone shared, “Keep skating. Bigger ice, going to be some skilled teams out there. Gotta make sure we stick to our game plan.”
Johnstone said it felt surreal to win the championship, “Just an unreal feeling on the bench to get it done in front of the home crowd.”
He added, “It just goes to show you, you stay committed to the little things and long-term goals are achievable.”
Bombers Goalie Jack Osmond, SIJHL final series MVP, stopped 46 of 48 shots he faced in the Bomber’s Game Four victory.
“Going into the third period there, we said win a period, win a game, it didn’t happen, but going into overtime, every Tuesday all year is battle day, and that’s what we said, it’s just another Tuesday, so it might be a Sunday, but we got it done,” he said.
Osmond added, “That’s a great team over there. They’re really well coached. No one’s denying that but we set our mind to something and worked our hardest.”
Commenting on the Bombers winning the league in just their second year, he said, “It’s incredible just from coaching to management and everything. It’s probably the best I’ve seen. I’m super happy to be a part of this.”
Bombers Forward Jonah Smith described his game winning goal as “surreal”, “The crowd, the people, the town of Sioux Lookout, it’s amazing to get that done.”
“Coach told me, go out there and make something happen, I just gave it my all, got to the puck first, and I was on that partial break and just got it done,” he said describing his game winning goal.
Smith said the team wanted to win it all for the community, “So bad. For the people, for the team, for us, for everything, just so amazing to get it done here in front of our home crowd, hometown, Our Town, Our Team (the Bombers motto). 
Bombers Forward Blake Burke tallied a goal in the Game Four Bombers’ victory. A second year player with the team, he said it meant a lot to win it all this year after the team was eliminated in Game Seven of the first round of the SIJHL playoffs last season.
“Honestly it means a lot, not just to me but I’m sure to all of our 20-year-olds and all of our returners. We had a lot back from last year, so we all came here to do a job and we got it done, so it feels amazing, honestly,” he said.
Commenting on his goal he shared, “It’s hard to put into words. Everyone worked so hard, and my teammates got me the puck there and I put it in the net. I’m speechless. I don’t know how to describe it.”
 Bombers Captain Nolan Palmer was forced to sit out games 3 and 4 of the series with an injured arm.
He shared, “I’m so proud of this team and this organization. All season our goal has been to win this cup and we did it. I wish I was out there playing. I would die to be out there but I’m so proud of this team.”
“My goal is to be back as soon as possible…. You’ll be seeing me at the Centennial Cup for sure. 
It’s a special group of guys in there. All year we’ve been itching to get to here and we did it, seeing Jonah Smith go down on that breakaway got everybody out of their seats. I’ll never forget that moment,” he said.
SIJHL Commissioner Darrin Nicholas said fans got to see some exceptional hockey during the final, “If you’re a fan of hockey played at a really high level you had to enjoy the series. I don’t think the 4-0 sweep dictates the level of play. These were two well coached teams that played the game with exceptional skill and discipline and one team just happened to execute a fraction better than the other team and that’s the difference.”
Bombers President Joe Cassidy commented of the team becoming SIJHL champs in just their second season, “It’s been incredible. I can’t say enough about the support our organizations has got from the community, the job our coaching staff has done, it’s been incredible to bring players in from all over and to prove ourselves as an organization to players to make them want to come here. Carson and the coaching staff have done a tremendous job of that, and it shows. When it comes down to it, it’s support equals success and the support from this community has been unreal. I can’t say enough, that’s the reason this happened.”
He said it was amazing to get the sweep, but winning at home was the cherry on top, “Amazing to get it done at home. That was a hell of a series. Kam’s a very good team and the boys dug deep and played hard and to do it in front of the fans at home is unreal. It’s perfect.”