page_title: Flin Flon Bombers
section_title: 1968–1978: Western Hockey League
hierarchical_section_title: Flin Flon Bombers / History / 1968–1978: Western Hockey League
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo I took of en:Bobby Clarke's en:Flin Flon Bombers jersey, on display at the en:2007 Memorial Cup in Vancouver.
context_page_description: The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. They are affiliated with the Canadian Junior Hockey League as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Their home rink is the Whitney Forum. Radio station CFAR live broadcasts a select number of home and away games throughout the year as well as all playoff games.
context_section_description: The Bobby Clarke era
  In 1966, Bill Hunter lead the formation of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League. 5 of the 8 teams in the SJHL joined, while the Brandon Wheat Kings and Flin Flon Bombers joined the Manitoba Junior Hockey league. After one season, both would leave and also join the Western Canada Hockey League (the word 'Junior' having being dropped). During the 1966–67 season, the Bombers, led by Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach, dominated the MJHL and cruised to a league championship, capturing the Turnbull Memorial Cup. Clarke set league records for most assists (112), goals (71), and points (183). Besides the scoring title, Clarke was also the MJHL rookie of the year, and first team all-star centre. Joining Clarke on the first all-star team were right winger Reggie Leach, goaltender Chris Worthy, and captain Gerry Hart a defenceman. Defenceman Jack Criel made the second all-star team.
  The Clarke-led Bombers continued to dominate with 2 first-place finishes, a loss in the 1968 playoff finals, and a league championship in 1969. The Bombers won a national championship in 1969 by defeating the St. Thomas Barons of the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League in an unsanctioned best-of-7 series aimed at rivaling the Memorial Cup. Clarke led the league in scoring both years, and was named Most Valuable Player in 1969.
  The growing demands of the WHL caused the Bombers to outgrow their small home arena, and the franchise departed. The club played three and a half dismal seasons after leaving Flin Flon, with iterations as the Edmonton Oil Kings (Alberta, Canada) for the 1979 season, Great Falls Americans (Montana, USA) in 1980, and the Spokane Flyers (Washington, USA) for the 1981 and part of the 1982 season before folding on December 2, 1981.
  The Bombers resurfaced in 1978 in the NorMan Junior Hockey League.
caption: Bobby Clarke's Bombers jersey on display at the 2007 Memorial Cup in Vancouver.
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