The 50th season of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League got off to a solemn start this past week.
The Battlefords North Stars were at the Civic Centre Friday for their first game of the season against the Kindersley Klippers. As expected, it began with an emotional tribute to the Humboldt Broncos.
With two young “billet brothers” of Mitchell Bosch and Jake Davidson holding up a flag with the Broncos logo at centre ice, the two teams stood and observed 29 seconds of silence in honour of the families of the 16 people who lost their lives in the April 6 bus crush, as well as the 13 survivors.
A banner in honour of the Broncos, with the slogan “We Play for Them,” has been hung in the rafters of the Civic Centre. Similar banners will hang at other arenas across the SJHL.
Two nights earlier, on Wednesday, North Stars players had gathered at the Civic Centre to watch the live TSN coverage of the Humboldt-Nipawin game from Elgar Pedersen Arena.
Head coach Brayden Klimosko was at that game, won by Nipawin 2-1.
“It was definitely something I’ll always remember, that’s for sure,” said Klimosko, who acknowledged it was an emotional night.
After the opening ceremonies at the Civic Centre, it was time for hockey between the two longtime divisional rivals. Ultimately, the Klippers took the two weekend games from the North Stars by close margins.
Kindersley 3 North Stars 1
A slow start was blamed for the North Stars’ 3-1 defeat in the Friday night game.
“We didn’t generate anything and didn’t make it difficult for Kindersley,” said Klimosko.
The North Stars were outshot 22-11 through the first two periods and it was Joel Grzybowski’s goaltending that kept the North Stars in it, after Austin Nault’s goal made it 1-0 Klippers at the 19:26 mark of the first.The third period was better, but it proved to be a night of nearm misses for the North Stars as one puck after another failed to find the net. Matthias Urbanski almost scored right away for the North Stars. Later, a breakaway by Owen Lamb was stuffed by Kindersley netminder Justen Close. MacGregor Sinclair was also robbed shortly afterwards.
A goal from Damon McKenzie made it 2-0. Soon after, McKenzie received four minutes for high sticking, but the North Stars again failed to capitalize.
It was Ryan Gil who finally responded with 1:38 remaining to make it 2-1. But that would be it, as an empty-netter by Josh Fletcher with less than a second on the clock sealed the Kindersley victory.
The final shot count favoured the Klippers 29-24. Despite more shots and chances for the North Stars in the third, there were no excuses from the head coach.
“The hockey gods always reward the team that worked harder, and they deserve it tonight, they worked harder than us,” Klimosko said.
Kindersley 3 North Stars 2
Prior to their rematch with Kindersley on Saturday night, the North Stars made a roster move. The team picked up Regan Doig from Okotoks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for rights to Dakota Huebner and a PDF.
Doig was in the lineup and gave the North Stars an immediate lift Saturday. It was a better game for the North Stars who outshot the Klippers 32-21, but it was also characterized by rough play, particularly in the middle frame.
A fight broke out just 26 seconds into the second period that sent several players to the penalty box. Quintin Loon-Stewardson got two minutes for high sticking and Kaden Boser was handed a 10-minute misconduct, while on the Kindersley side Josh Fletcher took two roughing penalties while Grant Ziegler took a 10-minute misconduct.
The 35 second mark saw both the Stars’ Braydon Buziak and the Klippers’ Nate Keeley get called, Buziak for roughing and Keeley for boarding.
The North Stars capitalized twice on Kindersley penalties in the game, with power play goals from MacGregor Sinclair from Urbanski at the 8:50 mark, and then from Ryan Gil with Sinclair and Lamb assisting with 32 seconds left that pulled the North Stars to within one.
But like the night before, the early jump by the Klippers proved too much to overcome for the North Stars. A goal by Tyler Traptow put the Klippers up midway through the first, and Josh Fletcher’s goal at the 5:53 mark of the second from Will Van der Sloot and Clay Keeley on the power play made it 2-0.
After the North Stars pulled within one in the third period, Caden Benson scored with 4:58 remaining. That goal would ultimately hold up as the game winner.
Based on the first two games, it was apparent the North Stars still feel the loss of Layne Young and other veterans who provided the vaunted firepower that the most recent editions of the club were famous for. That firepower was noticeably missing in the first two contests with a grand total of three goals scored.
It is also clear the team will be counting on Grzybowski to be available to the team for the entire season in net. His rights are ultimately held by the WHL’s Victoria Royals.
The fast pace points to another early emphasis of the coaching staff, that being the reliance on speed. Coach Klimosko says that is something fans can expect this year.
“We’ve got a good mix of veterans and rookies. I think we’ve got four lines that can score goals,” said Klimosko. “So hopefully we can generate an exciting brand of hockey where we can move pucks quick up to our forwards, and attack the zones with speed. Yeah, it’s going to be a fun group and it’s a group that I think will be able to compete for a championship.”
The leadership group of the team was announced at the annual North Stars kickoff breakfast on Thursday. The captain will be Cody Spagrud, with MacGregor Sinclair, Braydon Buziak and Owen Lamb wearing the “A.”
The North Stars now get ready for another home contest with Melfort Mustangs Thursday night. The club then hits the road again for their first meeting in Humboldt this season against the Broncos. It will be Klimosko’s first game coaching against his former team.
After that it will be on to the Showcase in Warman, with games on Sunday and then Tuesday against La Ronge and Weyburn.
