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AAA Stars make coaching change

There will be a new face behind the bench for the Battlefords AAA Stars as they try and grab the final playoff spot in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League this season.
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There will be a new face behind the bench for the Battlefords AAA Stars as they try and grab the final playoff spot in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League this season.

Norm Johnston has replaced Jean Fauchon as the head coach for the Stars, who have a 14-21-2 record going into a pair of home games this weekend with the Yorkton Maulers.

“It’s nothing against Jean but it was more about moving forward and getting fresh outlook on things, Stars team manager Shawn Robinson said Friday afternoon.

“When you have a gap of more than 100 penalty minutes between you and the next closest team, that’s something that needs to change, especially as we start to get the pieces in place for next season.”

Johnston, who last coached with the Regina Pat Canadians in the 2013-14 season, has an impressive resume.

That includes being the owner, general manager and head coach of the Battlefords North Stars in the late 1980’s.

He has also coached for the Flin Flon Bombers, Humboldt Broncos, Lloydminster Bobcats and the Regina Pats.

“Norm’s a real disciplinarian,” Robinson said. “I’m sure those first few practices will be interesting for the guys.”

Johnston met with the team in Prince Albert Thursday, where they suffered a 9-1 loss to the Prince Albert Mintos.

“He got to see us at our worse in that one,” Robinson said.

Heading into Friday night’s SMAAAHL play, the Stars had 30 points and were tied with the Swift Current Legionnaires for 10th place in the standings.

They are only one point back of the Saskatoon Blazers and the Beardy’s Blackhawks for the final playoff spot, but the Blazers have two games in hand over the Legionnaires and Stars and have four games in hand over the Blackhawks.

Fauchon, who was an assistant coach for the Stars  the last four seasons, was appointed as the team's head coach just days before the 2016-17 campaign got underway as the club parted ways with Darren Martens.

Johnston’s first home game with the Stars will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Maulers at the Civic Centre.