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Stars honour their own at wrapup banquet

The handshakes are over, the equipment has been put away, and now it was time to reflect on the most exciting hockey season the Battlefords had seen in years.
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Veteran 20-year-olds are leaving the North Stars and graduating from junior hockey and the SJHL. Jordan Ethier wasn't at the banquet, but surrounding trainer Dale Jackson (fourth from left) are Kory Kachur, Boyd Wakelin, Graham Hildebrand, Blake Tatchell, Mitch Berg, Brett Miller, Travis Sparrow and Woody Klassen.

The handshakes are over, the equipment has been put away, and now it was time to reflect on the most exciting hockey season the Battlefords had seen in years.

That was exactly what happened Thursday night in North Battleford at the Civic Centre, as the Battlefords North Stars closed the book on their 2011-12 season.

It was one last chance for the players, coaches, and everyone involved in the organization to express their appreciation and say their goodbyes before the offseason moves into high gear

There was a sense of great pride at the gathering. Vice-president of the board Darren Huxley called it a "celebration of the best year the North Stars have had in over a decade."

Coach Kevin Hasselberg spoke of the tremendous success of the players, not only on the ice, but in the community and in the schools this season.

They pointed to that work as one reason North Stars fans filled the Civic Centre during the playoffs with the biggest crowds the team has seen in years. Huxley said even during the 2000 championship run the crowds weren't as big.

Hasselberg, in praising his team, called them "uncommon," pointing to the team going 5-0 in elimination games as an example of that before Humboldt was able to finally dispatch the North Stars in the conference final.

"Tonight is just a celebration of what these kids accomplished all year," Hasselberg told the News-Optimist after the banquet.

It was a chance for everyone to get their goodbyes in but "when you say goodbye it's never forever. These kids will remember this season and remember each other and forever remain friends, and we're certainly very proud of what they accomplished this year."

Hasselberg believes the season "raised the bar" for future generations of North Stars and lays the groundwork for the club to be successful well into the future.

The event was also a chance for the North Stars hockey club to bestow individual award honours on some of the players who had contributed to the team's success over the past season. Some of the team awards came as no surprise.

The North Stars' MVP award winner was Blake Tatchell, who also was the SJHL's MVP winner this year as voted by coaches and general managers.

The club's Top Defenceman award went to the North Stars' Brody Luhning, credited as the top-scoring defenceman all season on the team with 40 points in 53 games.

The Top Scorer award went to Tatchell, with 86 points in 57 games on the season. Tatchell's on-ice exploits were also noticed by the fans who gave him the honour of Fan Choice Award winner.

Woody Klassen was named the playoff MVP. Klassen was also honoured with the Most Dedicated Player award.

Rookie of the year honours were shared by Tanner Quinn and Ryne Keller, both part of the "Kid Line" that also included Jared Samborski. Not to be outdone, Samborski took the Humanitarian Award for his tireless efforts for the North Stars in the community. The Most Improved Player was Dillon Forbes.

In addition to the award presentations, Northwest Hockey Development provided a scholarship worth $2,500 to a North Stars player planning to continue his education. That was presented to goaltender Graham Hildebrand.

It was also a night for the club to pay tribute to the nine North Stars 20-year-olds who are moving on from junior ranks to other educational and hockey opportunities. They are Tatchell, Klassen, Hildebrand, Mitch Berg, Travis Sparrow, Boyd Wakelin, Brett Miller, Klay Kachur and Jordan Ethier.

Each was presented with their team jerseys in recognition of their contribution to the hockey club.