This looks like the final season in which the Battlefords AAA Stars will be facing the Beardys Blackhawks in competition.
The Saskatchewan Hockey Association announced a re-alignment this month that will result in the departure of both the Blackhawks and the Notre Dame Argos from the AAA league at the end of the season.
The Blackhawks, however, have publicly voiced opposition to the move and could challenge the decision. Meanwhile the SHA has announced Estevan and Warman are being added for the 2020-21 season to take the place of the departing teams.
The Stars will remain in the league as well for the coming season. Also coming next season, Hockey Canada is dropping the term “midget” and will go with “U18” to describe the division.
For now, the Blackhawks are still a going concern and they hosted the Stars at Willow Cree Memorial Sports Arena Thursday night, winning by a 5-2 final score.
Both Stars goals came in the second period. After Beardy’s Holden Doell opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal, Jake Southgate tied it up from Carson Dobson and Liam McInnis at the 6:16 mark. Beardys then took the lead on power play goals by Aaron Lorenz and Doell again before Dobson responded with a shorthanded goal midway through the period, Matthew Henry and Andrew Urbaniak assisting.
Robert Pizzey’s power play goal make it 4-2 a short time later, and then a third period goal from Trever Sanderson completed the scoring.
Ethan Hein stopped 31 of 36 shots for the Stars, while Matthew Hennessey stopped 45 of 47.
The Stars’ next action is at home Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 versus the Notre Dame Argos.
