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North Stars sign autographs, take photos with fans and cup

Apr 22, 2017 | 8:03 AM

Over one hundred family, friends, and fans showed up at the Civic Centre Friday afternoon to thank the North Stars for bringing home the Canalta Cup.

Of course, it was also a time for autographs and an opportunity to get your photo with the 46-year-old trophy.

“It was awesome having so many people come and support us and see how excited everyone is,” 20-year-old North Stars forward and hometown native Logan Nachtegaele said. “Everybody is thanking us and saying thank you for doing it for them. So you just knows how deep it goes into the community.”

Battlefords captured their first league title since 2000 after sweeping its way through the entire Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League playoffs, going 12-0. Those two championships – this year and 17 years ago – are the only ones played since the club enterd the league in 1973 as the Battleford Barons.

They capped-off the 2017 post-season with a sweep of their rival Flin Flon earlier this week, the team that knocked them out of last year’s playoffs in five games in the semifinals.

“I was talking to one of the billets – they’ve been billeting for 25 years – and said it’s been a long time since they’ve seen this thing,” Nachtegaele said, pointing towards the cup. “Seventeen years for them, it’s a long time, especially for someone that’s been a part of our team for so long.”

Hometown native and assistant captain Connor Sych also said it’s another reminder about how cool it is to be role models for kids.

“Obviously, the kids are pretty excited,” he said. “For them to have somebody to look up to and to kind of instill the dream into them – hopefully we’ll inspire a few kids to want to play for the North Stars and win the cup.”

Sych also reiterated Nachtegaele’s point about how much the support means to the whole team.

“It’s what we’ve gotten all year,” Sych said. “We’ve gotten support from fans all year and it was pretty packed in here. It’s awesome to see that kind of community support. Even after the season, it’s great to see that and I’m sure we’ll have lots of support going into Penticton too.”

The team’s championship win means they have qualified for the Western Canada Cup, which is set to begin April 29 in Penticton, B.C. The top two teams from the WCC will qualify for the national junior A championship in Cobourg, Ont., the RBC Cup.

The WCC field is already set even though the British Columbia Hockey League champion has not be crowned. That’s because the host Penticton Vees are in the finals against Chilliwack (they lead 3-1), so Chilliwack is guaranteed a spot even if they lose, as they are the B.C. representative with the Vees as the host.

Alberta will be represented by the Brooks Bandits, who went 12-1 in their playoff run for their second straight league title, and Manitoba will be represented by the Portage Terriers, who were the fifth seed in their league and won their third straight league championship over the OCN Blizzard.

“It’s almost reassuring to know just how many people truly support us and it definitely motivates us [heading to Penticton,]” Sych said. “Each game we always have the best fans in the league. It definitely does push us.”

The WCC runs from April 29 – May 7.

 

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

@NathanKanter11