By Nathan Kanter

North Stars move Allen to Vees for PDF

Aug 20, 2017 | 9:10 AM

If it was up to them, it never would have happened, but the Battlefords North Stars’ hands were tied.

This weekend, they officially traded Ben Allen to the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, in exchange for a player development fee.

Allen, who was a major part of the North Stars championship run last year while playing on the top line, was entering his final year of junior hockey and wanted the best opportunity to get a NCAA Div. I scholarship. Joining a powerhouse Vees team that will once again have a shot at a BCHL title – they’ve won two of the last three championships, and three of the last six – gives him that opportunity, whereas the North Stars have lost half of their championship team.

“[Losing him] is very tough,” North Stars head coach and general manager Brandon Heck said. “He was going to go to the North American league and then we got proactive and reached out to some teams to try to get something for him, [rather] than nothing. Penticton watched him at the [Western Canada Cup] last year and they liked him, so it was a perfect fit.”

The 20-year-old recorded 45 points in 44 regular season games as a rookie in 2016-17 and added 13 points in 12 playoff games, including seven goals. His departure is yet another blow to the North Stars group of forwards.

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Gone to graduation are Jared Blaquiere, Reed Delainey, Coby Downs, Keaton Holinaty, Connor Logan, and Logan Nachtegaele. Those six forwards, plus Allen, scored 37 of the North Stars 63 goals in last year’s playoff run, 59 per cent, which saw them go undefeated.

Heck admitted there is some cause for concern, but said it’s more about an opportunity for others.

“It wasn’t good when we found out he was going to go to the North American league but at the same time, it frees open some spots,” Heck said. “There’s guys we believe, just watching some video, that deserve a chance to be put in an offensive situation. I think they can step up.

“You think of a guy like Troy Gerein. He’s shown he can score in the past and I’m using him as an example of one guy that deserves an opportunity to be put in an offensive situation.”

Gerein recorded nine points in 10 playoff games and had 21 in 53 regular season games last year while playing the entire season on the third line.

Heck said a top-6 forward is the team’s biggest want at the moment, and they are currently looking to make some upgrades. But he’s more than okay going into camp with the current crop of forwards, which includes newly acquired players Keith Anderson and Tre Doyon.

“I’m fine going into camp as things stand right now. Still, I want to give guys opportunities but obviously we’re doing our job and looking around,” he said. “Good players, teams don’t just give them away, right? So you’ve got to be patient. It’s a situation where we’re trying to acquire without giving away anything else and that’s hard to do.”

Other new faces that could stand out at camp are defenceman Michael Fradette, acquired from the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in June, Maidstone native Josh Sielsky, acquired from the Neepawa Natives in June, and Jacob Tibbatts, signed from the Yellowhead Chiefs midget AAA program.

The North Stars also traded 19-year-old forward Keelan Saworski to the Kindersley Klippers Saturday in exchange for future considerations. Saworski only played in two games for Battlefords last season before re-assigned to junior B in B.C., where he recorded 15 points in 21 games for the Fernie Ghostriders.

Training camp for the team opens up with fitness testing on Wednesday, Aug. 30, while the first pre-season game is scheduled for Sept. 3. The team will play seven preseason games in eight days, from Sept. 3-10. Four of those seven games are on the road.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11