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City preparing for arena conflicts to accommodate Stars’ playoffs

Feb 23, 2017 | 9:10 AM

City administration isn’t concerned about double booking the Civic Centre if the North Stars go on a deep playoff run.

At the city planning committee Monday night, the pride of the Battlefords was brought up as the SJHL’s North Stars have officially wrapped up the first seed in the league.

Council asked Bill Samborski, directer of leisure services, what might happen if the Stars make a deep playoff run considering events like the rodeo are being held in the Civic Centre in late March and early April.

“Every year I get a little worried,” Samborski said. “After looking over the last two SJHL playoffs, if the Stars went to a game seven in the league finals we should be able to accommodate that game. We would have to start putting dirt down that Tuesday though [for the rodeo].”

According to Samborski, the problem would then arise if the Stars moved onto the Western Canada Cup. The Civic Centre would be unavailable for practice. Samborski said it is a pretty simple fix though.

“What we did a few years back is we kept ice in at the Don Ross arena and I think they used it for one day for practice,” Samborski said. “We hate to call this a problem. [The] North Stars would be happy if they had this problem every year.”

The year the Stars had to practice at the Don Ross was because the annual Smoker was being held in the Civic Centre. Samborski said organizers have now moved the Smoker to the first week of May, which means there will be no scheduling conflicts this year.

Samborski said as of right now everything is falling into place perfectly for a really good run for the North Stars.

 

Greg.higgins@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @realgreghiggins.