Stars’ athletic therapist, Andrew Kutnikoff, pictured here, will be moving on up to the Major Junior ranks with Swift Current as of Thursday the North Stars and Broncos announced Wednesday afternoon. (submitted photo/Byron Hildebrand)

By Martin Martinson

a new chapter

North Stars’ athletic therapist, Kutnikoff joins WHL’s Broncos

Dec 5, 2019 | 12:00 PM

It was just another day at the office for North Stars’ athletic therapist and equipment manager, Andrew Kutnikoff when he received the offer to join the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this week.

Somewhere between working on injured players and sharpening skates for the following day’s action, Kutnikoff received a call from Broncos’ head coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Dean Brockman, offering him an opportunity to make the jump from the Junior A ranks to Major Junior.

For Kutnikoff, the move is a dream come true.

Kutnikoff, who is from Prince Albert originally, knows the WHL well. He has been following the league from a young age, growing up in a family of P.A. Raiders’ fans. He said those early days of attending the local WHL games are some of his fondest memories.

“It’s awesome, we used to have season tickets when I was a kid so I have seen lots of WHL games, and lots of great players go through P.A.,” he said. “Now to get to work in a league with all that elite skill level is going to be amazing.”

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Kutnikoff said he is looking forward to joining a team in Swift Current, who have had some recent success of their own. The Broncos took home a league championship during the 2017-18 season, to build on an already stellar reputation as an organization within the Western Hockey League ranks.

The move to join the Broncos is just the latest for Kutnikoff, who graduated from the University of Winnipeg in June of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a Major in Athletic Therapy.

Following a couple of seasons honing his craft as a student athletic therapist within the Selkirk Steelers’ organization of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Kutnikoff joined the Battlefords under his current title prior to the 2018-19 season.

He said the North Stars’ championship run last season is another of the hockey memories he won’t soon forget.

“I’d just like to thank [Stars’ coach] Brayden Klimosko and the whole organization,” he said. “Thank you to President, Shandon Reichert and the board, Marketing Manager Jennifer Whyte and of course the players. I couldn’t have asked for a better year and a half in the SJHL, and look forward to what’s ahead.”

Kutnikoff’s final game on the North Stars’ bench was Wednesday night against the Bruins in Estevan. He joins Swift Current Thursday, prior to their games this weekend against Everett and Lethbridge respectively, Friday and Saturday.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1