The Battlefords North Stars will have nine players represent their club at the annual SJHL/MJHL Showcase. Pictured left to right by row: Austin Becker (#16), Matthew Fletcher (#4), Quintin Loon-Stewardson (#22); Seth Summers (#27), Rylan Nivon (#23), Elijah Loon-Stewardson (#25); Steven Kesslering (#24), Noah Form (#7), Matthias Urbanski (#12). (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars shine bright

Nine Stars named to league roster for SJHL/MJHL showcase

Jan 13, 2020 | 9:02 PM

In just a week’s time, the province’s Queen City will become a hockey hotbed for the region.

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) will host their joint-league showcase at the Cooperators rinks in Regina Jan. 21 and 22.

Featuring two all-star teams and a U-18 team from each league, the showcase offers an opportunity for scouts at nearly every hockey level to take a look at some of the top college-eligible junior players from each respective league in one place.

With the showcase fast approaching, the team rosters were announced this week, only to feature a league-high nine names on the Saskatchewan side, from the Battlefords North Stars’ roster.

First-year forward, Steven Kesslering will be the lone Stars representative on the Young Guns’ Team Schwartz.

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Meanwhile, forwards Elijah Loon-Stewardson, Austin Becker, Quintin Loon-Stewardson, Rylan Nivon and Matthias Urbanski will suit up for Team Kunitz; along with defencemen, Matthew Fletcher, Seth Summers and Noah Form on the blue line.

North Stars’ head coach, Brayden Klimosko was also named as a coach of Team Kunitz.

Klimosko, who will be coaching at the event for the second time, said he is honoured and excited – for both himself and his players – to get an opportunity to represent the North Stars’ organization at the event.

“It is humbling,” Klimosko said. “Obviously being named as a coach is kind of cool, and having nine players [selected] is awesome. I think it really goes to show the players putting in the work this year and getting recognized amongst the league. It is great for our organization and our staff and everyone involved, so we’re excited and the boys should be too.”

The showcase offers a bit of a unique experience for players to be scouted by the masses, including personnel who may not otherwise get to see them.

Klimosko said his players will know heading in, to be at their best to seize the opportunity.

“I tell these guys, it is probably the most important week of the year,” he said. “It is one time where there are lots of scouts in the stands, and they [get to prove themselves] against the best in the MJHL and SJHL. We get to see the best against the best; it is an all-star game feel, but the intensity will be as high as some of these players will see all season.”

For veterans Matthew Fletcher and Matthias Urbanski the experience will be their second and third time respectively representing their league at the annual event, now in its third year. The remaining seven Stars players will be making their debut at the showcase.

In addition to the North Stars, the Melfort Mustangs are the only other SJHL team to have nine player representatives for this year’s showcase. Nipawin and Flin Flon have seven each, Humboldt has six, while Melville and Estevan have five players; La Ronge has four, Kindersley has three, Yorkton and Notre Dame have two each, and Weyburn has one representative.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca
On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1