L-R: Ryan Taylor and Kobie Anderson of the Battlefords AAA Stars will look to take the next step with the North Stars next season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Hometown boys

Battlefords locals Anderson, Taylor talk commitment to hometown North Stars

Apr 28, 2022 | 5:00 PM

From their earliest days in grassroots hockey, to breaking in together with the U15 Barons and later the U18 Stars, it’s been quite a hockey journey already for Battlefords locals, Kobie Anderson and Ryan Taylor.

Teammates the last two seasons with the Battlefords AAA Stars, the pair will now look to take the next step in their hockey careers next season at the junior ranks, recently announcing their commitments to the Battlefords North Stars for the fall of 2022.

“It’s a great opportunity for me and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a young kid growing up watching them play,” Anderson said, letting out a smile. “I’ve always wanted to be a North Star and that was always a big goal of mine growing up, so it’s going to be an honour to get the chance to play for them.”

Kobie Anderson built on a sterling season with the AAA Stars with a team-high six points in four games during the 2022 playoffs. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Anderson, who was recently named the AAA Stars’ 2022 MVP, finished second in team scoring this year with 37 points, including a team-high 18 goals in 39 games. This, while being a 17-year-old in his first full campaign with the club, after scoring three goals in three games during the abbreviated 2021 season.

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Taylor meanwhile, was a key piece of the AAA’s blue line this year, playing meaningful minutes on the backend for the Stars as a 16-year-old, while also being awarded the organization’s Alan Welykochy Memorial Achievement Award In Recognition of Hockey, Education, & Citizenship.

A fourth-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, Taylor will still attend Oil Kings camp with a shot at breaking in at the Major Junior ranks, though his Junior A rights now belong to the Battlefords with a chance to suit up for the local team.

“The North Stars were celebrities to us growing up,” Taylor said, reflecting with a grin. “They were the big guys in town and everyone looked up to them, so it’s kind of surreal when you finally join that team and you kind of realize you’re now in their shoes to carry that on for the little guys looking up to you.”

“I think it’s great for the community to have local guys like myself and Kobie and we’re happy to be here.”

Ryan Taylor was a fixture on the blue line for the AAA Stars as a 16-year-old in his first full season of play with the team. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Together Anderson and Taylor join an already stellar core of local talent who will return to the team next year, including Jake Southgate, Zane Florence and Jordan Grill, all three of whom made an immediate impact with the team this past season.

Head coach of the North Stars, Brayden Klimosko said having a strong pipeline of young local talent coming up goes a long way to ensuring the continued success of the team moving forward, and also says a lot about the development of the Minor Hockey system.

“We’re now up to five locals right from town here which is pretty impressive, and that doesn’t mean there won’t be more that can’t make our team out of camp,” Klimosko said.

“I don’t think there’s many teams across Canada that have as many locals, and I think you’ve got to feel pretty good about their play, and also what Battlefords Minor Hockey and the U18 AAA Program have been able to do to have so many quality players that can make our team.”

The North Stars will continue their preparations for the fall with their spring camp late next month, May 27-29 in Saskatoon, featuring prospects ages 14-18.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1