North Stars forward Jackson Allan faces off with Ethan Strik of the La Ronge Ice Wolves. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Heavyweight Tilt

North Stars host Ice Wolves for showdown of league’s elite

Dec 7, 2022 | 2:33 PM

The top two teams in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will clash Wednesday, as the league-leading Battlefords North Stars host the second-place La Ronge Ice Wolves for a clash of the titans in North Battleford.

Wednesday’s game will mark the third installment of a split-season series between the two teams. The Stars enter play 1-0-1-0 against the Ice Wolves, looking to avenge a 2-1 overtime defeat in their last meeting, Nov. 11.

The North Stars (22-0-2-1) enter play as the top team in Canada, for the seventh straight week and eighth overall. Coming off a 4-3 thriller in Melfort over the weekend, the team is in search of their sixth straight win since their last overtime defeat at the hands of La Ronge.

The Ice Wolves (19-8-1-0) are tops in the Sherwood Division and second overall, and are the other hottest team in the league with nine wins in their last 10. La Ronge is coming off a 3-2 victory over the Bruins Saturday night in Estevan.

Likely the best game within the game Wednesday comes between the pipes, with two of the league’s best in action.

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Stars goalie Josh Kotai will make his second straight start and fourth in the last five. A workhorse for the team this year, in 19 games Kotai is 16-0-2-1 and leads each major statistical category for goaltenders, with a league-best 2.05 goals against average and .941 save percentage.

Ice Wolves’ tender, Dawson Smith has also played 19 games and is 13-4-1-0 with a 2.46 goals against average (third) and .932 save percentage (second).

Between the two, goal scoring will be at a premium in the night’s matchup.

The Stars will be without head coach, Brayden Klimosko and top-line centre Holden Doell Wednesday. The pair are currently away at the Canada West Selection Camp taking place in Cornwall, ON., in preparation for the World Junior A Challenge.

While Doell’s absence will be felt again Wednesday night, the Stars are still led into play by two of the league’s top three scorers, in captain Jake Southgate (41 points, first overall) and Kian Bell (40 points, tied second overall with Doell).

Southgate’s 32 assists are a league-best, and with five helpers in his last two games, the Battlefords product enters play on a five-game point streak (with nine points over the span).

Bell leads all players with 21 goals in just 22 games, including six in his last five. He enters play riding a five-game multi-point streak (with six goals, 11 points over the span).

The Ice Wolves counter with an offensive attack led by centreman Ethan Strik, who paces the club in both goals (13) and points (28) this season, while his 15 assists are also tied for a team-best.

La Ronge captain Walker Jarome also has 15 helpers, while sitting second in team points with 26 in 26 games. Together, the tandem of Strik and Jarome will be at the heart of the North Stars’ matchup efforts.

On special teams, the Stars do hold the edge on the man advantage with the league’s third best power play converting at over 24 percent to the Ice Wolves’ 18 percent (seventh).

However, La Ronge boasts the second-best PK, at 86 percent, to edge the Battlefords’ 83 percent (fourth).

Wednesday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m. with puck drop at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1