Holden Doell sits second overall in SJHL scoring this season with 52 points, while his 2.08 points per game leads all players. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

NCAA DIV I

North Stars Doell commits to Ferris State

Jan 3, 2023 | 5:26 PM

Battlefords North Stars forward Holden Doell will trade his black and silver threads for the crimson and gold of the Ferris State Bulldogs next fall.

Doell has announced his commitment to the NCAA Division I program based in Big Rapids, Michigan for the 2023-24 season. It is an opportunity the recently turned 19-year-old (Dec 1) said he looks forward to.

“Obviously it’s super exciting and a big honour to be committed to Division 1, and it was a pretty cool thing to happen over the Christmas break too, as kind of an early Christmas gift,” he said. “They have a really good hockey program there, and of all the teams I was talking to I felt Ferris State was the best fit for me, so that made my choice pretty easy.”

The commitment is a dream come true for Doell, who said he really started to hone in on working toward a Division 1 opportunity following his second year of AAA with the Beardy’s Blackhawks, when he led the Sask. U18 League in scoring as a 16-year-old with 77 points in 42 games.

“Second-year midget (U18 AAA) is when I kind of realized it’s definitely a possibility of something I could do, so I’ve worked really hard the last couple of years to make it to this point,” Doell said. “I have to give credit where it’s due: my coaches, family, teammates, and friends have supported me along the way a lot so it’s been great so far.”

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Doell is currently in the midst of a season for the ages with the North Stars.

Despite missing six games due to injury/Canada West selection camp for the World Junior A Challenge, the Martensville product sits second overall in league points, just two back of linemate Kian Bell (who has played two more games) for tops in the SJHL.

Doell’s 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in just 25 games give him a league-best 2.08 points per game average. At his current trajectory, the second-year junior standout is on pace to crack the 100-point plateau with 106 points, despite his time missed.

That would be the most points in the SJHL in three years since Yorkton’s Chantz Petruic scored 109 during the 2019-20 season, and the most by a North Stars player in the last half-decade since Layne Young racked up 107 in 57 games in 2018.

Head coach of the Stars, Brayden Klimosko said what sets Doell apart as a special player is his premier hockey sense, which should allow him to continue to thrive at the next level.

“The way he thinks the game, he just gets it,” the two-time SJHL Coach of the Year said. “He’s a smart kid that understands the game at a high level and I think he’ll be able to adjust to the game at the college level pretty easily.

“I think we’re just at the tip of the iceberg here of how good he can really be, and I think his game’s going to progress nicely as he moves on to college.” – North Stars coach, Brayden Klimosko

Doell and his North Stars teammates will return to play for their first game of the new year Wednesday night against the La Ronge Ice Wolves, in a showdown of the league’s top two teams in North Battleford.

Wednesday’s game at the ACC will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1