The North Stars will set out to Flin Flon Thursday morning, with fans invited to cheer the team on their way out of the city. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Off to Flin Flon

North Stars Send-Off to take place Thursday morning

Apr 19, 2023 | 5:07 PM

The Battlefords North Stars hit the road to Flin Flon Thursday morning, a day ahead of returning to action this weekend for Games 3 and 4 of their SJHL Finals series with the rival Bombers as the scene shifts to Flin Flon.

As a show of support for the team, the Stars’ bus will be escorted out of the city by local emergency services vehicles, with fans in the community encouraged to come out and line the streets to cheer on the team and send them off with well-wishes.

The North Stars’ bus will leave the Access Communications Centre at 9 a.m., head down 19^th Ave., turn left at 101^st, and then left onto Railway Ave E onto Highway 40.

President of the North Stars Kyle Kellgren said the Stars’ send-off serves as another way for the fans to show their support for the team, but also the team to show their appreciation for the fans as well, for coming to the games all year and their support all season.

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“It’s been a really special year, it’s been an amazing team, and our fan support has been second to none this year,” Kellgren said. “Everybody’s been behind us since day one and has kept coming out, and the playoffs have been full. We’re really excited to send these boys off and it’s the best thing we can do to get on their way up to Flin Flon to finish off this series.”

Coming off a regular season for the books that saw the North Stars set a new franchise record with 48 wins (tying the prior record in two fewer games) and 99 points, the Stars have continued their dominance into the playoffs.

The Stars have won 10 straight and 10/11 total games this post-season to position themselves where they currently stand, just two wins away from a League Championship.

The team’s unprecedented success has led to full playoff crowds, including a pair of sellouts in the first two games of the Finals, drawing an eye-grabbing 2,150 fans each game.

“I would say a huge game-changer in these past two games last weekend at the ACC were the fans and how loud they were and how proud they were,” Marketing and Office Manager with the Stars Kennedy Schmidt said. “So to have the community come out and send us off Thursday will take that energy we had into Flin Flon’s building.”

That support is also something not lost on the players, or veteran coach Brayden Klimosko, who spoke to the incredible turnout in the building for the Finals opener, prior to Game 2.

“The environment was electric, and it was one of the best that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Klimosko said at the time; adding about the send-off, “It’s been obviously greatly appreciated and the boys feel the love from the fans. We’re very fortunate and very thankful for all the support we’ve had so far.”

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1