A look in from Wednesday evening's Championship Celebration in North Battleford, bringing team and community together. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Wednesday night highlight

North Stars celebrate championship in community

Apr 27, 2023 | 8:00 AM

It was an evening of barbeque, burgers, and connecting in community Wednesday at the Access Communications Centre, as the Battlefords North Stars held a special Championship Celebration event, to share their league title with the fans that cheered them on all season.

Taking place from 4:30-6:30 p.m., the event drew a strong turnout of several hundred from the Battlefords and area, giving fans and team supporters a chance to enjoy a burger and a drink while mingling with the players, coaches and staff, and getting a close-up look at the new Canterra Seeds Cup championship trophy.

North Stars’ staff Brayden Klimosko (head coach/GM), Brett Dale (trainor), Matt Procyshen (assistant coach), and Garry Childerhose (assistant coach) man the grill Wednesday evening outside the ACC. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

North Stars forward Kian Bell, who led the team in scoring with 25 points in 13 playoff games en route to the championship, called it ‘something special’ to see so many people come out to take part in the celebration and show their support for the team.

“It’s really cool to see,” Bell said with a smile. “It’s been a couple days since we won it, but nobody’s forgotten,” he added with a laugh. “It feels really good to have all these fans coming out to support us.”

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“They made me feel like I fit in right away and like I’ve been here my whole life […] When you’re walking down the street and somebody stops you and says hi, everyone’s just been so friendly.” – Kian Bell on the Stars’ community support

Kian Bell signs a young fan’s stick at the North Stars Championship Celebration, Wednesday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Veteran forward, Emmett Wurst, who will cap his 20-year-old season with the North Stars on their Centennial Cup run in a couple of weeks’ time, added that the buzz generated around town was not lost on the team, night in and night out during their run.

“The support from the community’s been unbelievable all season long and today just really shows, with all the people coming out, how much support there really is,” Wurst said, with a grin.

All proceeds raised from the Championship Celebration BBQ and signing event will go towards the North Stars’ trip to Nationals at the Centennial Cup, May 11-21.

The Stars’ Centennial Cup schedule can be found here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1