The Battlefords North Stars will open both their pre-season and regular season schedule versus the Kindersley Klippers this fall, quickly reacquainting the divisional foes. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

North Stars Breakdown

SJHL announces pre-season schedule for 2023-24

Jul 13, 2023 | 12:06 PM

With the start of the 2023-24 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season just over two months away, the league announced Thursday the full pre-season schedule for the upcoming campaign.

Pre-season games will officially kick off around the league on Sept. 5, with the Flin Flon Bombers at Opaskwayak Cree Nation to play the OCN Blizzard of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), and Weyburn Red Wings in Yorkton to face the Terriers.

However, for the Battlefords North Stars, the exhibition schedule won’t begin until Sept. 10, when the team will play a Rookie Game against the Kindersley Klippers at home at the Access Communications Centre.

That will be the lone game the Stars play on home ice through their pre-season slate.

From there, the team will face the La Ronge Ice Wolves at Flying Dust First Nation the following night, Sept. 11 for their lone other home game, before stops in Humboldt against the rival Broncos on Sept. 12, and Kindersley against the Klippers on Sept. 13.

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After three days off, the Stars will wrap up their exhibition schedule in La Ronge for their second game against the Ice Wolves, at 3 p.m. on Sept. 17.

This will be the second year in a row the North Stars have played a pre-season game at Flying Dust First Nation, something head coach, Brayden Klimosko said was a success last year.

“It worked really well playing Bonnyville there last year, so we thought we’d do the same thing with La Ronge this year,” he said. “It was a really good turnout, and we’re looking forward to it again.”

The Stars will return home for their regular season opener on Sept. 22 against Kindersley. For the team’s full regular season schedule breakdown, click here.

North Stars pre-season schedule at a glance:

Sept. 10: Kindersley Klippers @ Battlefords North Stars (Rookie Game), 2 p.m. start

Sept. 11: La Ronge Ice Wolves @ Battlefords North Stars at Flying Dust First Nation, 7:30 p.m. start

Sept. 12: Battlefords North Stars @ Humboldt Broncos, 7 p.m. start

Sept. 13: Battlefords North Stars @ Kindersley Klippers, 7:30 p.m. start

Sept. 17: Battlefords North Stars @ La Ronge Ice Wolves, 3 p.m. start

The North Stars’ pre-season games will not be broadcast on 1050 CJNB. The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcasts will begin with the start of the regular season on Sept. 22, and cover all 56 games of the season schedule and all playoff games.

The full SJHL pre-season schedule can be found here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1