Youthful North Stars ready for 2023-24 season

With just five 20-year-olds on the roster (Gold, Izyk, Blake, Girod, Waldie) head coach, Brayden Klimosko said they will be counting on their veteran nucleus and returning second-years to lead the way for the team and set the tone from the early part of the year.

“You only go as far as your leadership group takes you and I think we have a really good group and obviously they’ve been there and now it’s just transferring that [knowledge] to the other players,” Klimosko said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how they lead both on the ice and off, as that’s just as important, how they fit in as North Stars off the ice.”

If pre-season is any indication, the Battlefords look to have a deep attack again this year, with 16 different players having scored at least a single goal over the team’s five exhibition games to lead the club to a 3-1-1 record (or 10 different scorers in four games, outside of the Rookie Game) in preparation for the season’s start.

It’s depth, the coach said, will be key to their success this year.

“I really like all of our seven defencemen, and I like our depth up front,” Klimosko said. “I think it’s a good mix, it’s a little bit of a different look [and] probably a little bit less skill than last year, but we’ve got lots of speed and I think we’re going to have to beat teams with four lines and I’m looking forward to that.”

In addition to their returning contingent, the North Stars have also added a quartet of players with previous junior experience in other leagues, including forwards Ben Portner (41 games NCDC), Matthew Biros (37 games BCHL), and Kobie Anderson (13 games with Stars last year), and defenceman Josh Karman (48 games AJHL).

With 11 official rookies on the roster, five are forwards: Colton Getzlaff, Andrew Casellato, Brayden Sinclair, Rylan Williams, and Bailey Shortall; and four are on the blue line: Brady Seabrook, Carson Olsen, Gavin Granger, Xavier Lacoste; in addition to both goaltenders: Joey Hawco and Cedric Cyr-Dauphinais.

Undoubtedly the greatest X-factor for the team heading into the start of the year is the goaltending, with both Hawco and Cyr-Dauphinais primed to make their junior hockey debuts this year. Both have shown well through camp and pre-season play, each suiting up for parts of four games apiece through the exhibition schedule.

Klimosko said he’s looking forward to seeing them in regular season play.

“I like our goalies, for rookie guys, I think they’re competing hard in there and giving us a chance to win,” he said; adding that the plan remains – as it did heading into camp – to split the starter’s load between the two to start the season.

Both North Stars games this weekend, and all 56 throughout the regular season will be available via radio broadcast.

Due to the Riders game Friday on 1050 CJNB, the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast for Friday’s home opener will be moved to 93.3 Beach Radio. Saturday’s game will be back on 1050 CJNB, where the majority of the games will be broadcast throughout the year.

Both nights the Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1

by Martin Martinson

Youthful North Stars ready for 2023-24 season

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