With North Stars' goalie Justen Maric's (left) recent call-up to Portland of the WHL, the North Stars have acquired 19-year-old netminder Ben Dardis (right). (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

New Aquisition, Dardis

North Stars see shake up in goal following Maric call-up to WHL

Nov 21, 2023 | 4:00 PM

Currently in the midst of a 10-game winning streak, the Battlefords North Stars were dealt a bit of a curveball this week, with the recent call-up of starter Justen Maric to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

The call-up comes following a lights-out start to the season for Maric, who has posted a 10-2-0-1 record through 13 games with the North Stars, to go along with a 2.43 goals against average and .926 save percentage (both second-best in the SJHL) since returning to the team from Portland, where he began the year out of training camp.

“We just got news yesterday that Justen’s going to go up with Portland [again] as they lost their starter to injury, so they want to bring him up for a little bit, so we’re obviously welcoming that,” head coach and general manager of the North Stars, Brayden Klimosko said.

With Maric’s absence, the North Stars have also announced the team has acquired goaltender Ben Dardis. Dardis is a 19-year-old from Mahtomedi, MN., USA, who has spent the last two years in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) split between the Anchorage Wolverines and Minnesota Wilderness, where he posted a 3.72 goals against average and .878 save percentage in 12 games.

He will join first-year goaltender Joey Hawco, who is 6-3-0-0 with a 3.26 goals against average and .894 save percentage this season, as the North Stars’ tandem while Maric is up in the Major Junior ranks.

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“We’re looking forward to seeing what he can bring,” Klimosko said of Dardis’ acquisition. “Hopefully between he and Hawco can man the net until Justen is back, and it’s a good opportunity for us as a team to help our goaltenders out. Without Maric back there, we’re going to probably need to be a bit better defensively, so I think it’s a good opportunity for us to do that.”

Following his first practice with the North Stars Tuesday, Dardis said he’s looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the team.

“It’s awesome just getting back to skating with a team again [and] coming in, first impressions, it seems like really a tight-knit group and it seems like a really awesome spot to play,” he said.

Dardis is expected to make his North Stars debut this week, either Wednesday night in Melfort, or this weekend in the team’s home-and-home with Nipawin.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

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