Brayden Sinclair will make his return to the North Stars' lineup Friday, providing a spark to the team up front, heading into their final two games ahead of the playoffs. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Final Home-and-home

North Stars host Klippers for final home game of regular season

Mar 15, 2024 | 1:55 PM

The Battlefords North Stars return to action Friday night at the Access Communications Centre, to kick off their final weekend of the regular season, opening a home-and-home with the division rival Kindersley Klippers.

The North Stars enter play just a point out of top spot in the Nutrien Division and third overall in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) standings, with a 34-15-5 record through 54 games.

The Stars will be looking to build off a big 7-4 victory over Humboldt last Saturday, the same team they’re battling it out with for the third seed at season’s end.

The Klippers enter play third in the division and eighth overall in the league standings, with a 23-24-7 record through 54 games. Already having secured a playoff spot in their own right, the Klippers sit just a single point back of Estevan for seventh heading into the final weekend of the season.

Head coach of the North Stars, Brayden Klimosko said going into Friday’s matchup, it’s important to stay focused on the task at hand and let the bigger standings picture take care of itself.

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“I think first and foremost obviously, we’ve got to think about ourselves and win a hockey game, and then you worry about the rest down the stretch with [the outcome of the two games between] Humboldt and Flin Flon,” Klimosko said.

“I think it’s important that we have good habits as we’re really only a week out now from when the real season starts, so it’s important that we don’t take a step back from the week before. We just need to play our best, and we know Kindersley’s going to as well.”

Headlining the opening game of the weekend is a series of roster shakeups for the North Stars due to various circumstances.

Brad Blake will miss Friday’s game due to family matters, while Top Defenseman finalist, Alex Izyk is away on a school visit, and Riley Girod will serve his one-game suspension for being involved in the second fight during a stoppage last Saturday.

A huge positive for the team will see the return of rookie standout Brayden Sinclair to the lineup, while Elijah Anderson and Braden Nienaber also draw back in up front, and Jordan Grill – who has been Mr. Everything for the team of late – will move from right wing on the top line to a top-four defence position alongside Josh Karman, in Izyk’s absence.

The return of Sinclair cannot be overstated. Marking his first game back from an upper-body injury that has kept him out since Feb 16, Sinclair has proven himself amongst the brightest first-year players in the league this season, with 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 39 games, to sit second in points-per-game amongst rookies (0.95 P/G).

Friday’s NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1