Former North Star commits to Acadia University

Former North Stars Head Coach Brayden Klimosko said the team was excited for him.

“It’s been a great experience on both ends. He’s been one of the best players in our league for the last couple of years,” he said.

“Maybe the best player in the league so obviously, we ‘re going to miss him, it was a great partnership and the reason why we’ve had so much success in the last couple of years.”

Bell said although the training camp won’t start for another couple of months, he’s been training all summer for the game to prepare himself for a game that will be quite different from what he’s experienced before.

“It’s a lot better quality of hockey, like it’s a really high-level of hockey…it’s going to be a big adjustment,” said the 21-year-old Bell.

“I’m playing against men instead of teenagers.”

The other adjustment to get used to is his academic load in conjunction with athletics.

“I’m just going to go there, get a degree and hopefully move on and pro hockey after,” he said, noting that he’s looking into taking a business degree.

Over the two years Bell was with the North Stars, Klimosko – who has moved on to the Humboldt Broncos – watched the young player develop into a leader.

“A guy that people rely on in that dressing room, that guys wanna follow, I think that’s where his biggest growth has been,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.”

The player said he’ll take the first year as it comes. It will be his first time living in his own apartment and he said he expects his first year to be somewhat of a building year.

“I won’t be putting up the same numbers as juniors, stuff like that so, it’ll just take a little bit of getting used to,” he said, noting it’ll be a feeling out process.

The freshman student said he’s excited to “take it all in” and looks forward to the start of the new year and the season.

“It’s really cool, it’s got an older feel to it – like all brick and lots of ivy and moss growing on all the buildings,” he said of the school’s classic east coast collegiate environment.

“It’s unbelievable.”

As for his future, Bell is looking ahead – not at the National Hockey League – but rather taking his skates and stick across the pond.

“I definitely – definitely – have my heart set on going to Europe I’d say and just kind of living for a bit,” he said.

He explained prospective NHL players generally know by the time they’re in their mid-teens whether they’ll land in the league.

“I have a lot of buddies and lots of families who actually ended up playing in Europe and so, I’ve heard nothing but good things about that,” Bell said.

Regardless of where the player ends up playing, he said it was the North Stars who set him on the right path.

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without the North Stars,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be able to be here and even enjoy the game as much anymore if I wasn’t in Battleford.”

—

julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

On X: jls194864

by Julia Lovett-Squires

Former North Star commits to Acadia University

What's Trending