Battlefords product, Jordan Grill is in his 4th and final season with the North Stars (Byron Hildebrand/Facebook)

By Austin Mattes

Battlefords Pride

Hometown Hero: Jordan Grill’s final year with the North Stars

Feb 21, 2025 | 6:00 AM

A ‘Crosby’ stick and a ball is how the journey began for Battlefords product Jordan Grill and now, he represents the community by sporting the black and silver at the Access Communications Centre with an ‘A’ on his chest.

From making big plays on the ice to setting an example off of it, the North Stars veteran has become the epitome of a hometown hero, and he said it all started when he watched the North Stars growing up.

“Growing up here being one of those little kids that would always come to these North Stars games, be a 7th man, you’d always just look up to them and want to be like them,” Grill said.

Grill in the locker room at the Access Communications Centre as a kid with his ‘Crosby’ stick (Submitted Photo/Raeleen Grill).

Grill as the 7th man for a North Stars game back in 2010 (Submitted Photo/Raeleen Grill).

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As a teenager, Grill went through the minor hockey system in the Battlefords and eventually, with his strong work ethic and dedication, made the Battlefords Barons U15 AA team in 2017, marking the first step on his way to the North Stars.

Over the next couple of seasons with the Barons, Grill put his nose to the grindstone and continued to improve, eventually granting him a spot on the Battlefords Stars U18 AAA team in 2020 as a 16-year-old, after not making the team the year prior. Unfortunately, his time in AAA was cut short due to the start of COVID-19, but even though he only played in three games, Grill mentioned the North Stars had already shown interest in him.

“My first year midget they brought me and another guy to practice, and we were out there for the week, and it was a great opportunity but definitely humbling to see all these 20-year-olds, how hard they passed and stuff, but that’s when they started showing interest in me,” he said.

Following the COVID year and having no AAA season, Grill was thrown right into the mix of things as a 17-year-old, going from U18 AA to Junior A. Despite the big change, he had an impressive rookie season putting up four goals and 10 assists in just 35 games.

Grill said that this first season was a big eye-opener for him and, at the same time, helped him grow as a player.

“That was a pretty big jump, you’re going up against grown men is what it felt like when you’re at that age, but you definitely get used to it. So, it definitely helped, but my first year was a lot of fun, you get to grow up a lot being with those older guys and get to learn a lot from them and just kind of build your character,” he said.

Since his start with the North Stars in 2021/22, the rest has been history with Grill playing in over 180 games for the team over four seasons, notching 32 goals, 74 assists for 106 points along helping the team win the SJHL Championship during the 2022/23 season.

During the historic championship season, the North Stars finished the regular season with a 48-5-2-1 record and went through the playoffs with a 12-1 record. The team then made it all the way to the Centennial Cup finals, where they took on the Brooks Bandits for the National Championship and ended up falling just short of getting the gold medal.

Grill (right) celebrating the 2022/23 championship win with his teammates (Battlefords North Stars/Facebook).

Looking back on the historic season, Grill said that it is something he’ll always remember.

“We knew we were good, but we didn’t think we were going to be that good…but just the group of guys that we had, we were so close and we just all worked good together and to get through that championship, I’ve never done that before, so it’s definitely one of my best memories and that year is one I’ll remember for sure,” he said.

Now, currently in his final year with the North Stars and the team fighting for a playoff spot, Grill has gone from what once was a young rookie to now a 20-year-old assistant captain with a championship under his belt, and he said with that, his perspective and responsibilities have changed.

“Being older you have a lot more guys that look up to you, you don’t care as much about ice time, you just want to play a lot better, a lot more guys rely on you, especially as a 20-year-old representing the community, you have to set a good example,” said Grill.

With only eight games remaining in the regular season in his final campaign, Grill reflected on the past four years and apart from the wins and the championship, he said the best thing about it all was the friends made along the way.

“The biggest thing you can take from it is just the friendships and bonds you make with guys from being on the team with them, you’ll always be friends with them, even if you don’t talk to them all the time, they’ll still be there if you really need them,” Grill said.

Looking at his hockey career after the North Stars, Grill has hopes to play at the next level but if things don’t work out, he still plans to play senior hockey with his friends for a local team. Then apart from hockey, Grill is also finishing up school to become a power engineer, where he wants to pursue a career.

At the end of the day, the most important thing Grill talked about was how much the community meant to him and how he hopes to influence the younger generation of hockey players, just like how he was as a kid, truly making him a hometown hero.

“It’s an honour playing hockey and growing up in the Battlefords. I am proud to be a North Star, it’s probably one of the best places to be, from the fan base to the billets and everyone. All these kids look up to us and it’s just an honour to be in that position, because I used to be in their position a long time ago. So, I hope maybe one day, some of them might even play for the North Stars,” Grill said.

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes