The Battlefords North Stars look to continue climbing the standings when they host the last place La Ronge Ice Wolves. (Image Credit: Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

Battlefords vs. La Ronge

North Stars looking for another victory as they host La Ronge

Jan 23, 2026 | 11:32 AM

After getting a 4-1 win over the Humboldt Broncos on the road on Jan. 20, the Battlefords North Stars look to keep it going when they host the La Ronge Ice Wolves Friday night.

The Ice Wolves are the only team the North Stars haven’t played yet this season. 

The North Stars (23-8-3-2, 1st in Nutrien Division) head into the game still undefeated in regulation since the Christmas break. They have won eight of their last 10 games. Their last loss came against the Flin Flon Bombers, when they fell 6-3 on Dec. 13. Battlefords is chasing Flin Flon in the standings at the moment. They are just two points behind the Bombers for first place in the SJHL. 

On the other side, the Ice Wolves (7-24-3-1, 4th in UPL Division) have been struggling. They have won just one game in their last 10, which was a 4-3 win over the Kindersley Klippers last Saturday.  

La Ronge holds a league-worst 2-13-1-1 record on the road. Their last road win came on Nov. 22 when they took down the Weyburn Red Wings. 

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At home, Battlefords ranks third in the SJHL with a record of 12-5-2-0, although their last home game was a 6-5 overtime loss against the Warman Wolverines. 

In net, the North Stars are turning to their newest goaltender, Spencer Michnik. In a pair of starts so far with the North Stars, Michnik has a .932 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average.  

In the last game against Humboldt, the North Stars had a few season milestones. Kobe Sawyer and Owen Nelson became the sixth and seventh members of the team to score 10 goals this season, while Finlay Klippenstein scored his 20th of the year. He leads the team and rookies across the league. 

However, Klippenstein won’t be in the lineup tonight since he was issued a one-game suspension for accumulating four embellishing penalties throughout the season. 

A North Stars win combined with a Flin Flon Bombers loss against the Estevan Bruins tonight would move the North Stars into a tie for the top spot in the SJHL. Although Flin Flon would still hold the tiebreaker with more regulation/overtime wins this season. 

The Ultra Print pregame show begins at 7 p.m., while the Napa Auto Parts North Stars hockey broadcast is set to get going at 7:30 p.m. on CJNB/CJNS. There may be a slight delay to the start time due to a pre-game ceremony honouring billet families.

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com