Josh Knittig and Kaeden Serpa will continue to try to make an impact for the North Stars who have 14 games left to go in the regular season. (Image Credit: Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

Knittig and Serpa

A pair of North Stars take home SJHL Monthly Awards

Feb 5, 2026 | 9:38 AM

The Battlefords North Stars finished the month of January with a record of 9-3-1-0, which was the second best record through January only behind the first-place Flin Flon Bombers. That record included ten games of an eleven-game point streak which went from Dec. 31 – Jan. 24. 

While it took a full team effort to have the record they did, a couple of players stood out for the North Stars in forward Josh Knittig and goaltender Kaeden Serpa. 

Knittig had 20 points (10G-10A) in 12 games through the month of January, including six multipoint games and three games with three or more points. In the 12 games he played, Knittig was held pointless in just two of them. His productive month earned him the SJHL MVP of the month for January. 

“It means a lot, but I’ve got to say a bunch of thanks to all my linemates that helped me out on the way there. All the hard work that we’ve put in this season, it’s just paying off now,” said Knittig. 

The North Stars forward has been playing alongside Anthony Campbell for most of the year. While their play has been clicking all year, it found a new gear in January.

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“I think it’s just the chemistry over the last two years, just knowing where each other are and just being good players,” Knittig said. 

Alongside Knittig, Campbell had 18 points (7G-11A) in 12 games. 

In net, North Stars goaltender Kaeden Serpa won the SJHL goalie of the month for January. In nine appearances, Serpa had a 6-1-1-0 record with a .919 save percentage and 3.18 goals against average. 

“It’s as much of a team achievement as it is mine. I mean, five guys in front of me every night, and we had an awesome month. So, it made it easy for me back there,” said Serpa. “We just found ways to win games. This month, as we’re getting ready for playoffs, I really want to play my best I can because I know how important it is to be hot heading into playoffs, and I’m feeling with my game.” 

The North Stars have eight come-from-behind victories when Serpa is in the net. The knowledge that they can stay in a game in any scenario gives Serpa the confidence to keep going even if he doesn’t have a great start to a game. 

“There’s a lot of games where I’ve let in a goal like early and it doesn’t even faze me. I kind of think it’s just like it’s 0-0 because I know we (can) come back. So, I think if I can just shut them down for the rest of the game, that one goal really won’t matter in the grand scheme of things,” said Serpa. Even if we go down multiple goals, it gives me a reason to fight each game to keep us in it because I know what we can do.” 

This isn’t the first time these players have been recognized by the league. Serpa won the SJHL MVP of the week back on Dec. 24 – Jan. 4, while Josh Knittig won the forward of the week on Nov. 3-10, 2025 and the Sask player of the week on Jan. 5-11. 

The North Stars will continue their campaign on Feb. 6 when they face off with the Warman Wolverines on the road. 

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Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com