The North Stars will start their playoff campaign on March 20 against the Melfort Mustangs. (Image Credit: Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

By Ryan Lambert

A MEMORABLE SEASON

The craziest of the Battlefords North Stars regular season

Mar 19, 2026 | 2:15 PM

Throughout the year, the Battlefords North Stars have had some crazy games and moments. From double digit point streaks to impossible feeling comebacks, to making hockey history. This season has seemingly had it all for the North Stars, and it’s time to look at some of the craziest moments throughout the season. 

6: Williamson’s Warrior Mentality  

(Image Credit: Byron Hildebrand Photography/Facebook)

On Feb. 7 when the North Stars were facing off with the Warman Wolverines, there was a scary start to the game for the North Stars when Drew Williamson was cut on the face by the skate of Wolverines defenceman Vincent Palmarin. After briefly going to the hospital, Williamson decided to make his way back to the Access Communications Centre to finish the game. He even got an assist on an Owen Nelson goal in the second period. 

“I went to the hospital to get stitches. They were taking way too long, so then I left, then I came back in the game,” said Williamson. 

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“I think if you got a chance to sit down and talk with Drew, I would think within five minutes, you’d know that’s part of his character. I think he’s built for war and he’s just one of those guys that can handle intense situations and, just, respond to it,” said North Stars head coach Connor Logan. 

5: A glass shattering hit 

While this one may not be a positive moment for the North Stars, it’s still a memorable one. In a Feb. 3 game with the North Stars hosting the Humboldt Broncos, Humboldt forward Morgan Hackman hit North Stars blue liner Alex Coventry into the boards and directly through the glass.  

This happened very close to the beginning of the game and caused a lengthy delay, but Coventry was able to return to the game. 

Coventry said he didn’t really believe what was happening. “It didn’t really feel real. Glass shattering around me and then next thing I was just lying in a bunch of glass. Life slowed down a bit and I couldn’t really believe it was happening,” said Coventry. “I had to take off most of my gear, shake it out a little bit because there were quite a few shards in it. But what are you going to do? Just try and get most of it out and get back out there.” 

Logan said it was frustrating as a coach since it caused such a long delay right at the beginning of the game. 

“I didn’t know what happened because it was in the corner that I couldn’t see. Next thing you know, they’re sending us to the room, and we got to wait, and you got to kind of reestablish your intensity afterwards.” 

4: 11-game point streak after Christmas 

The first handful of games coming out of the Christmas break are some of the most important to tell whether you have it to be a contender or not, and there was maybe no better team in the month of January than the North Stars. 

From Dec. 31 to Jan. 24, the North Stars went on an 11-game point streak, only losing one game in that span, which was a 6-5 overtime loss to the Warman Wolverines. 

During that streak, they had wins over the likes of every Nutrien Division opponent as well as playoff teams including the Nipawin Hawks, Weyburn Red Wings and Melfort Mustangs. The streak also included a couple of incredibly memorable games which will be discussed later on. 

Logan thought that momentum started a few games before the Christmas break, and they picked up right where they left off to start the second half of the season. 

“I think we just came out with a swagger and confidence and just felt like we could go toe to toe with anybody and come up big. We got on a little bit of a heater, and I think as things start to roll and whatever you’re doing is working, you just kind of dig into that and had a lot of success through that stretch.” 

3: Last minute heroics 

One game in that 11-game point streak was a 6-5 victory over the Nipawin Hawks on Jan. 6. At one point in the game, they were down 4-1. At another, trailing 5-2. After they made it 5-3 heading into the third period, the North Stars scored three unanswered in the third period to win in regulation. 

The tying goal came from captain Anthony Campbell with just 2:20 left in the game. With just 28 seconds left, Williamson took a cross-checking call, and the Hawks had an opportunity to halt the momentum that the North Stars had all period long. 

However, Campbell took a puck at the point before bringing it into the Hawks zone, around the net and finding Josh Knittig who scored the game winning goal on the power play with just 12 seconds left to go in regulation. 

“It was pretty frustrating to begin with, but I don’t think I’ve been as proud as a coach to see the group rally together like that and come up as big as they did and in the fashion that they did it was pretty incredible,” said Logan. 

2: A three-goal penalty kill 

We’ll say on the topic of shorthanded goals, but go all the way back to Oct. 17, 2025, when the North Stars visited the Warman Wolverines. 

After Carter Geysen went to the box for slashing in the second period, it took the North Stars penalty kill just two minutes to establish themselves as the most dangerous shorthanded unit in the league. 

Kaleb Dewar scored a shorthanded goal on a two-on-one, before Finlay Klippenstein got on a breakaway and score just 30 seconds later. Dewar wasn’t done for the penalty kill, scoring his second goal in 59 seconds and the North Stars third goal of the kill, all while Geysen watched from the bench. 

Three goals in one penalty kill is an incredible feat, and Logan said it just took some bounces and a change in mindset. “It was just a mentality to be a little bit more aggressive, and they just obviously took it a little bit too far and decided they wanted to score goals. So, pretty cool.” 

1: The longest shootout in North American hockey history 

That’s right, the longest shootout ever recorded at a junior or professional level in North America. A 21-round shootout which the North Stars won 3-2. 

On Jan. 9, the North Stars hosted the Weyburn Red Wings. After the game went to a shootout at 2-2 in North Stars goaltender Spencer Michnik’s team debut. 

He went over to the bench and gave the team some reassurance when it went to a shootout. “Mickey came to the bench and told us he never lost a shootout, and he was very confident,” said Logan. 

He was tested repeatedly and showed why he was undefeated in the shootout. 

Linken Fisher scored in the second round of the shootout, forcing Roan Burgess’ hand, and Burgess scored to extend it. 

After that, 36 straight shooters were denied on either team. The squads went through their entire roster, and four players even shot twice for each team. 

“You’re coming on your back nine and you’re picking guys to go out there who I don’t even think would want to go and shoot even if you ask them to,” said Logan. 

Once the roster finally turned over, it became a debate on who would shoot for the North Stars. 

“I got two guys that looked at me and said they wanted the next shot, and it was (Alessio) Nardelli and it was Klippenstein. They rock paper scissors and Klippenstein won and he went out and he scored the winner,” said Logan. 

“I do believe that Nards would have gotten the winner too because he had a game plan. But it was funny on the bench that way that we’d gotten to a point where you just kind of admiring what was going on and just kind of embracing being part of something like that.” 

“I don’t think any of us have ever been a part of something like that,” said Klippenstein. “You don’t really expect to go twice, so I was a bit bummed when I didn’t score the first one, but I was pretty excited to get the second chance there…and to get the win, is special.” 

(Image Credit: SJHL.ca)

The only longer recorded shootout across the globe came in 2018 in Switzerland’s U20 league, when EHC Biel beat Genève Future in a 25-round shootout. 

The North Stars will try to add to their crazy moments with a deep playoff run, looking to cap it off with a Canterra Seeds Cup. Their journey begins on March 20 when they host the Melfort Mustangs in game one of the opening round. 

— 

Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com