The Battlefords North Stars will have as many as 16 returnees from last year’s roster that won the league championship when the team hits the ice in September in search of a repeat performance. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

The quest to repeat

SJHL schedule offers lots to look forward to for North Stars in 2019-20

Jul 8, 2019 | 1:53 PM

As the summer months continue to breeze past in what seems like record time, the start of the new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) season approaches, with opening night sitting just over two months away.

Fans of the Battlefords North Stars won’t have to wait long for a marquee matchup, as evidenced by the league’s recently released schedule for the 2019-20 campaign.

Kicking off the season with a bang; a North Stars, Klippers’ rivalry renewed

With 58 games on the schedule once again this year (including 29 at home at 29 on the road) the North Stars’ road to defending their league title will begin with a return to action on opening night, Sept. 13 against the Kindersley Klippers at West Central Events Centre in Kindersley.

The Stars’ home opener will follow on Sept. 14, as the season-series will shift to the NB Civic Centre.

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This fall will mark the ninth-straight season the North Stars and Klippers will play each other on opening night, and the eighth-straight season to open with a home-and-home showdown between the two sides.

The Stars and Klippers will play each other eight times this year, including home-and-homes in December (6 & 7), January (3 & 4), and February (28 & 29) the latter of which will mark the final two games of the regular season for both sides.

Rest of Division

The North Stars will play the division-rival Humboldt Broncos and Notre Dame Hounds six times each, facing each of the two for the first time in November. (Humboldt Nov. 5, Notre Dame Nov. 28).

Finals Rematch

Outside the division, among the most anticipated matchups will be the North Stars’ first game against the Melfort Mustangs, the team who finished as runner-up for the league championship.

The Stars will travel to Melfort Oct. 9 for a rematch of last year’s Finals series. The North Stars defeated Melfort in five games last spring to stake their claim as Canalta Cup champions.

The Stars and Mustangs will play each other four times total this year, with an early November matchup (Nov. 8) also at Northern Lights Palace before the season-series shifts to the Battlefords for the two final games Jan. 24 and Feb. 7 respectively.

Road trip extravaganza

Last season, the North Stars played 18 of their final 22 games of the regular season away from the Civic Centre. The Stars played just a single home game in each of January and February, while playing 17 on the road over the two month period.

This year, the Stars’ largest road-swing consists of eight-straight games from late September (Sept. 24) to mid Oct. (Oct. 10, when the Stars return home to host the Flin Flon Bombers. Not long after that stretch, the Stars will then host their longest home-stretch of the season, with five-straight at the Civic Centre from Oct. 25 to Nov. 5. The stretch will be the first of two five-game home stands for the Battlefords, with the other covering from Jan. 17 to 31.

The full league schedule is available here.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1