The Battleford Beaver Blues took home the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League championship last season, pictured here. With a league-best 14-2 record heading into the playoffs this year, the Beaver Blues are amongst the favorites to win the title once again. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Hungry for second straight

Battleford Beaver Blues on hunt to defend championship, as playoffs begin

Feb 7, 2020 | 5:00 PM

For the Battleford Beaver Blues men’s hockey team, winning is something that has become synonymous with the team’s name amongst the senior hockey ranks in the region.

Fresh off winning the league championship a season ago, the Beaver Blues will return to the post-season as the top seed this year, hungry to defend their title as the playoffs kick off Friday night at Battleford Arena.

Taking on the Maymont Settlers in the opening round, the Beaver Blues are odds-on favourites to contend once again within the Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League (SPHL) this season.

Battleford is coming off a regular season that saw the team finish with a league-best, 14-2 record for the second time in as many years, helping to establish their club further amongst the perennial contenders and true crème de la crème of the SPHL.

Mike George has played four years with the Beaver Blues, serving as captain of the team each of the last two, before being injured earlier this year. He said what helps set the Beaver Blues apart is the team’s dedication to the game and to each other.

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“We have a pretty committed group, so that is a big thing,” George said. “We don’t often show up to games shorthanded, and in senior hockey that can be a big issue with lots of [teams]. People have work and kids but our group really organized their lives around hockey and we have a pretty closely knit group from that.”

George said the championship pedigree from last year’s run to the league title can only help the team this time around as well, heading into the post-season.

“Winning is something that doesn’t come easy and there is a lot of sweat and work that goes into it,” he said. “We will always be able to look back in the old tickle trunk when [we] get in a tight situation and remember the past and things that have happened that we have have overcome already, so you can have some confidence from that.”

Puck drop on Game 1 will be Friday night at 8:30 p.m. at Battleford Arena.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1