The AAA Stars will be among the youngest teams in the SMAAAHL come the fall, as the team will be looking for their youthful enthusiasm to lead to success on the ice. (File photo/battlefordsNOW)

By Martin Martinson

Stars See Bright Future

AAA Stars looking forward to the fall amid summer of transition

Jul 7, 2020 | 3:00 PM

When the Battlefords AAA Stars return to the ice this fall, the team will do so looking to reestablish themselves as a force in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) this season.

Head Coach, Dale Grayston was hired by the team in mid-April, and has been busy since – as any new coach would be – with the added wrinkle of dealing with the nation-wide sports shutdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to health and safety precautions, the Stars’ spring camp was cancelled this year, and uncertainty still remains surrounding the timeline for when fall training camp will begin.

Grayston said the biggest challenge has been getting to know the players while not being allowed to gather together as a group, or practice on the ice.

“There’s a lot of unknowns still, so it will be nice just to meet the players personally and get to know who they are [a bit more],” he said. “I think then we can kind of get a better feeling for where we can head. I have talked to them on the phone, but it’s a little different than having seen them play on the ice.”

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And it is on the ice where perhaps the most changeover has taken place this summer.

Following a ninth place finish last year that saw the team post a 20-24-3 record, the Stars will feature just eight returning players this fall. The team has already added 12 new faces to the fold for a total of 18 players on the roster to this point in the offseason.

Grayston said the final two spots will likely be decided in camp, with decisions to be made closer to the start of the campaign.

One thing is for sure, when the Stars do return to the ice, they will be a young and hungry team.

Forwards Daitan Dmytriw (Yorkton Maulers) and Nathan Flodell (Beardy’s Blackhawks) are the only two new players signed recently by the team with previous experience at the SMAAAHL level. The other eight have yet to make their league debut, and will do so as rookies this fall.

Four of those first-year players are locally developed talents from the Battlefords minor hockey ranks.

Three played with the Battleford Midget AA team, including forwards, Rocsyn Bird, Jordan Grill, and Caley Lehouillier; while defenceman, Ryan Taylor suited up last season for the Bantam AA program.

In addition, the Stars have also been instrumental in recruiting talent from around the region. This includes players from larger centres, such as Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and Regina.

Grayston said having players from the area want to stay and be part of the organization, and others eager to come and join the community, is a positive sight. He said it all contributes positively to the Stars’ ultimate goal, which is to be a winning franchise both on and off the ice.

“We want to create a program the community can be really proud of,” Grayston said. “That’s something I think every coach that’s been through here has worked hard at. We want to work on values and commitment to the city and to the community, and obviously we want to have success as a team too. You want to have on-ice success, but you also want to help these guys develop.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1