Pictured L-R: North Stars Kian Bell, Josh Kotai, Tynan Ewart, and Brayden Klimosko combined for five of the SJHL's seven year-end awards. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Shining Stars

North Stars take centre stage with SJHL Awards

Mar 9, 2023 | 6:32 PM

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) announced its year-end awards Thursday, headlined by four Battlefords North Stars.

Stars’ forward Kian Bell was named SJHL MVP and Most Outstanding Player; Tynan Ewart took home Defenceman of the Year; Josh Kotai, Goaltender of the Year; and head coach Brayden Klimosko, Coach of the Year.

Kian Bell – SGEU MVP/RBC Player of the Year

The MVP and Most Outstanding Player awards are the latest in what has been a milestone season for Bell.

The Fall River, NS., product became just the sixth North Stars player in franchise history to hit the 50-goal plateau, and just the fifth in the entire league over the last 20 years, when he scored his 50th late last month in just his 45th game.

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With still two games to go in the Stars’ regular season schedule, Bell sits just four points back of 100 on the season as well, with 96 points (52 goals, 44 assists) in 49 games, looking to become just the third North Star in the last 25 years to hit the century mark.

Bell becomes the first North Star to win League MVP and Player of the Year, since Layne Young took both titles back in the 2017-18 season.

Fellow North Stars’ forward Holden Doell is also in the midst of a season for the books, with 93 points (29 goals, 64 assists) in 47 games heading into the final weekend, to finish as a finalist for both SJHL MVP and Most Outstanding Player.

Weyburn’s Riley Morgan was the other finalist for MVP, while Flin Flon’s Cole Duperreault was the other finalist for Player of the Year.

Tynan Ewart – Defenceman of the Year

A favourite I to contend for Defenceman of the Year heading into the fall, Ewart has delivered and then some for the Battlefords this season.

Sitting just outside the top 10 in scoring overall, the Duncan BC., product’s 54 points in 53 games lead all blue liners, as do his 47 assists and 1.02 points per game (min 30 games).

Ewart’s 54 points are also the most by a Stars’ defenceman since Drew Bignall tallied 64 in 59 games back in the 2002-03 season, exactly 20 years ago.

With the award, Ewart joins an exclusive club of North Stars’ legends to win Top Defenceman, including Matthew Fletcher (2019-20), Cody Spagrud (’18-19), Fraser Allen (’06-07), and the aforementioned Bignall (’02-03).

In addition to his offensive exploits, Ewart has also been a force defensively, regularly playing the most minutes for the league’s stingiest team, as the Stars have allowed just 2.54 goals against per game this season.

Nipawin’s Zander Stewart and Humboldt’s Daylan Weigel were the other two players nominated for Defenceman of the Year.

Josh Kotai – SaskTel Top Goaltender

Top Goaltender honours serves as an exclamation point on a standout first season of SJHL hockey for the 19-year-old Kotai, who led all goaltenders in wins (31), goals against average (2.45), and save percentage (.934) this year.

Just the fourth goalie in the last 15 years to hit the 30-win plateau, the Augustana University DIV I commit was also the fastest to do so of the four, collecting his 30^th win in just his 36^th game.

With still two games to go in the regular season, Kotai has a chance to become just the second goaltender to eclipse 32-wins in the last decade-and-a-half, joining Rayce Ramsay of the Humboldt Broncos during the 2021-22 season as the lone other.

La Ronge’s Dawson Smith and Estevan’s Cam Hrdlicka were the other two finalists for Goaltender of the Year.

Brayden Klimosko – SCSA Coach of the Year

This marks Klimosko’s third straight year as SJHL Coach of the Year, in his five years (four seasons) behind the bench with the North Stars.

Klimosko, who was also recognized as the league’s Top Coach in 2019-20 and 2021-22, joins elite company as just the second bench-boss since 2012 (more than a decade ago) to win Coach of the Year multiple times, joining former Nipawin Hawks coach Doug Johnson as a fellow three-time winner.

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Klimosko has led the North Stars to a 46-5-2-1 record. Having already locked up the #1 seed overall, the team’s 95 points are just two points back of the franchise record 97 set back in the 2016-17 season during a 58-game schedule.

Finalists for Coach of the Year included Flin Flon’s Mike Reagan and Nipawin’s Tad Kozun.

Other SJHL award winners include Melfort’s Riley Ashe who was named Directwest Rookie of the Year, and Kindersley’s Tylin Hilbig and Nipawin’s Zander Stewart who were co-named Federated CO-OP Most Sportsmanlike Player.

The North Stars will close out the regular season schedule with a home-and-home versus Kindersley this weekend. Both Friday’s game in Kindersley and Saturday’s in North Battleford will be available on 1050 CJNB.

The NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Hockey Broadcast will begin both nights with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m., and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1