As he looked back on the progression of his team’s run to the 2017 Canalta Cup championship, Battlefords North Stars head coach and general manager Nate Bedford was able to pinpoint a key moment when their journey to a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League title kicked into high gear.
“When we lost Connor Sych to a four-game suspension after a game in Estevan in October, I was really interested in how the guys would respond to being without one of the better defenceman in the league,” Bedford said.
“We went 4-0 in those games that he wasn’t in the lineup and I felt like we would be in good shape at that point. I didn’t think we’d go on the run that we did mind you, but I felt like we had turned the corner and were moving in the right direction.”
It was a bit of a slow start for the eventual league champions, as the North Stars had an 8-5 record and were in a tight battle with the Humboldt Broncos for the top spot in the Olympic Building Division.
“There was a feeling out process for everyone early on, especially with me coming in as the head coach,” Bedford said. “You have the sense of disappointment from a year ago (when the North Stars lost to the Flin Flon Bombers in the semifinal) still ringing in the back of their heads and I think the guys were looking for a sense of direction.
“We were all trying to figure out our identity and I was looking to see where guys fit in those early games. After about 15 games, we changed our focus to become a more balanced team and we were more effective.”
The North Stars soon became the team to beat in the SJHL, as they finished first in the regular season standings with a 48-9-1-0 record and then went a perfect 12-0 in the playoffs as they won their second Canalta Cup and their first championship since 2000.
“Going into the playoffs we felt like it would be a really tight battle all the way through, especially in the first round with Weyburn as they were a tough team to play against all season,” Bedford said.
“We certainly never expected to go 12-0, and that’s obviously very impressive, but if you look back on our schedule you’ll find that we had a lot of close games.”
Although the North Stars season ended at the Western Canada Cup with a loss to the host Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, Bedford believes the experience of that tournament will be a huge building block for the side as they move forward.
“When you haven’t won a championship in 17 years, it’s hard to really know what that next step is like as a franchise if you want to get to a RBC Cup,” Bedford said.
“Our style of play fits with the teams like Brooks and Penticton very well, but we didn’t score those goals. We need to spend a little bit more time on the offensive side of the puck going forward and we need to adapt our style of play when going up against other teams, especially with the Anavet Cup coming back next year with the Manitoba champion awaiting the winner of the league.”
One of the major aspects of the team that Bedford will be working on during the summer is finding players to fill the spots left open from this year’s graduating group of North Stars.
Up front, there are six spots up for grabs as Logan Nachtegaele, Connor Logan, Coby Downs, Keaton Holinaty, Reed Delainey and Jared Blaquiere are all moving on.
“We’re searching all over North America right now to find guys that can be part of the team and have a combination of speed and grit,” Bedford said.
“We have some key guys coming back as well. Ben Allen and Layne Young were on our top line this season and they are really hungry to get back to a big event. Plus, you have guys like a MacGregor Sinclair who will move into bigger roles.”
On the blueline, Kendall Fransoo and Zach Nedelec are both aging out of the SJHL, while Connor Sych is leaving the league a year early to begin his post-secondary studies at the University of Saskatchewan.
“Those are three exceptional players on the ice and it’s tough to lose their leadership,” Bedford said. “However, with every negative there’s a positive, and we will have a chance to see some new faces come in and have a different approach to our leadership in the room next year.
“I think Cody (Spagrud) and Levi (Kleiboer) will play a huge part in that. They are veterans on this team that will be playing more minutes, and we’ll be looking at them to speak up in the locker room.”
Although Taryn Kotchorek and Joel Grzybowski are both eligible to return next season, Bedford will be looking for a goaltender to add to the roster, especially as Grzybowski is a signed prospect of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades.
“We expect Taryn to be back with us unless something happens school wise,” Bedford said.
“Joel has done an outstanding job for us this year, especially as a rookie in our league, and I expect that he’ll get the opportunity to play at the major junior level next year.”
