Three former Battlefords North Stars returned to the Civic Centre Saturday evening.
Brody Luhning, Ward Szucki and the University of Regina Cougars faced off in an exhibition game against Kyle Birch and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks. The Cougars pulled out a 3-1 victory over the Ooks.
Luhning, a 22-year-old defenceman from Lumsden, played three seasons for the North Stars from 2010 to '13. He scored 35 goals and picked up 78 assists in 157 games played. In his first year with the Cougars last season, he had two goals and 11 assists in 26 games.
The 22-year-old Szucki laced up as a forward for the North Stars during the 2009-10 campaign, tallying 19 goals and 12 assists in 51 games played. In two seasons with the Cougars, Szucki has scored seven goals and picked up one assist in 22 games.
Birch, 24, occupied the net for three seasons for the North Stars from 2008 to '11. He played in 125 games for the North Stars. His best statistical season with the team was the 2009-10 campaign. Birch played in 57 games with a 3.56 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. He played 20 games for NAIT last season, sporting a sparkling 0.65 GAA and a 0.970 save percentage.
Birch made the start for the Ooks. In a period and a half, he stopped 20 of 21 shots faced. He allowed one goal to Regina forward and former Melville Millionaire Christian Magnus.
Dylen McKinlay and Troy Hunter also scored for the Cougars. John Dunbar was NAIT's lone goal scorer.
