For the first time the Saskatchewan Development Model Partners issued $24,000 in scholarship money to Saskatchewan hockey players and athletes from the Battlefords earned a portion of those funds.
The Saskatchewan Development Model Partners include the Saskatchewan Hockey Association, Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.
The partnership plans to award 24 scholarships annually. One $1,000 scholarship will be presented to each SJHL and SMAAAHL team.
The scholarship fund was created after hosting the 2009-10 World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon and Regina. From that event $250,000 in profit was donated to of the partnership.
The Battlefords North Stars recipient is Keith Grondin. Grondin committed to playing with the Lakehead University Thunderwolves. Grondin has recorded one goal and one assist in nine games this season at Lakehead.
The other SJHL players to earn scholarships are Melfort's Zach Johnson, Estevan's Mark Cross, Humboldt's Neil Landry, La Ronge's Nolan Souchotte, Notre Dame's Blaine Thomson, Weyburn's Mitch Kilgore, Flin Flon's Tyler Mah, Kinderlsey's John Sonntag, Melville's Justin Hollinger, Nipawin's Stephen Klein and Yorkton's Kurtis Decker.
Current Battlefords North Stars defenceman, and last year's captain of the Battlefords Midget Stars, Dillon Forbes was the SMAAAHL winner for the Battlefords.
Austin McDonald of Turtleford, who played with Beardy's last season, also won the award at the midget level.
Nathan Zimbulak, who was signed by the North Stars during the summer, but made the WHL's Regina Pats was the Regina Pat Canadians SMAAAHL recipient.
The other scholarship winners were Austin Daae, Zachary Cardiff, Jeremy Margenson, Matt Saunderson, Taylor Reich, Alaxander Laird, Curtis Fontaine and Kade Halabuza.
