The battles in the playoffs in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League are nothing like what happens in the regular season.
That’s something the Battlefords North Stars found out first hand last spring.
After finishing up the regular season with the best record in the 12-team loop, the North Stars came up short in their quest for a league championship as they were upset in the semifinals by the sixth-ranked Flin Flon Bombers.
“That gritty style of play is what you need to have to go through the playoffs,” North Stars forward and assistant captain Logan Nachtegaele said. “That was something we struggled with at times and we didn’t end up going all of the way.
“That’s a part of our game that we need to be much better at if we want to achieve our goal of winning the league.”
Those thoughts were music to the ears of North Stars general manager and head coach Nate Bedford as that was a message he stressed during the team’s training camp.
“That’s something that’s going to be a lot more noticeable in the way that we are going to play this year,” Bedford said.
“We’re going to be hard to play against and we’re going to grind it out when we have to. We have enough skill to score goals but we’re looking to be tougher in some of the harder areas out there.”
A total of 38 players took to the ice at the Civic Centre for this year’s camp, which featured three intra-squad scrimmages.
“I think everything went really well,” Nachtegaele said. “We did a lot of work in getting used to the style of play that Nate wants us to have this season.
“I liked the fact that a lot of our games were long, which allowed us to work on our endurance. The goalies all have different styles that we had to adapt to and the defencemen we have are awesome. I really love to compete against them in the corners.”
When asked what he liked the most from training camp, Bedford immediately sang the praises of captain Kendall Fransoo.
“His leadership is as good as it gets and it’s probably the best that I have ever seen,” Bedford said. “Connor Sych is a mammoth out there as well on defence. He’s a complete hockey player and another great leader.
“Those two for me are guys that I have really admired over the last week here and I can see with the level of play here why we’ve been so successful as a team over the last five years.”
Another thing that Bedford has liked is the ability for players to adapt, especially with Conor Jensen and Connor Manegre moving up from defence to play at forward.
“To see both of the guys going into different roles and doing whatever it takes to help this team succeed should help us a lot,” Bedford said.
“It allows us to be more flexible and it gives us some added depth.”
The North Stars released seven players from camp Wednesday as goaltender Ruslan Katsnelson, defenceman Turner Rea and Austin Wieller, and forwards Colton Adair, Tyson Chizma, Ty Muench and Logan Spence were all re-assigned.
“With the young guys that we send back it was mainly about academics,” Bedford said. “School is starting up here and we wanted those guys to be there with their classmates.
“Obviously we would like to see those guys in an exhibition game or two, and that might still happen. However, we didn’t want them to be stuck here in a situation where they miss out on getting back into the swing of things.”
While 31 players remain in town to try and make the North Stars, two forwards from last year’s team are looking to make it at higher levels.
Coby Downs, who had 73 points to finish third in team scoring last year, is currently trying to crack the roster for the United States Hockey League’s Omaha Lancers.
Meanwhile, Battleford product Braydon Buziak signed an entry-level contract with the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats on Thursday. He had 19 points in his rookie season for the North Stars last year.
“Right now we’re taking a day-by-day approach here with our roster,” Bedford said. “We’re happy with the guys we have here and if guys come back from other camps, we will cross that bridge when we get there.
“With the group we have here right now, I believe we can with that.”
The North Stars open their pre-season schedule over the weekend with a home-and-home series against the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. The two teams will square off in Bonnyville Saturday, with a 7 p.m. battle at the Civic Centre slated for Sunday.
Following a visit to Nipawin on Tuesday, the North Stars will host the Hawks in a rematch at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Their exhibition schedule will conclude with back-to-back games against the Kindersley Klippers. The Klippers will host the North Stars Friday before both teams square off Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. tilt at the Civic Centre.
“We just have to focus on what we’re going to be doing all year,” Nachtegaele said. “We need to have a high compete level, a willingness to battle in the tough areas and doing the little things like blocking shots.
“That will be important for the younger guys that are here and trying to make the team. You can’t take a shift off or it might be your last.”
