The dedication, character and effort of the Battlefords North Stars this season can't be questioned. They put everything they had on the line and had it come to an end Sunday at the hands of the Humboldt Broncos.
In front of the largest crowd in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League this season, an announced capacity crowd of 2,450 anticipated an epic playoff game between Humboldt and the North Stars. Those fans weren't disappointed.
The Humboldt Broncos scored the game's first goal on a power play from Ryan Marshall in the first period.
The North Stars responded with Blake Tatchell's fifth of the playoffs. He took a bank pass off the boards from Woody Klassen and protected the puck, drove to the net and chipped the puck over Colin Dzijacky's glove for his fifth goal of the playoffs.
The first period ended 1-1 while the Broncos outshot the North Stars 13-7.
Humboldt regained the lead in the second period, as Chase Wharton scored on a rebound four seconds after the North Stars killed a penalty.
The North Stars special teams continued to struggle, as they were on a power play of their own, one of six on the night, later in the second period. After Klassen got tripped up with Robbie Ciolfi, the Broncos' top forward got the puck back and deked five-hole of Graham Hildebrand making it 3-1 for Humboldt.
The North Stars went into the third period down two goals with their season on the line. The team was without two 20-year-old forwards in Boyd Wakelin, who was suspended, and Brett Miller, who was out with a shoulder injury. Tim Rollins was also injured and out of the North Stars' lineup. Along with those players not starting the game, Jared Samborski left Sunday's game after taking a hit in the second period.
Klay Kachur was back in the lineup and playing his first game as a forward with the North Stars. Blake Young, an affiliated player, drew into the lineup for the first time in the playoffs and topping it off, Jordan Ethier spent time running back and forth from the bench to the dressing room in the second and third periods because he was fighting a stomach illness.
The North Stars pulled to within a goal, as Ethier scored on a rebound on the power play making it 3-2. Klassen and Brody Luhning had the assist on his second of the playoffs.
Later in the third period, the roof almost came off the Civic Centre, as Luhning found some open space when he took a pass from Tanner Schwab. Luhning moved in and fired a shot that tied the game. Tatchell also assisted on Luhning's third of the playoffs.
"Things came apart a little bit in the second period," said North Stars head coach Kevin Hasselberg after the game. "We gave up a shorthanded goal and our power play wasn't going. It comes down to guys want to win so bad they try to do things more than what is called upon. In the third period, we settled down. That is when our guys started playing as a team and when we started climbing back into that game."
The North Stars and Broncos took to the ice after the series went to overtime for the second straight game and this time overtime lasted just 1:32. Kameron Ballas scored on a point shot. That ended the North Stars season with a 4-3 score in game six to the SJHL's best team in the regular season and a team built to compete for a national championship.
After a long talk in the dressing room with his players, Hasselberg explained his thoughts on their effort and the season.
"They grew together. They went through everything you could possibly go through in a hockey season. They did it with enthusiasm and they did it with passion," said Hasselberg adding, "Those kids are our heroes."
In fitting fashion the Battlefords North Stars saluted their fans one last time, as the song Simply the Best played over the speakers. The fans in return stood and gave the players a standing ovation while they retreated to the dressing room after one of the best seasons in franchise history. The North Stars were 41-15-0-2 during the regular season and fought off elimination five times in the playoffs before Humboldt ended their season. It wasn't just the effort on the ice, but the attitude off the ice that the fans honoured Sunday.
"That crowd was there because of what these kids did all season long," Hasselberg said. "They believed in each other, the crowd believed in them and we believed in our crowd. Tonight was a storybook ending. There is nothing to hang our heads about. If anything we are so proud of these kids and so proud of the fact that we have a community that rallied around us and gave us the support that they had."
The North Stars forced game six after winning in overtime Friday in Humboldt, as Tanner Schwab scored his first goal of the playoffs to prolong the series and give the North Stars one final chance to play at the Civic Centre.
The North Stars won 2-1 in Humboldt Friday, which gave the Broncos their first loss on home ice in the playoffs. Hildebrand was spectacular in game five, as the North Stars were outshot 45-26 in the game. Kyle Hall tied the game with a backhand shot midway through the third period.
Hasselberg says he wishes the Broncos the best of luck and truly feels they will be a better team after facing the North Stars. The perseverance from the North Stars pushed the Broncos into a situation they were unfamiliar with after winning seven straight playoff games. Humboldt will now face the winner of Melville and Weyburn, as game seven of that series was scheduled for Tuesday night.
The North Stars will soak in the season that was and prepare to say good-bye to nine 20-year-old players in Miller, Wakelin, Ethier, Tatchell, Klassen, Kachur, Hildebrand, Mitch Berg and Travis Sparrow, who were pieces of what Hasselberg says is the best group of players he has coached in his career.
"These kids have taken the game farther than I have experienced personally. When you close the book on this journey it has a happy ending to it."
