While the team waits to see who they will face in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final Friday night, the Battlefords North Stars brass got a glimpse at some of their future talent over the weekend.
More than 80 prospects, which was a huge jump from the 30 who attended last year, took to the ice at the Civic Centre over the weekend as the North Stars held their annual spring prospect camp.
“Wylie Riendeau, who is one of our scouts, did a really good job of communicating with the players and setting up the five-team tournament,” North Stars head coach and general manager Nate Bedford said.
“It wasn’t just guys going for a skate out there. The competition was fierce, the games were physical at times and we saw a good mix of younger and older guys battling it out to make an impression.”
The majority of those attending the camp were from Saskatchewan, but there were also players from Alberta, Manitoba and North Carolina who made their way to North Battleford.
“When you treat the players on your team well, that information gets out there and you don’t have to spend as much time out on the road selling yourself,” Bedford said.
“Our players sell the team better than anyone else. That spread down to North Carolina with Brett Horn here earlier this year and now we’re getting guys from the East that are interested in playing for us with the guys that have been here in the past.”
The defensive players who attended the camp impressed Bedford the most over the course of the weekend, which could make for an interesting battle later this summer at the North Stars main training camp with the majority of this year’s blueline expected to return.
“We know what to expect from Matthew Fletcher, but I thought Jayden Cantre was excellent and he skated really well all weekend,” Bedford said. “Turner Rea, Noah Form and Austin Wieler were very good, plus we also saw Landon Buziak get into a fight.
“Our defence is always the strength in this organization, and I think we’re going to have a lot of competition in camp just to make the team.”
Bedford was also impressed by the performance of netminder Corbin Christianson, who was the youngest of 10 goaltenders at the camp.
“For a 2001 birth year, he was exceptional for his age,” Bedford said. “The goalies played well with Eric Daniel from North Carolina and a couple of Alberta kids making some big saves.”
With six players graduating from the junior ranks at the end of the season, the forwards who attended the spring camp got a long look from Bedford and the rest of the North Stars staff as they look to fill those holes next fall.
“There was a lot of grit from the forwards and I think there’s a group of eight to nine guys that could jump into our lineup right now without any problems,” Bedford said.
“Colton Adair, who is one of our listed players, had a good camp. Logan Spence was hitting everything that moved out there, and the Fenings (Blake and Luke) both played well.”
There was also a veteran presence out on the ice as North Stars defenceman Connor Sych suited up with one of the teams.
“When he asked me if he could got out there at first, I told him ‘No way, I don’t want you get to hurt?’” Bedford said.
“After he promised me that he wouldn’t get hurt, he told me about how much it meant to him when he started out to have those older guys out on the ice in a leadership role. To see him volunteer to do that while in the middle of the biggest playoff run of his life says a lot about Connor.”
Meanwhile, the North Stars will find out Tuesday night who they will play for the Canalta Cup, as the Flin Flon Bombers will host the Nipawin Hawks in a seventh and deciding game.
