Dear Editor
To say this would be an epic year for our North Stars would not be an understatement. For a team that came out of the gate with a slow start, to finish with a stellar record and win the Kramer Division title in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the sense of satisfaction for all those involved in the club must be comforting.
The Melville Millionaires eliminated our club from the playoffs. However, we have to give their team credit. The Millionaires played wise and solid road games and they fully deserved their victory. And, a final pitting the Yorkton Terriers and Melville is a dream match up for that area of the province. As critical as we could be of the new playoff format, it created interest down to the last day of the season.
Having attended all but a couple of the home games this season, I have made observations on the young men who have represented our North Stars in a meaningful way by wearing the uniform. Hopefully, most of our under-age guys will be back, but, as happens every year, there will be exceptions. Here we go…
Michael Gudmandson - athletic and solid netminder.
Robin Yew - a tremendous first-year player who will be a valuable and dependable defenseman in his second year.
Tanner Quinn - energy guy who was never wary of going to the difficult spots on the ice.
Dillon Forbes - heart and soul guy who gave his all for the team. Hopefully, he will be furthering his hockey career.
Braden Lacoursiere - willing to play his role and improved his game throughout the year.
Kendall Fransoo - a young star in the making.
Latrell Charleson - our "go-to" shootout guy whose stride and rushes reminded me of a young Larry Robinson. Could be our shutdown guy next year.
Kyle Schmidt - the leader who calmed the play down.
Cameron Blair - a brilliant mid-season addition whose offensive skills will be missed.
Nick Fountain - our "mucker." When he was mentally into the game, could be a big factor in front of the net.
Luke McColgan - smooth. A great skater who could dipsy doodle with the best of them in our league.
Ben Greenaway - the defender of the uniform. He stood up and was counted and wouldn't back down in the tough situations.
Blake Young - visions of him blazing by the defensemen on the outside reverberate in my mind.
Jake Erickson - a brilliant defenseman who improved greatly under the tutelage of Kyle Schmidt. This guy is going places.
Regan Yew - tough. He will be a solid two-way player in the coming year.
Brenden Heinrich - this is a team-first guy. Played his role in his first year. Tough and hard working.
Ryne Keller - when you ask for a good teammate, you think of a guy like this.
Reed Delainey - could be an offensive star in the making.
Jack Petrino - wonderful skater who has the ability to score.
Taylor Reich - a guy whose play appeared to get better every game. At playoff time, he gave his maximum effort and was a valuable member of our team.
Jake McMillen - good hands whose time to blossom will hopefully come next year.
Igor Leonenko - frustrated the heck out of me. Great offensive skills, but needs to play both ends of the ice. He could be such a great player!
Darren Martin - strong stand-up goaltender who will hopefully be our guy next year. Great rookie year in our league.
Michelle Beatty, athletic therapist/equipment manager, was always there to share a smile with the kids near the bench. The players appreciated her work. In my books, Michelle is A plus. She patched my kid up when she got hit by an errant puck, and my young girl still remembers what Michelle did for her.
Trent Cey, marketing/office manager, had a great first season. A nice guy and perfect for the position. His work was appreciated.
Blair Atcheynum is a good and decent man and, from observation, well respected by the young men he has coached. There's lots of emotion underneath the surface, but a competitor and a winner.
Kevin Hasselberg - the players played, the coaches coached. Kevin put together a group of fine young men exhibiting character and talent. You need them both. He guided this team through a tough time at the start of the season. They could have packed it in. But, the staff and the players were arguably the best in the league for the majority of the season. You could see their potential from day one. Kevin held it together and should be praised for his leadership.
I continue to preach that the hockey played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is entertaining and well worth the price of admission. The club works hard and that is appreciated. Over and above the wins and losses, this coaching staff develops good people who will have character traits that will be appreciated in their communities. And we thank each and every one of them for their contribution to the Battlefords.
Now the work begins for 2014-2015. As my daughter chants, GO STARS GO, GO STARS GO.
Garnet Elmer
North Battleford
