Dear Editor
What would we do without hockey in our community?
Hockey season is upon us once again and we are fortunate to have the Battlefords North Stars streaming up and down the ice. Well, almost up and running. There have been a few bumps in the road thus far. However, the big surprise is they are coming together rather nicely considering the large overhaul that took place during the off-season.
Without three pillars of strength - Dillon Forbes, Blake Young and Michael Gudmandson - it was questionable as to whether the club would be as competitive. They have shown themselves to be just that. In the home games that have been played, you may argue they weren't outplayed. Rather, they may have been pressing to such an extent, that it impeded their focus on bearing down when firing the puck at the net.
I would suggest that being competitive will not be enough to satisfy the thirst of this group. Once some of the players adjust to our community and to their surroundings, they may very well enjoy some consistent and winning play.
After having witnessed their play at home the first few games of the season, it would appear they are a much more skilled and quicker team than last season's edition. The addition of players such as forwards Matthew Havens, Jackson Bond, and Matt Saharchuk and the addition of defenceman Michael Statchuk and Connor Vermeulen will benefit the team as the season progresses.
The group may be less of the "bump and grind" team of previous years, but they will make up for it in speed and skill. This may very well put them over the hump come playoff time.
Ultimately, the sense of team that Coach Kevin Hasselberg instills in his guys will be vital to their long-term success this year. When that sinks through to the players, it will hopefully result in much more positive chatter on the bench during the games and better communication amongst the group.
It is fun to win, and you have to smile when you see the crisp passing that has thus far been displayed result in tick-tack-toe goal scoring.
Goaltending will be vital and that was evident in last year's squad after the acquisition of Michael Gudmandson. That same confidence and athleticism will be demanded of that position as the team continues its development. Without that, in this talented Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, success will be limited. Spencer Tremblay and Ryan Rewerts will need to bring their A-game each and every night. That is the nature of the position.
We need to remember these players are young men, some of whom are still attending some form of schooling. And many are working towards obtaining university scholarships. For that, they require support and understanding. At the same time, they are competitors, and they are striving towards not just a division title, but the ultimate championship, the national championship. And they can do it while supporting each other and listening to their coaches. They just need to play smart, play easy and have fun. With that, success will come.
For our part, we need to support this club. That means putting butts in the seats. And not only sitting in those seats. We shouldn't be satisfied with folding our arms and watching the play of these young phenoms as they make patterns on the ice surface. Bring your noise makers, bring your chants, bring your energy and bring your love of your team to the game and let those players hear the support. They need to hear it from us.
They play hard for themselves and for their supporters. Let's make it tough on the opposing team coming into our barn -our turf. The Civic Centre should be a place where it is a rarity for the opposition to experience success. Let's build a tradition of winning in this city for quality Junior A Hockey, and move towards a future of financial and on-ice success year after year.
Who knows, maybe then a new arena will be in the offing and my butt won't be so sore when I arrive home after a game!
You look into the eyes of Coach Hasselberg and you see the commitment. You see the disappointment in the eyes of the players when they make a mistake. Those are the eyes of winners. Now, let's get out and watch some great hockey amongst quality young men and be proud of our Battlefords North Stars.
Garnet W. Elmer
(who attends the games with his able and trusted assistant, Ashlyn Elmer)
North Battleford
