North Stars Jake Southgate, Steven Kesslering and Timon Prexler will be created in the NHL 21 video game for the SJHL virtual league showcase, later this week. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

League recognition

Three North Stars to be featured in SJHL virtual showcase

Jan 26, 2021 | 2:00 PM

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) has announced their rosters for the upcoming SJHL Virtual Showcase; a simulation which will be live-streamed this Friday, Jan. 29 and Sat., Jan. 30 on the online steaming service, Twitch.

The goal of the virtual showcase is to provide some additional exposure for some of the top young talent in the league, even as the hockey season remains postponed for the time being.

North Stars selected to represent their league are forwards, Jake Southgate and Steven Kesslering, and defenceman Timon Prexler.

Southgate and Kesslering will suit up for Team Global Ag. Risk Solutions, made up of some of the top players born in 2002 or later; while Prexler will man the blue line for Team Sherwood, one of two teams composed of standouts born in 2000 and 2001.

Southgate said it was ‘pretty exciting’ to hear the news he would be included in this year’s simulated event, although he added that actually attending the showcase in-person to play would have been his first choice, had that been possible.

Freedom and Flexibility

How App-Based Work Creates Economic Opportunity

15h ago

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Seniors Scene

Christmas is Coming

Dec 09, 2025

“It’s definitely an honour to get that recognition, and especially along with a couple of my teammates in Kesslering and Prexler, as those guys are pretty good players,” Southgate said. “But it would’ve been really great to go in-person and actually experience the whole thing too.”

The teams for this year’s event were selected by the SJHL Coaches Committee, made up of staff from each of the league’s 12 teams.

All selected players will be created by the SJHL’s Alex ‘Moneyball’ Watson, who also put together the teams for the SJHL Playoff Simulation last spring when COVID-19 shutdown the league playoffs.

North Stars’ head coach, Brayden Klimosko said the online event serves as a good way to promote the league and its players, offering a chance to get some of the prominent names out there even while the hockey season remains put on hold for the time being.

“You’ve got to do something for these kids, and somehow try to promote them with the very small sample size [of games] we’ve had so far,” Klimosko said. “It’s awesome they’re doing something like that and it’s nice for some of our players to get recognized.”

The virtual showcase will be broadcast on Twitch using the NHL 21 videogame on PlayStation 4. Games will start Friday at 9 a.m. For the latest on the league’s virtual showcase, including player rankings, and stream links, follow the SJHL on social media or visit their website.

—

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1