North Stars blue liner, Zane Florence was born and raised in the Battlefords, and called it ‘something special’ to suit up for the local team he grew up cheering for. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Realizing a Dream

North Stars Florence proud to shine with hometown team

Feb 6, 2021 | 12:00 PM

There are few things as fulfilling for an athlete, as suiting up for the hometown team at a high level.

For North Stars’ defenceman Zane Florence, donning the Stars’ crest this season has been nothing short of a dream come true.

Florence was born and raised in the Battlefords, and is currently in his first year with the team. He said he still remembers fondly, his earliest days learning to skate on the Access Communications Centre (formerly Civic Centre) ice, and attending North Stars games as a young fan with his grandpa growing up.

“My grandpa goes to almost every North Stars’ game, so I would always go along with him,” Florence said. “I just remember watching old North Stars like Boyd Wakelin and guys like that, and the games were usually pretty crazy, so it was definitely fun hockey to watch.”

Those early experiences, along with many others growing up in a true ‘hockey household,’ where Flyers games were common viewing and mini-sticks in the basement served as weekly entertainment, had a profound impact on Florence as he worked his way up through the local minor hockey ranks.

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Looking back on his journey to where he is today, Florence said it was in his final year of U18 AA with the Battlefords Barons, that he first began to believe that maybe his dream of playing Junior A, wasn’t so far off, after all.

That year, as a 16-year-old on a strong Barons team, Florence experienced a real breakout season. The young blueliner put up 19 points in 33 games – and then another 13 in 14 playoff games – to help lead the team to a CFHL U18 Championship.

From there, Florence would then advance to the U18 AAA ranks the following season, with the P.A. Mintos, before returning back home to the Battlefords in the fall of 2020, to bring his journey full circle and join the North Stars.

The 2020-21 hockey season may not have gone quite as Florence always imagined his first year with the team would. However, that has not waned his enthusiasm for what’s ahead.

He said he’s excited for what the future holds, and looking forward to getting back together with his teammates to don the North Stars sweater again, whenever that may be.

“It’s just so amazing to finally be here and playing on the North Stars and especially with such a great group of guys,” Florence said. “Just to think there could be somebody just like I was, watching me play on the North Stars that has the same dream… that’s pretty cool to think about.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1