This year marked a return of the SJHL season, and with it, a number of highlights to remember for the North Stars. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Shining moments 2021

Year in Review: Reflecting on the Battlefords North Stars

Dec 31, 2021 | 6:00 AM

During the Christmas season, our team at Pattison Media is once again producing positive stories based around holiday traditions and accomplishments for the region.

It was a year of optimism for the Battlefords North Stars in 2021, as battlefordsNOW takes a look back at some of the top stories from the last 12 months.

#5 — North Stars commits

Despite a difficult 2020-21 campaign that saw the Stars limited to just three games total, there were a number of 20-year-olds who still managed to secure a post-secondary opportunity to continue in their hockey careers.

Forward, Jaxon Steele, and goaltender, Kristian Lyon, both committed to Red Deer College, while Logan Spence signed on to join Portage College, and Mason Richey committed to Marian University.

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#4 — North Stars name McNinch captain, identify leadership core

A product of nearby Turtleford, just an hour north of the Battlefords, Ryland McNinch was officially named captain of the North Stars in early November.

A third-year veteran of the team and the club’s representative for SJHL Community Ambassador last season, McNinch was joined by assistant captains, Dylan Esau, Riley Little and Sam Witt. Read more here.

#3 — North Stars reconnect with fans, community

Whether through the return of their Annual Golf Classic to kick off the season, or their Stars Hockey School teaching the next generation of players about the game, the North Stars were able to reconnect with the community this season with the return of their benchmark community events this year.

To read more about the North Stars hockey school, click here, and here. To read more about the team’s Annual Golf Classic, click here.

#2 — Former North Star Kotchorek, ‘soaking it all in’ as Oilers emergency backup

It’s not every day you get a call to the big leagues, but for former North Stars goalie, Taryn Kotchorek, that is exactly what came his way in November.

Leaving class at Edmonton’s NAIT Polytechnic Institute, where he now plays for the NAIT Ooks hockey team, he picked up the phone one day after class on a call from Shawn May with the Edmonton Oilers, asking if he would like to serve as emergency backup goalie for the team. Read more here.

#1 — Young Stars team making most of return to play

Right from the start of training camp, the North Stars came out with pace, vigor and spark to start the season. The team sits fifth overall in the SJHL standings at the holiday break, tied in points with fourth place Flin Flon thanks to a 19-9-5 record, while having one of the youngest rosters in the league this season.

The North Stars will return to play in the new year, Jan. 4 at home against Estevan.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1