North Stars goalie, Matthew Ofukany and defenceman, Wyatt Wurtz pictured here in action for the AAA Stars. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

On home ice

AAA Stars look for strong turnaround versus P.A.

Oct 12, 2022 | 4:08 PM

It’s been a challenging start to the 2022-23 season for the Battlefords AAA Stars, who six games in, are still looking to lock down that all-important first win of the season.

However, as the team gets set to return to home ice Wednesday against the PA Mintos, there remains a real sense of optimism around the group. Head coach, Dale Grayston, said there has been a number of bright spots for the team to build on through the early going.

“I think we’ve just got to stay with the process,” Grayston said. “Guys are learning lots and we’re getting better game-to-game. Even though the scores may be a bit lopsided the last couple of games, we’ve had a lot of good moments too, so we’ll try to build on that and have a good game tonight.”

The Stars showed their resiliency last season after a similar 1-3 start to the year. They battled back to make the playoffs, where they pushed the eventual-champion, Notre Dame Hounds to overtime of game four in the teams’ best-of-five first-round series.

With just five returning players from last year’s team however, the Stars will need all hands on deck to repeat the feat and get back on the winning track.

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Among the veteran contingent this year is forward/defenceman Dayne Henry who believes the group is capable of doing just that.

“We’ve had a bit of a rougher start to the season for sure, but we’ve really come together as a team 100 per cent, tenfold since the start of the year,” Henry said. “I think we’re just going to keep advancing and getting better, and today we might just get that big [first] W.”

Joining Henry, forward Ayden Belanger, defenceman Wyatt Wurtz, and goalie Matthew Ofukany as the leadership core of returnees, the team also received recent reinforcements of late from forward Treycen Wuttunee, who made his return to the team after starting the season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League.

Wuttunee is the highest-scoring returnee from last year’s Stars roster, coming off a strong rookie season of U18 AAA play that saw the then 15-year-old pick up 13 goals and 31 points in 43 games with the club.

Since making his return to his hometown AAA team, Wuttunee has picked up right where he left off with three points (one goal, two assists) through his first four games this year.

Those five, along with a strong influx of first-year talent, such as forwards Jesse Borschneck (four points in six games), Tyce Penrod (three goals) and Austin Shepherd (three goals) has solidified the group’s identity as a fast team, who like to play an up-tempo game.

“I think our main identity is our speed,” Henry said. “We got four lines that all can move their feet and we’re a really aggressive, quick team, so if we can use that we’ll definitely get things turned around and get some wins off of that.”

With a six-game homestand upcoming to open November, if the Stars can get things turned around prior to the turn of the calendar, they will be setting themselves up for a shot at a strong second-half in their bid to return to the post-season.

Wednesday’s game versus the Mintos in North Battleford will begin with puck drop at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1