North Stars' forward Jake Southgate and Bombers' Jaeden Mercier sit first and fifth in league scoring heading into play Friday night in Wilkie. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Rivalry Weekend

North Stars, Bombers to clash in Wilkie for showdown of league’s elite

Nov 18, 2022 | 3:05 PM

One of the premier rivalries in the SJHL will be reignited this weekend, when the Battlefords North Stars kick off their ‘small town arena tour’ Friday night, for their first of two games this weekend against the Flin Flon Bombers.

The game will be the first meeting of the season series between the league’s top two teams, and the first since the Bombers topped the Stars in six games of the league playoffs last spring.

The North Stars (18-0-2-1) were named the top team in Canada for the fourth straight week– and fifth in the last six– taking the top spot in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Weekly Top-20 Rankings.

As the lone team to remain undefeated in regulation time through 21 games, the Stars enter play after taking three of a possible four points on their road swing through La Ronge and Nipawin last Friday and Saturday.

The Bombers (14-4-1-1) have won six of their last seven games, and are also looking for their second straight victory, after bouncing back from a 3-1 loss to Yorkton last Friday with a 4-1 win over Nipawin earlier this week.

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Friday’s showdown in Wilkie will feature no shortage of star power, with five of the league’s top 10 point-scorers facing off.

The North Stars’ lethal trio of Holden Doell (33 points), Jake Southgate (33 points), and Kian Bell (32 points) sit 1-2-3 in league scoring, while Bombers’ forwards Jaeden Mercier (29 points) and Cole Duperreault (25 points) sit fifth and eighth respectively on the points leaderboard.

Though the offensive punch is amongst the league’s elite on both ends, it’s the goaltenders who will be front and centre heading into the matchup, as the league’s two best this season face-off.

Josh Kotai has been the model of success in the Battlefords’ crease, with a league-best 13 wins while also setting the high-water mark with a 1.88 goals against average and .942 save percentage.

At the other end, Flin Flon’s Harmon Laser-Hume is third with 11 wins (trailing just Kotai and Estevan’s Cam Hrdlicka), while finishing runner-up to Kotai in virtually every other goaltending stat with a 2.05 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.

On special teams, the Stars and Bombers also match up well and are both amongst the best on both the power play and penalty kill.

The Bombers (28.6 percent) and Stars (25.9 percent) sit 1-2 on the man advantage heading into the weekend, while Flin Flon’s 85.9 percent on the kill also just slightly edges the Stars’ 84.7 percent to sit third and fourth overall.

Friday’s game was moved from the ACC to Wilkie Arena earlier this week. The game will be available on 1050 CJNB, with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1