Kian Bell pictured here with the puck from his 50th goal of the season, scored Friday night in North Battleford. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Milestone achievement

Stars standout, Bell joins exclusive club with 50-goal season

Feb 28, 2023 | 3:00 PM

It has been a season for the ages for Battlefords North Stars forward Kian Bell, who scored his 50th goal of the season over the weekend, to join rarified air within the team history books.

Just the sixth player in North Stars franchise history to hit the 50-goal mark, and fifth across the SJHL over the last 23 years, Bell’s 50^th came in just his 45^th game, in a three-point effort over Melville Friday.

With his aunt and billets joined by his dad and girlfriend in attendance from the east coast for parent/billet weekend, Bell wasted little time, scoring the milestone tally just 4:40 into the opening period, on his second shift of the night.

“It really did feel good, and especially that it was one of the first shifts of the game,” Bell said of the moment postgame, letting out a smile. “I kind of felt a bit of that pressure with family coming to watch, so I wanted to make sure I got it tonight,” he added with a laugh.

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Bell is the first North Star to hit the half-century mark for goals in a season since his uncle, North Stars’ franchise scoring leader Martin Smith achieved the feat 31 years ago, with 51 goals in 64 games during the 1991-92 season.

Smith, who was on hand to see Bell match his mark Saturday, said the milestone is a memory his nephew will have to cherish.

“When you’re a goal scorer, you always want to try to hit 50 goals from a personal standpoint, and to be the first in the last 30-odd years is really special,” Smith said. “Just to be named in the same sentence with Kian, with us both being in the same family, is really cool.”

Darren Nauss (58 goals in ’86-87) and Grant Parancia (74 goals in ’84-85) are the two others to accomplish the feat in a North Stars’ sweater. Ron Boskill (68 goals in ’74-75) and David George (66 goals in 74-75) were the first two in franchise history to hit the mark – doing so in the same season back in the early years, under the ‘Battlefords Barons’ moniker.

Head coach of the North Stars, Brayden Klimosko said it was something special for all, to see Bell be able to achieve the historic milestone.

“It was nice to see, and obviously his teammates were pretty excited too,” Klimosko said. “For us, we might never see that again, so to see someone be able to do that is pretty exciting.

“He’s just so crafty with the puck, to score that many goals you have to be able to find different ways to score and he can do that. It’s a special moment for him, and I’ve got to give him a lot of credit for having such a great milestone he was able to accomplish.”

Bell also became just the fifth player across the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to hit the 50-goal mark since the year 2000, joining Yorkton’s Chantz Petruic (58 goals in ’19-20), Melfort’s Justin Ball (54 goals in ’18-19), La Ronge’s Travis Eggum (58 goals in ’10-11), and Melfort’s Garett Cameron (53 goals in ’02-03).

The stage for Bell’s 50^th and 51^st on the weekend was set by a five-goal game for the Battlefords standout Tuesday, to open the week against the Yorkton Terriers. Altogether, Bell scored seven goals and 13 points in just three games last week, to earn SJHL MVP of the Week honours.

Assistant coach of the Stars, Garry Childerhose said postgame Friday, it wasn’t a question of ‘if’ Bell would cash in for his 50th on the weekend, but ‘when.’

“I don’t think there’s anyone in that dressing room that had any doubt,” Childerhose said, shaking his head. “He a player that thrives off pressure and if anything, that just got him going more for [Friday]. Not a lot of players achieve that goal in his league, so he’s a very special player of course and all the guys in that room are really happy for him.”

With still five games to go in the North Stars regular season schedule, Bell leads the SJHL with 51 goals and 91 points in 46 games. He and his teammates will return to action for a home-and-home Friday in North Battleford and Saturday in Humboldt, against the division-rival Broncos.

Both games will be available on 1050 CJNB. The Ultra Print Pregame Show will begin at 7 p.m., with puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1