A look in from the NorthWest Stars intrasquad action at the ACC, in preperation for the season. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

U15 NorthWest Stars ready for ’22-23 season

Sep 20, 2022 | 4:05 PM

The U15 AA NorthWest Stars are gearing up for the start of the hockey season.

Coming off a competitive main camp this year that saw more than 50 players from across the region attend, the team played a pair of exhibition games over the weekend against the U15 AAA Lloyd Bobcats and U15 AA Saskatoon Bandits.

First-year head coach Kim Kramer said based on the early viewings of the team in action, there is a lot to like about the group heading into the year.

“Our team settled in quick and [our] coaching staff was very impressed with the energy and compete they brought,” he said.

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This year’s roster will feature six returning veterans from last year, including forwards Kash Alger-East, Seth Baptiste, and Brady Hujber, and blue liners, Millar Kramer, Lukamus Lehman, and James Norman.

Alger-East is a Meadow Lake product who finished second in team scoring last year with 40 points in 31 games, while Lehman, a North Battleford local, finished second in Stars’ blue line scoring with 17 points in 28 games.

While a few final decisions still need to be made to determine the club’s opening night roster, Kramer said he likes the mix heading into the year.

“We’ve got a group of veterans, a good core to build from, lots of skill up front and strong defence, so we’ll have a skilled group, and a hard-working group,” Kramer said. “They’re going to have to be a defensive group, but we have lots of potential for the year and we have lots to work with.”

Behind the bench, the U15s will also see a pair of alumni from the past two decades return to assist Kramer and his staff with coaching duties: Derek Keller who played with the team during the early 2000s, and Blake Young from the early 2010s, both back when the team was operating under the ‘Battlefords Barons’ moniker.

Kramer said to see the two return to lend a hand to the next generation is what the development program is all about.

“Both went through the Stars program and played a lot of hockey – and still do – and it’s awesome just to see them giving back and sharing their knowledge with the up-and-comers,” he said.

The NorthWest Stars will play their final two exhibition games of the season this weekend at the West Central Exhibition Showcase in Kindersley. Their first game will be at 9:30 a.m. against the Swift Current Broncos AA team, and their second at 5 p.m. versus the West Central Wheat Kings AA team.

The team will open its regular season Oct. 1 against the Saskatoon Stallions at Battleford Arena, with puck drop at 4:30 p.m.

The NorthWest Stars feature players from across the region, from the Battlefords and Meadow Lake, to Spiritwood, Edam, and Wilkie.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1