AAA Stars' forward, Trey Penrod pictured here at team practice as the Stars gear up for a big weekend ahead. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Saturday Night Hockey

AAA Stars to host P.A. Mintos at Flying Dust this weekend

Jan 12, 2024 | 3:00 PM

The Battlefords AAA Stars are taking their game on the road this weekend, for a neutral-site contest in front of a new crowd, at Pineridge Ford Place at Flying Dust First Nation.

Playing host to the Prince Albert Mintos, the game will be a homecoming of sorts for a trio of Stars’ players, as each of Kash Alger-East, Caleb Pockrant, and Ryder Ellis are from Meadow Lake.

For Ellis, this weekend will mark his second game back near home, having also played a pre-season game in Flying Dust in mid-September with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. The defenceman said it’s always special to get the chance to play in front of friends and family.

“It’s fun to have all my friends be able to come out and watch, and family, and it will be good to get the boys up there as I know a lot of them haven’t been to Meadow Lake, so it’ll be cool to have them up there,” Ellis said.

The AAA Stars enter the weekend right in the thick of the playoff hunt, sitting just two points back of eighth-place Humboldt for the final playoff spot in the SU18AAAHL (Sask U18 AAA League), with just 12 games to go on their regular season schedule.

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Coming off back-to-back wins last Saturday and Sunday over the Yorkton Maulers, the Stars are currently 2-0 to open the New Year, something head coach, Dale Grayston said they will need to see continue down the stretch to punch their ticket to the postseason.

“It’s not playoffs yet, but it is for us,” Grayston said. “We have 12 games left in the season and each of the games are really important to us. We’re currently in ninth and the top eight teams make the playoffs, so we know every team we’re playing is going to compete hard and we’ve got to look at every game as a playoff game.”

Saturday’s game at Flying Dust will be a 7:30 p.m. puck drop and will feature a $1,000 guaranteed 50/50. Admission to the game will be $10.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1