BATTLEFORDS — The Battlefords North Stars and Flin Flon Bombers will battle for the Canterra Seeds Cup.
Battlefords advanced to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League finals by beating the Melfort Mustangs, 4-0, in the semifinals. Flin Flon got past the Humboldt Broncos, 4-1.
Championship series schedule:
- Game 1 – at Battlefords – Friday, April 14
- Game 2 – at Battlefords – Saturday, April 15
- Game 3 – at Flin Flon – Friday, April 21
- Game 4 – at Flin Flon – Saturday, April 22
- Game 5 – at Battlefords – TBD (if needed)
- Game 6 – at Flin Flon – TBD (if needed)
- Game 7 – at Battlefords – TBD (if needed)
The North Stars have made their way to the SJHL finals after posting a league-best record of 48-5-2-1. Battlefords is seeking its fourth league championship after wins in 2019, 2017 and 2000. Head coach Brayden Klimosko is a two-time SJHL Coach of the Year award winner.
The Bombers return to the SJHL finals after falling to the Estevan Bruins in the championship series last year. Flin Flon won the league title in 1993. Head coach Mike Reagan led the Bombers to the SJHL finals in 2016 and 2017 as well as last season.
The finals will pit the two best goalies of the postseason against each other. Battlefords’ Josh Kotai and Flin Flon’s Harmon Laser-Hume each have eight wins in the playoffs. Kotai tops the goalie rankings with a 1.60 goals against average with Laser-Hume right behind at 1.75.
Captain Jake Southgate has led the North Stars in the playoffs with 18 points in nine games. The Battlefords team boasts the SJHL postseason’s top four scorers in Southgate, Kian Bell (17 points), Holden Doell (16), and Steven Kesslering (12). Bell tops the league with 13 playoff goals while Kesslering is second with nine.
Alexi Sylvestre and Jacob Vockler have led the Bombers in playoff points with 10 each in 12 and 11 games, respectively. Ethan Mercer has a team high six goals in the postseason.
North Stars 4, Mustangs 0
Kotai made 44 saves on April 4 to help the North Stars shut out the Mustangs, 1-0. Bell handled the scoring for Battlefords. Joel Favreau had 42 saves for Melfort.
The North Stars capped the series with a 5-2 win on April 5 in Melfort. Battlefords opened the contest with three goals in the first period. The Mustangs fought back with two in the second to make it 3-2. Bell scored twice in the third, including an empty net goal, to seal the win for the North Stars.
Also scoring for Battlefords were Alex Izyk, Doell, and Kesslering. Zac Somers and Boston Maxwell had Melfort’s goals. Kotai finished with 22 saves, while Favreau had 34.
Bombers 3, Broncos 1
After winning both contests on the road on the series’ opening weekend, the Bombers took a 3-0 series lead as they shut out the Broncos 1-0 on April 4. In the third period, Sylvestre scored the game’s lone goal. Laser-Hume stopped all 40 shots he faced for the Bombers. Benjamin Motew made 34 saves for Humboldt.
The Broncos prevented a sweep with a 4-1 road win the next night. The teams were tied 1-1 at the intermissions. Humboldt scored three goals in the third. Quinn Myles, Spencer Bell, Ethan Zielke, and Ben Kotylak (shorthanded, empty net) scored for Humboldt. Motew made 40 saves.
Brent Gulenchyn had Flin Flon’s goal. Laser-Hume stopped 31 shots.
The Bombers closed out the series with a 3-1 road win on April 7. Flin Flon led 1-0 after one and 2-0 after the second. Vockler scored twice for the Bombers, while Mercer had the team’s other goal. Laser-Hume turned away 36 of the 37 shots he faced.
Xavier Roy had Humboldt’s goal. Motew made 28 saves
