Ten North Stars selected for SJHL/MJHL Showcase

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League has announced its rosters for the 2023 SJHL/MJHL Showcase, with no less than 10 members of the Battlefords North Stars among the names selected to represent their team and province, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 in Winnipeg.

Forwards Kian Bell, Holden Doell, Jake Southgate, and Steven Kesslering, headline the forward group on the SJHL’s U20 Team Gold, which will also feature defensemen Tynan Ewart and Tanner Gold, and goalie Josh Kotai.

Team Gold will also see a pair of familiar faces behind the bench, as Stars’ head coach Brayden Klimosko will share coaching duties with Melfort’s Trevor Blevins, and be joined by Battlefords’ trainer Brett Dale.

Jackson Allan, Jordan Gibbs and Jordan Grill were also selected for the joint-league event, and will suit up for the League’s U18 Team Blue.

For Jake Southgate, this is the third straight season he’s been selected to represent the province at the joint-league showcase, though the first where players will actually be able to attend, following the last two year’s cancelations due to COVID.

The local captain said he’s looking forward to the experience.

“It’s an honour and it’s nice to see 10 guys from our team get selected,” Southgate said. “There could be a few more, but 10 is a good number, and the last few times I got invited this [event] got cancelled, so it’s going to be pretty cool to go this time.”

As the longest-tenured North Star, Steven Kesslering is the lone Battlefords’ player to have attended an SJ/MJ Showcase prior to the pandemic, as a member of the ‘Young Guns’ U18 team back in January of 2020.

The veteran from Viceroy, SK., said it’s special any time to get the call.

“It means a lot to be named to the team and it means I’m doing something right,” Kesslering said with a smile. “The team’s having lots of success so it’s only fitting lots of guys from the team are going, and I couldn’t be more proud of the guys selected.”

“Going with lots of guys from your team makes a difference,” Kesslering continued. “It makes traveling there easy and staying there lots of fun. It’s a great group of guys to go with – just like my first year when it was lots of guys – so it should be good.”

A look down memory lane: Steven Kesslering pictured here in action with the SJHL’s U18 ‘Young Guns’ Team, the last time the joint-league event was held, in January 2020. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Jackson Allan, who has played majority of the season alongside Kesslering as one of Stars’ most dynamic duos, is in a position not unlike his linemate was in his first time around. Allan sits second in Stars’ rookie scoring this season with his 17 points trailing only Jordan Gibbs, another of his teammates he’s happy to have alongside him to share in the ride.

“I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction coming into the league, so I’m proud, and I’m happy for the other guys that made it as well,” Allan said. “Jordan [Gibbs] came in with me [this season] and now we’re going there together at the end of January so I’m excited and proud for him too.”

“I’m excited to get this chance and to get my name out there a little bit more because I think I deserve it, but I also have a lot more to give.” – Stars forward, Jackson Allan

The Stars’ 10 players selected to represent the SJHL are the most for the organization since the event began back in the 2017-18 season, eclipsing the previous club record of nine, set back in the 2019-20 season.

Sixty players total from the league’s 12 teams were selected for the event, to make up the SJHL’s three teams (two U20 squads, and one U18).

Melfort leads all teams with 12 selections, followed by Humboldt with 11, and the Battlefords and Flin Flon with 10 apiece. Notre Dame and La Ronge have three players each, Estevan, Weyburn, Nipawin, Melville, and Yorkton have two each, and Kindersley has a single selection.

The full rosters for each of the three SJHL and MJHL teams can be found here.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1