Mid-Week Summary

It's Wednesday and admittedly things have been rather 'slow' for North Star Nation as of late which may not neccessarily be a bad thing at all. The Stars have settled in quite nicely through the first 12 games of the year. If you had asked any member of the team if they would like to be tied for first in the Bauer Conference standings through 12 games, you wouldn't have received a single objection.

On the other side, it's easy to see why some fans are still a little gun-shy. Consistency needs to improve, but the coaching staff is well aware of where the team's weaknesses are, and you can bet that over the next 12 games those issues will be resolved.

I spoke with head-coach Ken Pearson this morning over the phone, and the first bit of good news that we discussed was Brett Miller. No North Star forward has received POW honors since I started calling games for the Stars, and it couldn't have gone to a more worthy candidate this time around.

I asked the coach about the team's overall health heading into the weekend, and according to the coach, Woody Klassen was back skating yesterday and should be good-to-go for the weekend.

-------------------------------------------

No disrespect to the Southern teams of the SJHL, but they just don't have the same lustre as divisional matchups. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's already thinking about Friday and Saturday.

Friday night should be a busy night at the Civic Center. Flin Flon is always a great draw, the matchups are always entertaining, and it's not like people are going to be rushing off to the lake for the weekend anymore!

The Stars seem to be averaging around 800 or so fans per home game, which is better than any other year so far since my arrival, yet according to several die-hard Stars fans, that number pales in comparison to what it used to be during the so-called "glory days" of the organization.

My quesetion to the fans is this:

What would it take for you to come back to the rink to watch the Stars play?

- Are the seats too expensive?
- Is the product just not good enough in your eyes?
- Is it a lack of local content on the team? (if so, give your head a shake!)

I guess I'm biased, but I have a tough time thinking up better ways to pass the time on a cold Friday night.

------------------------------------------

Saturday's game in Nipawin should be exciting as well, because it will be the first time the Stars have gone back to 'The Cage' since they swept the Hawks in last year's Survivor Series.

The Hawks also boast three former North Stars in Skyler Dunser, Taylor Epp and Alex Leclerc.

Leclerc is off to a decent start to the year, he missed some games due to injury, but has scored in each of the past two games for Nipawin. I'll admit that I was sad to see him go.

-----------------------------------------

The Battlefords Midget AAA Stars are off to a good start in the Sask. Midget AAA League with a record of 2-2-1-1. Tonight they welcome the Saskatoon Blazers to town, and it gives the 'Trips' a chance for revenge after falling 8-4 on Friday night to the same squad.

According to their head-coach Martin Smith, they Stars are not a team that can be taken lightly, and fans will definitely get their moneys worth coming to see this team play.

I'll be at the game tonight, and I hope you decide to do the same.

-----------------------------------------

Can the Saskatchewan Roughriders survive without Weston Dressler?

In a word - Yes.

But Jason Clermont and Andy Fantuz will both need to see more touches. I feel bad for Jason Clermont. This was supposed to be his dream season playing for his hometown Riders, and subsequently it has turned into the season from hell.

Can the Riders possibly redeem themselves by using him more down the stretch? Or is Clermont definitely wearing a different jersey next season?

------------------------------------------

So much for my World Series prediction. The St. Louis Cardinals fell three straight to the LA Dodgers. But at least the NY Yankees are still in it.

I'm now rooting for the Yankees and the Dodgers. IMO it would be perfect if Joe Torre got to manage against his former team in the World Series.

By the way, if you want to read a great baseball book? Read "The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre. It's outstanding.

------------------------------------------

Lets get 1000 people or more to the Civic Center on Friday night. The Flin Flon Bombers pride themselves on having the loudest rink in the SJ (which is pretty damn valid), but since when are we prepared to be out-done? Enjoy your next two days, and we'll see you at the rink on Friday night.

Thanks for reading.


- Dan