Weekend Reflection.

Where do we begin.

On the surface I suppose that a winless weekend out East is disappointing. Every North Star fan/player/coach broadcaster was naturally hoping for three victories, and at the end of it all they settle for a meaningless record of 0-2-0-1. Before I delve into some deep analysis of the weekend, I want to remind fans that it is only pre-season, and you should not lose any sleep over the fact that the Stars went winless this weekend.

I'm going to start with the positives:

- The Stars are set in goal. With Kyle Birch and Graham Hildebrand in the fold, the Stars have a chance to win every night. To win a championship you need two capable goaltenders, and the Stars are blessed in that regard.

- Up front the Stars are STACKED with talent. Colin Phaneuf, Blake Tatchell, Brett Miller, Shay Neufeld, Calder Neufeld, Josh Daley, Shayne Morrissey, and Tanner Schwab are all capable of scoring 20 goals this year. Talent is not an easy thing to find, nor is it easy to sign. Fans who watch the North Stars regularly can look forward to some high-scoring games. The trio of Miller, Tatchell and Phaneuf were outstanding this weekend and will be one of the top lines in the league this year should they stick together.

- In addition to talent, the Stars have a strong nucleus of grit. Nathan Tomac, Tony Oak and Boyd Wakelin give the Stars a strong foundation of Character.

- The front four on the North Star's blueline will be just fine. Woody Klassen, Cody Folstad, Jacob Chiblow and Dominic Perrault can all play at this level consistently. I had to admire Woody Klassen who, after playing both Friday and Saturday pleaded with the coaches to let him play yesterday too. He didn't play - But I greatly admire that kind of gamesmanship and attitude.

- Ken Pearson may have found a couple of 'diamonds in the rough.' Before the weekend coach Pearson brought in two defenceman from B.C. and Zach MacLellan in particular was impressive. He's a great skater with a decent shot, and with a little seasoning could fit right in on the blue-line. Yesterday on the bus, coach Pearson also told me that he liked the way Cody Antos looked throughout the weekend.

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Moving forward, there are some obstacles facing the Stars, but I can confidently say that these obstacles are beatable.

- For those that aren't yet aware - Kyle Birch has been suspended three games for his role in a fight with Dauphin King's goaltender Brett Willows. The organization is doing their best to appeal the suspension but if it holds true, Birch will miss opening night. Graham Hildebrand won't be ready for opening night, meaning that (barring any moves) Garrett Montour will likely get the call on opening night by default. Right now that's all I'm going to say about the matter. I am going to let this situation play out before I even consider weighing in on it. I hope you understand my reasons.

- You can have all the talent in the world, but the more I watch junior hockey the more I realize that 'talent isn't everything.' Thinking back to last year's departures, it's easy to say that Chad Filteau, Blake Peake and Jesse Lebreton will all be missed for their skill and offense. But just as important were the departures of Mitch Wall, Troy Watt, Coleman Brodbin and Brody Malek. I don't use the term 'irriplacable' too often, but Wall's toughness, Watt's energy, Brodbin's ferocity and
Malek's consistency are pretty stinking close.

Earlier I wrote that Tony Oak, Boyd Wakelin and Nathan Tomac provide the Stars with a strong foundation of character, and I stand by that
statement. However I am of the opinion that the Stars need MORE character and they need to get MEANER. I'm not suggesting that the Stars need to necessarily go out and trade for it, but I think that each and every player inside that locker-room needs to look themselves in the mirror before this season and figure out ways to be better and enhance their character on the ice.

I'll use Dominic Perrault as an example. I hold Perrault in the highest regard. I think he's a great defenceman and an even greater guy who takes a ton of pride in being a Battlefords North Star. There were moments this weekend, and a lot of moments last season where 'Dom' was brilliant. He played with an edge, he kept things simple, and he used. his 'cannon of a shot' to his advantage. I look at Perrault(and many others on this team (and I see a ton of potential just waiting to be displayed. It just becomes a matter of making the most of your tools and your strengths. The La Ronge Ice Wolves won a championship last season in large part due to the strength and resiliency of their blue-line. The Stars don't have an NHL-calibre defenceman like Dustin Stevenson, but there's no reason why Woody Klassen, Dominic Perrault, and Cody Folstad can't have career years at both ends of the ice. Along with Jacob Chiblow, the above three d-men are going to get lots of ice-time and opportunities early to set the tone for this season.

Up front it's the same thing. The forwards as a collective need to crash the net harder, finish their checks better, and be more willing to go into the 'grimy' areas of the ice in order to make plays and get
results. It's up to the veterans in that locker-room to create a certain 'identity' for the Stars heading into 2010-2011 and here's hoping it's one of equal parts talent and toughness.

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You are not going to want to miss tonight's edition of the Co-Op Leisure Time Sports Fix. Star's Coach and GM Ken Pearson will be one of three guests. I'm going to ask the coach about his thoughts on training camp, the 'captain' situation surround the team, and I'm also going to get his assessment of how the rest of the SJHL stacks up compared to his team.

Guest two will be the head-coach and GM of the Dauphin Kings, Marlin Murray. I spent a bit of time with Murray this weekend, and I can confidently say that I am greatly looking forward to the interview. He led his team to a birth in the Royal Bank Cup last season (through the front door) which was held in Dauphin. He's got a promising team heading into 2010-2011 and we'll get some Manitoba perspective from one of the league's top coaches.

Guest three will be the head coach of the North Battleford Comp Viking's Sr. Boys football program, Jamie Sommerfeld.

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A quick reminder that tomorrow night's game in Humboldt will be broadcast.live on CJNB/CJNS starting at 7:15. I always like to give myself one pre season broadcast to shake off some of the cobwebs. It'll give me a chance to learn the players tendencies, and I hope you'll all tune in to the action.

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Dane Muench continues to score goals during the pre-season for the Regina Pats. It's looking more and more like Dane will be sticking around the provincial capital this season.

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Again, assessing the pre season is a difficult thing to do. They have one pre-season game remaining (against Humboldt, tomorrow) and beyond victory, I hope the Stars make good hockey decisions on the ice and begin building momentum leading up to Saturday night's home opener against Kindersley.

In closing, I'm inviting anybody who feels inclined to leave their roster thoughts. Who would you like to see stay and why?

Have a great Monday.