Humboldt has its fingerprints on the Canalta Cup this year thanks to a former Humboldt Bronco and the current Battlefords North Stars bench boss. 

The Battlefords North Stars won the SJHL's Canalta Cup after defeating the Melfort Mustangs in five games. At the helm of the ship was Brayden Klimosko.

Klimosko played for the Humboldt Broncos from 2004-2008, then returned as an assistant coach from 2013-2016. He took over the head coaching role for the Battlefords North Stars this year, which was his first career head coaching job in junior hockey. The new venture has reaped in rewards, leading to his first head coaching championship, and the second in three years for the North Stars. 

"It feels unreal. I didn't know what to expect this year with it being my first year there. We had to work hard throughout the season and we got rewarded for it. It feels pretty darn good," said Klimosko.

The North Stars schedule throughout the latter half of the season was turbulent, set heavy with enough road games that would wear most teams down. Klimosko, seeing an opportunity to structure a simpler, defensive-minded style of play, implemented his plan that paid dividends down the stretch. The plan carried over into the playoffs where the North Stars stifled opponents on the way to a championship. 

"I think that was the turning point of the season. As much as I hated my schedule makers for doing that, we developed our style of play on that stretch of road games. We went to a simpler system and didn't feel like we had to impress the away fans. We developed our game on the road, we knew we had to win on the road during that time, and we got it done. Obviously, it helped in the playoffs, and that's probably why were league champs."

The stretch run through the regular season concluded with an Ag Risk Division title and a second place finish in the SJHL. Still, many looked at the Northstars as darkhorse rather than a front runner, and always the bridesmaid behind the high flying Melfort Mustangs or the shutdown Nipawin Hawks. Once again, proving the pundits wrong, the system Klimosko and the Northstars had injected shut down the leagues top three regular-season offences throughout their playoff run. 

"I put a lot of emphasis on our backcheck. First and foremost, our forwards had to play some defence. We knew if we wanted to have a chance against those top offences that they were gonna have to come back hard. It wasn't easy playing those offensive teams, but everyone did their job, and it doesn't hurt having an all-star goalie as we had. Grzybowski sometimes doesn't get the recognition he deserves, but without him back there, we don't win the championship."

North Stars' goalie Joel Gryzbowski was as brilliant as one can ask for from a goaltender in the playoffs. He finished with a league-best 1.68 goals against average, a.950 save percentage, and 4 shutouts, by every meaning of the word, earning the playoff MVP in the process. Although there was only one official playoff MVP, the North Stars had a blueprint that was executed by a litany of players, all who elevated their game to a level that's needed to hoist the trophy at the end of the year.

Klimosko will now steer his North Stars team into the Anavet Cup to face the winner of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Battlefords should have the first two games at home. However, a scheduling conflict will relinquish home ice to the Manitoba side for the first two games. A tactic in the minds of the road-tested Northstars that might end up in their favour.

"They booked a rodeo in the Battlefords. I guess they didn't have as much trust in us as we had in ourselves, so they booked a rodeo back in September," Klimosko said with a chuckle. "I guess the one thing good about it is that we get three straight games at home for games 3, 4, and 5. The road doesn't scare us either. We've been there enough the last couple months to know we're ready for that. The boys are battle tested and it should be a fun series."

The battle-tested Battlefords North Stars, with Humboldt's own Klimosko in command, will take on either the Portage Terriers or the Swan Valley Stampeders in the Anavet Cup which will start on April 26th in Manitoba.