REGINA - The fantastic season of the Battlefords North Stars is not going unnoticed in the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina.
In remarks in the Assembly on Thursday, Minister of Highways and MLA for The Battlefords Jeremy Cockrill recognized the tremendous season for his home town team, as well as the remarkable accomplishments of one player on the team in particular: Kian Bell.
Cockrill's full remarks are below, as recorded in Hansard.
Hon. Mr. Cockrill: — "Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Battlefords are no stranger to athletic prowess. From Rueben Mayes to Andrew Albers to Colby Cave, we’ve had our fair share of local sports heroes. But there’s a new star in town, a North Star in fact.
"Mr. Speaker, on February 24th, Kian Bell of the Battlefords North Stars scored his 50th goal of this SJHL [Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League] season. Doing that, he became only the fifth player since the year 2000 to score 50 goals in one SJHL season.
"Now, Mr. Speaker, I’ve seen Kian play several times this year and he’s certainly a special player, but he also comes from a pretty notable hockey family. The last North Star to score 50 goals in one season was his uncle, Martin Smith. And Kian’s own mother, Fiona, had a distinguished hockey career of her own, including representing Canada at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano.
"Now, Mr. Speaker, I know that Kian and the rest of the North Stars, they’re not done yet. They have had an incredible season so far with only five losses in regulation. Now the playoffs are right around the corner, and I know the boys are ready to hopefully bring a championship back home to The Battlefords.
"So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask all members to join me in congratulating Kian on his 50-goal season and wishing the Battlefords North Stars all the best in the playoffs. Thank you."
