Colby Bear Helps Battlefords North Stars to SJHL Championship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Colby Bear Wins SJHL Championship

WINNIPEG, MB - Peguis Band member Colby Bear recently etched his name in the history books becoming a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Champion. Bear’s Battlefords North Stars defeated the Flin Flon Bombers in the SJHL Finals, winning the Canterra Seeds Cup by sweeping the final series 4 games to 0. The powerhouse North Stars have been consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the entire Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) all season long and finished the regular season with a 48-5-2-1 record before going 12-1 in the playoffs en route to the SJHL title.

Bear moved to North Battleford, Saskatchewan to join the North Stars for the 2021-22 season, upon graduating from Pilot Mound Collegiate where he spent the previous 3 years going to school and playing for the Pilot Mound Academy. His second season with the North Stars was a memorable one, capped off with the SJHL championship in 2022-23. In addition to the team’s success, Bear had personal success as well. He played in 52 games, where he scored 13 goals, 27 assists, for a total of 40 points. This was more than double the points he finished with in the previous season (19), signifying a great improvement in his offensive game. In the playoffs, Bear was a huge contributor to the North Stars secondary scoring as they marched their way to the championship. Through 13 games, he scored 4 times and added 3 assists, for 7 total points. He was consistently matched up against the oppositions top players and played an important defensive role for the North Stars that no doubt contributed to the team's success. Bear’s passion for the game of hockey is very clear, and his team-first, never quit mentality makes him a great teammate and a valued member of the North Stars organization on and off the ice.

The North Stars are now off to the 2023 Centennial Cup in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba as the SJHL representative at the national tournament. The Centennial Cup is a prestigious tournament that is very competitive and highly-scouted, as the league champions from across the CJHL compete for a national championship. Bear will have the opportunity to play in front of his friends and family, in his home province of Manitoba, while the North Stars seek to become crowned National Champions. The tournament runs from May 11-21, 2023 at Stride Place in Portage and the schedule can be found at https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/national-championships/men/national-junior-a/2023/stats/schedule.

Photo by: Marty Martinson