Fresh start

Hard work will be the key to a young, fast and fresh start for the Thunder Bay North Stars.

The Stars will be without six of their top goal scorers from last year, including the team’s captain, Mitch Forbes, who netted 20 goals and 32 assists last season. While some were too old to play this season, the Stars still could have returned 17 players.  

But the team only chose to bring back 12. Coach Todd Howarth said he’s focusing on building a young, strong local team.

"Some of the guys didn’t work out and I got rid of them," Howarth said, admitting he’s not an easy man to play for.

Howarth has brought up some good players from Midget and with hard work he believes the points will come.

"I’m not too worried about goals. Goals come from hard work and doing the right things," he said during a recent practice at Port Arthur Arena.

The theme of hard work is going to be drilled into the young players from veterans like Sam Dubinsky. The 19-year-old forward said the first couple of months of the season will be a big challenge for first-time junior players.

"Everyone’s just got to chip in. I don’t think we have that goal scorer that top guy but if everyone’s putting up points then it’s just going to be like that. That’s how we’re going to do it," he said.

"We’re not going to be a team that’s going to win by eight goals this year. We’re going to have to win those one or two goal games."

Passing the points around will also help build the team and give it chemistry, Dubinsky said.

The Stars started strong last year at 9-1.

But the five-time Superior Junior International Hockey League champions lost in the semi-finals in four straight games to the Wisconsin Wilderness. Dubinsky said off-ice distractions, especially a mid-season ownership change, weighed the team down.

"We’re taking vans on the road…packing ten or 12 guys in a van with equipment. It’s hard to play with that stuff on your mind and everyone didn’t know if they were playing the next day or what’s going on," he said. "It did take its toll for sure."

But both Dubinsky and Howarth agree that with a new ten-man ownership group at the helm, the team has a clean slate. He said he’s been told that all he has to worry about is what’s happening on the ice.

"That’s great for me it makes life easier for me," Howarth said.

The team will travel to west to take on the Neepawa Natives and the Portage Terriers. Howarth said he likes taking the Stars west because it’s a rougher more physical style of play, which is exactly the type of hockey he likes to see.

"It’s good I get to find out who’s a man and who’s a boy," he said.

The Stars first regular season game will take them to Fort Frances Sept. 16 against the Lakers.

Their first home game is Oct. 5 against the Sioux Lookout Flyers.