Sister love drives Stars’ Kushniruk

Makena to join older sibling Jadyn on Cougars

Makena Kushniruk (#10) fights for position in the offensive zone.

Makena Kushniruk is looking forward to the day when hockey will have the added bonus of being more of a “sister act.”

Growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Makena has always looked up to her older sister, Jadyn. The two started out playing ringette until Jadyn switched over to hockey and Makena followed in her sister’s strides.

In the current day, Makena is skating through her final season in the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League as the captain and star centre of the Saskatoon Stars. Jadyn is a forward with the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks.

Makena, left, and Jadyn Kushniruk in 2018.

When the 2021-22 campaign comes around, Makena will join Jadyn on the Cougars.

“I wanted to kind of get away from home but still be close to home at the same time and have family come and watch me,” said Makena, who stands 5-foot-4. “I think the U of R is a great program, and I can see the team being very successful in the next couple of years.

“Of course, having my sister there by my side to support me will for sure make it more enjoyable and a good fit for me. I just think that was something that would benefit me.”

Due to the fact Jadyn, who is 19-years-old, is two years older than Makena, who is 17-years-old, the two sisters haven’t had much chance to play on the same team in organized hockey outside of a few games when Jadyn played at the peewee level. The sisters’s father, Russ, was one of the coaches of that team and Makena dressed for a handful of games as an associate player call up.

Still, the two sisters, who have had huge support from Russ and mother, Tracey, followed what each other were doing in the game. Makena said Jadyn has been her biggest influence in helping her out in the sport.

Makena Kushniruk drives a shot on goal last season.

“She has been my role model through most of my hockey career,” said Makena. “Ever since we were little, she would take me out to ODRs (outdoor rinks), and we’d go have some fun out there and race each other.

“I think that was a bit inspiration for me.”

The two sisters’ tight bond extends beyond the hockey rink too.

“We’re like best friends,” said Makena. “We’re so close.

“I don’t think we’ve ever like really fought. We’ve had disagreements. Just throughout our whole childhood and growing up, we’ve just always been each other’s best friend.”

Makena Kushniruk (#10) breaks up ice with the Stars on a rush.

When it came time to play in the female under-18 AAA ranks, Makena elected to stay close to home and play for the Stars as an underage 14-year-old rookie in the 2017-18 season. Jadyn was a veteran with the Prince Albert Northern Bears and helped the Bears win a provincial title and advance to the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA championship tournament held in Morden, Man., in the 2016-17 campaign.

Makena joined a veteran Stars side, who were loaded with stars like Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Anna Leschyshyn, Joelle Fiala, Ashley Messier and Chase Sperling. Appearing all of the teams 28 regular season games as a rookie, Makena recorded three goals and eight assists and helped the Stars win a provincial title.

Stars captain Makena Kushniruk (#10) weaves past the Bears.

The Stars advanced all the way to the championship game of the Esso Cup tournament held that season in Bridgewater, N.S., falling 2-1 to the St. Albert Slash.

“I just remember the rink being packed,” said Makena about that playoff run. “There was so much energy and emotions.

“When we won and knew we were going to Esso, it was just an unbelievable experience, and we we’re all just so happy and so excited to go to nationals. It was disappointing that we lost (the Esso Cup title game). We got there as a team, and we were very successful that year.

Makena Kushniruk (#10) eyes up a shot in the 2018 playoffs.

“Just getting to the final was a huge accomplishment as a team. It was just a great experience.”

As a 15-year-old sophomore in 2018-19, Makena had a breakout season with the Stars again appearing in all of the team’s 28 regular season games piling up 15 goals and 16 assists. She helped the Stars win their fourth provincial title in five years.

The Stars advanced to the Esso Cup after each of those provincial title wins. The Stars weren’t able to win a medal at the 2019 Esso Cup held in Sudbury, Ont., but Makena discovered her groove.

“I think I just really found myself as a player and found my role on the team and with my peers and teammates and coaches which gave me a lot more confidence,” said Makena. “It was very enjoyable.

Makena Kushniruk (#10) enjoys the Stars provincial title win in 2018. 

“We had a great leadership team and great girls in the room and coaches and everything. I think that really helped to bond our team together.”

The off-season in 2019 brought big change to the Stars. Head coach Greg Slobodzian and his entire coaching staff stepped down from their duties with the team.

Robin Ulrich, who was the interim head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in 2016-17, took on the job as the Stars new head coach bringing with her a new coaching staff.

Makena Kushniruk cuts up ice in the 2019 playoffs.

Due to a massive amount of graduations from the team, Makena went from being one of the younger players on the Stars to being one of the veteran players. She was named team captain before the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Makena appeared in 28 of the Stars 30 regular season games posting 10 goals and eight assists facing the best defensive players the opposition could throw against her line on a nightly basis. The Stars stumbled out of the gate at the beginning of the season before rallying to post a respectable 12-14-4 regular season record.

Saskatoon never got a chance to skate in the post-season as the entire 2020 female under-18 AAA hockey players were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Makena Kushniruk had 31 points in 2018-19.

“It was definitely different, and we were definitely a young team,” said Makena. “It is too bad that we didn’t get to finish the season and show people our full potential as a team.

“Being a role model to some of the younger people, I think it was just important to show a good example on the ice, finish on pucks and making sure you are doing the small things right.”

Ulrich said Makena’s presence was extremely valuable to the new coaching staff that was stepping in to guide the team.

“I think it was really nice to have someone like Makena for a few reasons,” said Ulrich. “One, she had a couple of years of experience with the team and had experienced the success and knew the level that was required to be successful at the AAA level.

“Having an older sister who had gone through it and was moving in to play at the university level as well, she got to see that piece of it in the work that Jadyn needed to put in to be successful there. I think for us, she (Makena) was a just a really nice piece to be able to rely on somebody that did the right things, (and) came to the rink every day looking to get better.

The Kushniruk and Sperling families after the Stars 2019 provincial win.

“She (Makena) was just kind of that nice reliable piece that you knew was going to be there and was going to help set the tone in the dressing room and on the ice for what it takes to be successful and kind of help us transition from one way to the other.”

This season, the Stars got in a couple of games before the season got paused due to the increase of new COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan. On Nov. 14, the Stars fell 3-1 to the Northern Bears in Prince Albert at the Art Hauser Centre.

Makena Kushniruk embraced being the Stars captain.

On Nov. 15, the Stars downed the Bears 7-2 at the SaskTel Centre.

In those two outings, Makena had a goal and three assists. During the pause, Makena said her teammates have enjoyed the one-on-one practice time they are getting with the coaches in sessions that are limited to eight players on the ice.

Still, Makena was hoping the pause could have been avoided.

“It is disappointing that we don’t get to play,” said Makena. “Obviously, we would prefer to have full practices and games.

“I guess we are all trying to make the most of it, and hopefully, we get back as soon as we can.”

While the current season is stalled, Makena will have the opportunity to play hockey in the future at the university level. Ulrich believes Makena can see a lot of great days with the Cougars.

Makena Kushniruk believes the current Stars can impress.

“I think she can be a very effective player at the U Sports level,” said Ulrich. “I think the thing that is going to set her up the best is that inner drive and that compete level.

“Having an older sister who is there, she has an inside look into what it takes to be successful at the U Sports level and to make that step. I think she definitely has a good chance to step in there and contribute throughout her years. I think eventually by the end she will be playing some really, really big minutes for them and be key piece to them being successful.

“I am excited to see and want to see her growth throughout the rest of this year, but then getting a chance to watch her in future years be successful as well.”

Makena Kushniruk, second from left, hopes these scenes return.

Makena would like to get things going again with the Stars this season. No matter what shape the 2020-21 campaign ultimately takes, Makena is thankful she will still continue to play the game next season.

“I’m just super grateful that I have the opportunity to be playing at the next level and I have somewhere to play after high school and after the pandemic even if this year doesn’t work out,” said Kushniruk. “I think it is just like super exciting.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Stars flashback to the past, roll over Northern Bears 7-2

The Stars celebrate Makena Kushniruk’s first period goal.

Someone should have checked the lineup card, because you would have thought Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Anna Leschyshyn, Joelle Fiala, Kaitlin Jockims, Ashley Messier and Chace Sperling were dressed for the Saskatoon Stars on Sunday afternoon.

The Stars scored early - with captain Mackena Kushniruk tallying just 14 seconds into the first period - and often rolling over their traditional rivals the Prince Albert Northern Bears 7-2 at the SaskTel Centre.

The result was a stark contrast to the previous day, when the two sides met in Prince Albert at the Art Hauser Centre. In that encounter, the host Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead ultimately posting a 3-1 victory holding a 35-26 edge in shots on goal.

Sydney Mercier had two goals and two assists for the Stars.

In that contest that was the regular season opener for both sides, Kiara Stewart, captain Paris Oleksyn and Haley Kicia staked the Bears out to their 3-0 lead. Left-winger Sydney Mercier replied for the Stars on the power play with 76 seconds remaining in the third.

Janae Neufeld made 25 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Bears. Kaitlyn Cadrain turned away 32 shots to take the setback in goal for the Stars.

In the return match on Sunday at the SaskTel Centre, the Stars hit the ice with some serious jump in their stride.

Makena Kushniruk had a goal and two assists for the Stars.

Their top line of Kushniruk, Mercier and Emma Gaudet combined for four goals and five assists. The hosts led 2-0 after the first, 4-1 after the second before rounding out the 7-2 final.

It seemed like the spirit of the Stars old long time home in the Agriplace Arena made the walking distance trip over to the neighbouring SaskTel Centre.

In those old days at Agriplace Arena, the Stars now graduated greats used to fill opposing net on a nightly basis causing the flashing green lights on the rink’s stanchions to stay seeming permanently on as “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis echoed through the building’s rafters.

That generation of the Stars won league titles 2015, 2016 and 2018 at the Agriplace Arena before moving to Merlis Belsher Place and capturing another league championship in 2019.

The Stars celebrate Kaylee Baun’s first period goal.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Stars aren’t able to use Merlis Belsher Place as a home arena this season as it has been converted into a field hospital in waiting. As a result, they have been forced to move out to the SaskTel Centre along with the Saskatoon Contacts of the SMAAAHL and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams from U Sports.

With most of the players from their SFU18AAAHL championship teams having moved on due to graduation, the Stars went through a reloading campaign last season posting a sound 12-14-4 record.

Kushniruk is the only holdover from the last Stars team that called Agriplace home. She was a sophomore on the Stars last team to win the Fedoruk Cup as league champions in 2019, while the other holdovers in Cadrain, Haylee Kos, Alison Olorenshaw, Bridget Rezansoff, Halle Helperl and Kaylee Baun were all rookies.

Kaitlyn Cadrain made 29 saves for the Stars on Sunday.

The Fedoruk Cup wasn’t award last season due to the under-18 female AAA playoffs being cancelled nationally due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just to be clear, the current Stars do not have the special talent level their league championship teams had that resulted in dominant lopsided wins game in and game out. The current Stars have talent, but they have to rely on their work ethic being strong to win on a nightly basis making them create their own current identity along the way.

Still, it had to feel good that for one night they could emulate their special squads from the past against an opponent who has been their biggest rival.

After Kushniruk put the Stars up 1-0, they went up 2-0, when Baum potted home a loose puck beside the Prince Albert net for a power-play goal.

Emma Gaudet nets her first career Stars regular season goal.

In between those tallies, Cadrain turned away Oleksyn, who tried to score on a backhanded attempt on a penalty shot.

While the Stars held a 2-0 edge after 20 minutes, the Bears didn’t go away. Kicia blasted home a goal at the 10:52 mark of the second to cut the Stars lead to 2-1.

Before the second frame ended, the Stars responded with two goals 61 seconds apart to surge ahead 4-1.

Working on the power play, Kushniruk found Mercier with a pass open at the ride side of the Bears net, and Mercier popped home her first tally of the contest to give the Stars a 3-1 edge.

The Saskatoon lead expanded to 4-1 when 15-year-old rookie center Keyra Buziak found a loose puck at the left side of Bears net and fired the puck into an open cage to record her first career SFU18AAAHL goal.

Keyra Buziak scored her first career Stars regular season goal.

At the 8:20 mark of the third, Sophia Zuck scored for the Bears to cut the Stars lead to 4-2.

Saskatoon proceeded to close out the contest with a three goal surge with tallies coming off the sticks of Helperl, Gaudet and Mercier, who collected her second marker on the afternoon. Gaudet’s tally was her first career SFU18AAAHL career goal skating in her second season with the Stars.

Cadrain made 29 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Brooke Archer, who is a 15-year-old rookie making her first career SFU18AAAHL regular season start, turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Bears.

Assuming all goes in a positive direction on the COVID-19 pandemic front, the Bears will return to action this coming Saturday when they host the Battlefords Sharks at 4:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. The Stars are off until Saturday, Nov. 28 when they are slated to host the Sharks at 2 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

The Stars begin to celebrate their victory on Sunday.

The result of Sunday’s game between the Stars and Bears will likely not foreshadow how the rest of the season will go.

For one game, the Stars got to revel in the spoils of a great outing.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Will the not so long ago old days of sports return?

Could training camps be used to get athletes in shape again?

The Regina Pats walk the Moose Jaw Civic Centre hallway in 2000.

    Remember when athletes went to training camp to get into shape?
    It is possible those days might return.

    Due to society shutting down over the cononavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, elite level athletes haven’t been able to train at their high-level facilities on a regular basis for at least three weeks in most of North America. Often, these athletes train under the watchful eye of a skilled conditioning coach.

    At the moment, it is anyone’s guess when the sports world in the professional and elite amateur levels will return to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

    Even for the amateur minor little children’s team, the only thing that is certain is uncertainly as to when their minor sports activities will return.

    With everyone trying to self-isolate in their homes, one wonders if the training camps held by various teams will be used to get athletes back in shape.

    In a not too distant past, training camps were held for that exact purpose.

Jason Clermont came from a time when year round training became a norm. 

    If anyone stumbles on the photo of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson smoking a cigarette with a soda pop at his feet from Super Bowl I on Jan. 15, 1967, you realize how far elite sport has come.

    Actually at halftimes of NFL games in those days through to the early 1970s, it was common for players to have a cigarette and a cup of coffee at halftime. Halftime was treated like a coffee break at a workplace.

    Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s, players often showed up at training camps in elite sport out of shape. In the WHL in the current day, players all look cut and in shape.

    In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were only a few players that looked that way.

    Elite sport was still kind of commonly viewed a bit through the lens of being a pastime. It was reserved for the ultra-talents that had a pure knack for those games.

    If you worked full time while playing for an elite level sports team in those days, you could possibly lose your job if you decided to go to compete at a nationals competition, if it conflicted with work or you had already taken sizable amounts of time off.

Teams from the 1970s used to get in shape at training camp.

    The view of elite sports in Canada changed in the middle to the late 1990s, when year round training and off-season programs came into vogue. By the early 2000s, most elite athletes trained year round in their sport.

    Teams in that era would send athletes home with a training program and often hoped they would do it. Coaches would phone to check if their athletes were following the training program.

    Some athletes were starting to work at that time under the guidance of a strength and conditioning coach at an elite training centre.

    The start of training camps were designed to weed out athletes that didn’t do their training programs, and there were those that were weeded out.

    At that point, sport was still different. In hockey, teams didn’t introduce their style of play or work on items like the power play and penalty kill until the regular season started.

    Now, there are orientation camps and development camps in early summer, and players are playing a team’s system during rookie games at main training camps.

    There were still athletes who had bad habits in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Volleyball star Lisa Reynolds, seen here in 2000, smoked cigarettes.

    I believe the statute of limitations passed on this one, but back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Lisa Reynolds, who was a star outside hitter for the University of Regina Cougars women’s team, is the last elite player I remember who had a cigarette smoking habit.

    She played for Canada’s senior national women’s team for a couple of seasons and played professional volleyball for a number of years. Reynolds was one of those all-time great characters, who had character, and was gifted at her sport.

    I remember hanging with her a number of times in a social setting, and she would just light up a cigarette of the blue and proceed to direct a fear of God order at me to not tell her coaches. Due to not seeing Reynolds for at least 15 years, I believe I can get away with telling that tale.

    Elite level athletes in the current day would have a hard time getting away with something like that.
    Under the current climate of the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes at the moment are likely in the training spot they were in the early 2000s, where they follow a program at home that they have been given.

Barret Jackman, seen here in 2000, always arrived to training camp in shape.

    Due to how online and social media technology has evolved, it is possible for these athletes to direction from a strength and conditioning coach online.

    If the shutdown of elite level sports goes for three or four months, you might see a situation where elite level athletes go to training camp to get in shape at some levels in sport like in a not so long ago past era once again.

    That might have to be done, if some of these leagues in elite level sports want to have a season unless a decision is made to shut down for a year.

    Like many facets and areas of life, sports at the elite level are in uncharted waters.

    The possibility is there for what was once old could become new again.

Stars captain Kushniruk commits to Cougars, other notes

Makena Kushniruk is a big catch for the U of Regina Cougars.

    Makena Kushniruk is going to become part of a sister act at the University of Regina.

    On Tuesday, the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team announced they signed the star captain of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team. Kushniruk’s older sister, Jadyn, just finished her rookie year with the Cougars this past season.

    Makena recently finished playing her third full season with the Stars, and it was her first campaign with the team where she was captain. As a 16-year-old forward, Makena, who stands 5-foot-4, piled up 10 goals and eight assists appearing in 28 regular season games for the Stars.

    She topped the Stars goals and finished second in team scoring in points.

    On top of playing with the Stars, Makena was a member of the Saskatchewan team that won a silver medal at the National Women’s under-18 hockey championship tournament last November.
    Makena was a 14-year-old underage player in her rookie campaign with the Stars in 2017-18.

Makena Kushniruk has been one of the Stars top players.

    The Stars won the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League title, the Western regional playdown and advanced to the championship game of the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament in that campaign.

    The Stars fell in a 2-1 heartbreaker to the St. Albert Slash in that year’s Esso Cup held in Bridgewater,N.S.

    Makena had a breakout campaign as a 15-year-old sophomore in 2018-19 piling up 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points appearing in all of the Stars 28 regular season games. She finished sixth in team scoring on a very deep Stars team.

    The Stars again won the SFMAAAHL title and the Western regional playdown to return to the Esso Cup. Saskatoon finished fourth at that year’s Esso Cup held in Sudbury, Ont.

    Following that 2018-19 campaign, it was safe to say Makena was drawing sizable interest from teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks. It was big for the Cougars to be able to sign her.

    This past season, Makena had to adjust to the fact most teams focused on checking her, because she was the Stars top returning skater. The Stars were working through a massive turnover on their roster this past season and still posted a 12-14-4 regular season record.

Stars captain Makena Kushniruk always faces the opposition’s best.

    Makena is eligible to play in the midget AAA ranks for one more campaign and is slated to join the Cougars for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

    Makena, who will turn 17-years-old on Sunday, actually never played midget AAA hockey together with Jadyn. Jadyn, who is a 19-year-old forward, played four seasons for the Prince Albert Northern Bears from 2015-19 piling up 38 goals and 31 assist for 69 points in 110 career regular season games.

    She was a member of the Bears SFMAAAHL championship team in 2016-17 and Western regional playdown winner that appeared in the Esso Cup.

    Jadyn had one goal and two assists skating in 22 regular season games this past season for the Cougars in the U Sports ranks.

    Makena and Jadyn could potentially play three seasons together with the Cougars.

• On Wednesday, Stars 17-year-old forward Reauna Blight committed to join the SAIT Trojans women’s hockey team for the upcoming season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference ranks. Blight appeared in all the Stars 30 regular season games posting five goals and seven assists to conclude her final campaign of midget AAA eligibility.
• On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Drag Racing Association announced the 2020 season at the Saskatchewan International Raceway located just south of Saskatoon has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was announced the operations of the Saskatchewan International Raceway had been suspended until further notice as well. The Saskatchewan Drag Racing Association cited the physical health for everybody involved with the track as well as the financial health of their organization as the main reasons for these decisions.
• On Saturday, the six-time defending Canadian Junior Football League champion Saskatoon Hilltops announced they will continue to suspend team operations to a minimum of June 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That suspension of team activities was originally put in place on March 19. On Saturday, the Hilltops announced their spring camp set for May 1-3 has been postponed and new dates won’t be decided upon until the current public health crisis is under control. The Hilltops clubhouse will remain closed. The club’s support staff is working with the team’s players to create at home workouts as everyone continues to social isolate.
• The Undertaker, who is one of the most legendary names in professional wrestling, is drawing rave reviews for his performance in a win in a Boneyard Match at Wrestlemania 36. The Undertaker literally buried opponent AJ Styles in the bout. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wrestlemania was pre-taped to be shown over a two day period tonight and Sunday. After The Undertaker’s match finished, it broke the Internet with positive reviews for a surge of time. The WWE provided a snippet of the match that can be found by clicking right here.
• A year ago Sunday, the Prince Albert Raiders bombed the Saskatoon Blades 6-1 in Game 1 of a best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. I reposted the post I wrote that night on a Facebook and Twitter to the delight of Raiders fans. That post can be round by clicking right here.
• For most of the day Friday, I went on a binge playing Madden 2008 on the PlayStation 2. For me, it proved to be a perfect distress moment to get away from all the COVID-19 pandemic craziness in the world. I have receiver Calvin Johnson jacked up in the franchise I am using, and it is a fun time to throw him the ball. I didn’t turn on any computer or a phone for a 24-hour period. Hope you all find funs ways to cope in this unprecedented time. Hope you all feel free to find a way to have some fun.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Surreal night for Clark as Stars retire her #13

Emily Clark waves to the crowd at Merlis Belsher Place.

    It seemed like fate played a hand when it came to Emily Clark wearing #13 for the Saskatoon Stars.

    When the skilled forward joined the female midget AAA team before the start of the 2009-10 campaign, she was still 13-years-old due to having a birthday in late November. As an underage rookie player, Clark remembers she didn’t have many options when it came to picking a number.

    “I ended up wearing it (#13) because when I played on the Stars I was 13-years-old, and I was the youngest,” said Clark. “I had last pick of jerseys and #13 and #21 were up for grabs.

    “I think #13 might have been a smaller jersey, so I ended up in #13. I made it my own, and it ended up being one of my favourite numbers.”

    Wearing #13, Clark became one of the Stars all-time greats. 

Emily Clark, left, is greeted by her father, Del.

    After graduating from the team, she played four seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks winning an NCAA championship last season in her final campaign with the squad.

    The 24-year-old has been a fixture in Canada’s national team system first playing with the under-18 women’s team for two seasons before joining the senior national women’s team. Clark skated with the national women’s development team too.

    Last year, Clark played for Canada’s senior national women’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She had a goal in Canada’s 5-0 semifinal win over the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

    Canada fell 3-2 to the United States in the gold medal game after a tiebreaking shootout.

    Due to all her accomplishments, the Stars honoured Clark on Friday night by retiring her #13 before their SFMAAAHL regular season encounter at Merlis Belsher Place with the league leading Regina Rebels. The Stars led 3-1 in the third period before the Rebels rallied for a 4-3 victory.

Emily Clark, second from left, receives gifts from two Stars players.

    Clark found it hard to describe what it was like to see her old number with the Stars raised up at Merlis Belsher Place standing next to her parents in father, Del, and mother, Tracy.

    “It is hard to put into words,” said Clark. “I think surreal is definitely what comes to mind.

    “I was told about it about a month ago. I’m super humbled and super honoured. They made the night special.

    “It was super fun to see a lot of old teammates and old coaches. Some of my favourite moments were with the Stars. To be able to celebrate with them again was pretty special.”

    Last season, Clark was on hand when the University of Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team retired the #10 of Mark Johnson, who was one of their all-time player greats.

    She never imagined that her number with the Stars would be retired less than a year after attending the ceremony to retire Johnson’s number.

Emily Clark watches her number get raised up Merlis Belsher Place.

    In a crazy twist on the Stars front, Clark was actually the last player to wear #13 for her hometown female midget AAA squad. No one from the Stars has worn #13 since Clark last played for the club in the 2011-12 campaign.

    “To think that no one has worn it I guess is pretty special,” said Clark. “With some of the national team players, it is just like a respect thing that you don’t take certain people’s numbers.

    “To know that girls had that kind of respect to hold me in that regard is pretty special.”

    Clark played three seasons for the Stars from 2009 to 2012 appearing in 82 regular season games collecting 45 goals and 46 assists for 91 points.

Emily Clark’s number is raised up at Merlis Belshler Place.

    Her best season came in her final campaign in 2011-12. During that season with the Stars, Clark appeared in 26 regular season game collecting 26 goals and 34 assists for 60 points.

    Clark’s 34 helpers are still a Stars record for most assists in one regular season. Her 60 points is still a team record for most points in one regular season, but it was matched in the 2017-18 campaign by Mackenna Parker, who tallied a club record 33 goals and 27 assists in 23 regular season games.

    Clark said one of the things she loved the most about being part of the Stars was getting to experience the social aspect of the dressing room. Before joining the Stars, Clark played boys hockey in Saskatoon in the Flyers zone.

    When she played boys hockey, Clark, of course, suited up for games on her own in a separate dressing room.

Emily Clark, centre, drops the puck for a ceremonial faceoff.

    “I always loved hockey, but I was missing that part of being a part of the team was that locker room stuff,” said Clark. “When I started to play with the Stars, I fell in love with hockey that much more just because of all the fun I was having with the girls.”

    Clark said the veterans nicknamed her “recess” during her rookie campaign, because she was still in elementary school, while most of the veterans were in high school. During her time with the Stars, Clark skated with a number of teammates who were characters that had character, which helped provide many fun times.

Emily Clark, centre, greets the captains of the Stars and Rebels.

    “I got to play with some amazing people like Marley Ervine, Lauren Zary, Sara Greschner and Brooke Mutch,” said Clark, who helped the Stars advance to the SFMAAAHL championship series in 2010, 2011 and 2012. “For me, I looked up to them, because they were so much older than me.

    “They took me under their wing and took care of me. They shaped a lot of who I was in high school, so I am really grateful for all the girls I got to play with.”

    Following the 2011-12 campaign, Clark left the Stars to join the Okanagan Hockey Academy female prep junior team in Penticton, B.C., for two seasons from 2012 to 2014. In those two campaigns, Clark appeared in 57 games collecting 34 goals and 35 assists for 69 points.

    Clark then joined the storied Badgers women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks and played four seasons for them spread out from 2014 to 2019.

Emily Clark is pictured with some young fans at Friday’s game.

    She appeared in 147 overall games with the Badgers posting 70 goals and 76 assists for 146 points. Clark helped the Badgers win their fifth NCAA title in team history last season.

    The Badgers blanked the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 2-0 in the NCAA title game last March.

    On the international stage, Clark helped Canada win goal at two straight under-18 women’s championships in 2012 and 2013.

    She suited up for Canada’s senior national women’s hockey team for four women’s world champions winning silver medals in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and a bronze medal this past April in Finland to go with her silver medal from the Winter Olympics.

Arden Kliewer makes one of her 55 saves in goal for the Stars.

    Looking back on her career so far, Clark said there weren’t that any female players from Saskatchewan joining the NCAA ranks, when she joined the Badgers.

    “Playing for Wisconsin was kind of like a dream that I didn’t even know I had once I got down there and got treated the way I did there,” said Clark. “There is nothing like university hockey whether it is (U Sports) or NCAA.

    “Playing on the national team and being able to get in at such a young age is something that is really special to me. Obviously, I am lucky to still be around and still be playing and living my dream.”

    With that said, Clark still plans to be in the game for some time to come.

Lauren Focht netted the equalizer and winner for the Rebels.

    “I still have a lot of story left to be written,” said Clark. “As much as I have been excited about the career I have been able to have, I am excited for the future too.”

    As for Friday’s game itself, Hanna Bailey gave the Rebels 1-0 lead early in the first period, but the Stars exited the opening frame with a 2-1 advantage with goals coming from captain Makena Kushniruk and Anica Gauthier.

    The Stars extended their lead to 3-1, when Kushniruk netted her second of the contest early in the third.

    The Rebels closed the third with three straight goals to post the come-from-behind 4-3 victory. Bailey netted her second of the contest, while Lauren Focht scored the equalizer and winner for the visitors.

Emily Clark, centre, is pictured with some of her old Stars teammates.

    Arden Kliewer turned away 55 shots to take the setback in goal for the Stars (5-10-2). Payton Schlamp stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels (12-0-1).

    The Stars and Rebels go at it again on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Kushniruk on fire for Stars

Saskatoon forward has points in eight straight games

Makena Kushniruk has 16 points in the Stars last eight regular season games.

    Makena Kushniruk is suddenly all for playing through the Christmas break.

    The 15-year-old sophomore winger for the Saskatoon Stars has been on fire for a little over a month. On Saturday, Kushniruk had two goals including the winner in the third period to lift the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champions to a 3-2 regular season victory over the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats at Merlis Belsher Place.

    With those goals, Kushniruk has points in her last eight straight regular season games totaling 10 goals and six assists over that period of time. In helping the Stars post an 18-0 regular season record, Kushniruk has piled up 12 goals and 13 assists to sit fourth in the SFMAAAHL scoring race.

Makena Kushniruk (#10) celebrates her winning goal for the Stars.

    She has way surpassed her offensive totals from her rookie campaign last season, where she had three goals and eight assists appearing in all of the Stars 28 regular season contests.

    Kushniruk said her consecutive games point streak has greatly improved her confidence. As a rookie last season, she admitted there were times she was overwhelmed playing on a team that contained numerous standout veterans like Grace Shirley, Joelle Fiala, Anna Leschyshyn and Mackenna Parker. Parker graduated from the squad at the end of last season.

    “Last year was a little intimidating,” said Kushniruk. “I felt like I couldn’t take the puck.

    “I thought I always had to pass it to an older player, because they have more experience. I know now that it is not about that, and that I have the ability to do it.”

    More often than naught this season, Kushniruk has found herself as the trigger person playing on a forward line with Fiala, who is an ultra-skilled playmaker.

Makena Kushniruk, right, clears the puck on the penalty kill.

    With the Stars locked in a 2-2 tie in the third period with the Wildcats, Kushniruk tipped home a sweet set up pass from Fiala to net the winning goal for Saskatoon with 8:38 to play in the frame.

    “It feels just so good,” said Kushniruk about scoring the winning goal. “It doesn’t really matter if it was me or anyone else on the team.

    “It is just that we got the goal in and came out with the win.”

    Stars head coach Greg Slobodzian was pleased to see Kushniruk has found her offensive touch.

Joelle Fiala assisted on the Stars winning goal.

    “She had a real good summer this year, and she really developed,” said Slobodzian. “When she started this season, she came to camp and she was one of our best forwards at camp.

    “She sort of stumbled out of the gate at the beginning of the season. It wasn’t happening, and she started to get frustrated. We just sort of calmed her down a little bit and made her realize you still have put the effort in.

    “As soon as she started moving her feet, she is really smart, good with the puck and has that composure that I talk about all the time, things just started working for her. She has a hot hand right now.”

    Slobodzian said it has been big for the Stars to have another forward breakout offensively outside of the trio of Shirley, Leschyshyn and Fiala.

    “If you look at the scoresheet the last couple of games, I don’t know if Grace Shirley has a goal,” said Slobodzian. “For us to still come out on top with everyone else chipping in, it is a real good sign that we are building what we need to go deep.

    “Any time those players can start putting the numbers on the board and then consistently like Makena (Kushniruk), what it does is the other teams all of sudden have to look out for another player. It gives more room for those Grace Shirleys and Joelle Fialas.”

Anna Leschyshyn, right, scored the Stars first goal on Saturday.

    On Dec. 9, Kushniruk netted the winning goal in the third period for the Stars in the championship final of the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament in Wilcox, Sask. Saskatoon downed the host Notre Dame Hounds 3-1 in the title game.

    Kushniruk said she appreciates the fact her Stars won the Mandi Schwartz Tournament and have started 18-0 in the regular season. The Stars are now off until Jan. 10 in the new year, when they travel to Battleford to face the Battlefords Sharks.

    Kushniruk admits she would have loved to continue playing through the break considering the hot streak she is on personally.

Amaya Giraudier makes one of her 25 saves for the Wildcats.

    “I am a little bit worried coming off from like a two-week break,” said Kushniruk, whose older sister Jadyn plays for the Prince Albert Northern Bears. “I’m probably going to be like going to the ODR (outdoor rink) or something and just like still being on the ice and just always practising whether it is going to the gym or finding some open ice.”

    The Wildcats took a 1-0 first period lead in Saturday’s game on a goal from Layne Hryhoriw.

    Leschyshyn sent the teams into the first intermission locked in a 1-1 tie sniping home a low on ice shot with 21.5 seconds to play in the opening frame.

    Makena Kushniruk scored her first of the contest 16 seconds into the second period to give the Stars a 2-1 advantage.

    Brooklyn Rublee scored the equalizer for the Wildcats to force a 2-2 draw heading into the second intermission.

Ashley Messier gets set in the offensive zone for the Stars.

    With 12:05 remaining in the third period, Wildcats forward Baylee Kirwan was stopped on a penalty shot by Stars netminder Kaitlyn Cadrain.

    That set the stage for Kushniruk to score the winner in the third period.

    Cadrain made 18 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Amaya Giraudier turned away 25 shots to take the setback in net for the Wildcats, who fell to 6-9-1.

    The Wildcats return to regular season action on Jan. 5 in the new year, when travel to Battleford to take on the Battlefords Sharks.

    Kushniruk is looking forward to resuming play with the Stars after the Christmas break.

    “I am really excited,” said Kushniruk. “It is nice to have a little break.

The Stars celebrate their win over the Wildcats.

    “When we get back to the rink, we’re going to be working hard together.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.