The Battlefords North Stars will have a familiar face to Prince Albert hockey fans in their leadership group this upcoming season.
In a social media post last month, the North Stars announced that Owen Nelson will be wearing an ‘A’ for the team this upcoming season. Finlay Klippenstein and Raiden Zacharias will join Nelson as assistant captains.
In an interview with the Daily Herald, Nelson says he was humbled when he got the news.
“It’s obviously a very huge honour to have that letter on my jersey for this upcoming year for such a storied franchise we got in Battleford. I’m very honored that the coaches and the boys put that trust into me, to be one of the leaders for them this year.”
Nelson started the 2025-26 season with the Melfort Mustangs. On Nov. 13, he was dealt to the North Stars along with future considerations in exchange for Dru Mushumanski.
In 38 games with the North Stars, Nelson posted 15 goals and 16 assists while adding five points (4g, 1a) in 11 playoff games.
It was a season of opportunity for Nelson once he arrived in Battlefords. He appeared in only 33 games for Melfort during the 2024-25 season. That came after he began the season with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes appearing in two games.
Nelson, who played in parts of three seasons for the Prince Albert Mintos, was released by the Hurricanes following the 2024-25 season. He was invited to training camp by the Prince Albert Raiders ahead of last season, but did not make the club.
When asked about his season in Battlefords, Nelson says he was thankful to get the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates.
“It’s great to have that opportunity in Battlefords. Our coach, Connor Logan, put a lot of trust in me this year and gave me a lot of opportunities, which is great. But I also think those past teams I’ve been on helped me a lot just with those experiences, being on a championship team and going to a national championship final. Being able to play in the Western League and see what that was like and just take things from those two teams and bring it to Battlefords and just try to be a good leader and teach the boys on the ground.”
THe North Stars finished with a 35-15-4-2 record, good enough to win the Nutrien Division. Battlefords would knock off Nelson’s former club, the Melfort Mustangs, in five games in the first round before being bounced in the second round by the Yorkton Terriers.
Nelson says the experience was invaluable for the North Stars, despite falling short.
“That playoff run last year, it was a good run for us. We had a lot of young guys who maybe have not been in those situations before, but we did very well. I thought our group pushed hard and came right to the very end there in game seven of the second round. I think that’s gonna leave a bitter taste in all the boys’ mouths.”
The Battlefords North Stars open up the 2026-27 SJHL season on Friday Sept. 18 when they host the Kindersley Klippers. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
