The North Stars, which played in the North American Hockey League from 2005-12, are the renamed Traverse City Hounds that play in the United States Premier Hockey League.
All travel teams in Traverse City, from Squirts on up, will now be the North Stars.
North Stars owner-GM Scott Gardiner, who was a founding member of the NAHL franchise more than 11 years ago, said rebranding the Hounds was an obvious move.
“With all of the travel teams on up to junior teams being one name, that shows our commitment to growing the game in this area,” said Gardiner. “It also brings back some great memories for myself when we played in the NAHL and we feel we can build on what we learned way back when to make the North Stars brand bigger and better here.”
“I think it is a big change for us in a positive way,” added North Stars head coach Jacek Wilk. “I have a feeling this will work out great for everyone involved. We lost a few key players from last year’s team, but the returning players are going to fill those spots since they have a season under their belt. And the new players that have signed are a good fit for us, so it will be another great season.”
Gardiner expects on- and off-ice success to continue trending skyward.
In all four seasons of the Hounds’ existence, they qualified for their respective league’s national championship tournament.
From 2012-2015, the Hounds played in the Midwest Junior Hockey League and won all three of the MWJHL’s regular-season championships and Veteran’s Memorial Cup playoff titles. The franchise was housed in downstate Hartland for the 2012-13 season.
Then when Traverse City moved to the USA Hockey-sanctioned United States Premier Hockey League for the 2015-16 season, the Hounds finished second in the Midwest Division and ventured to Boston for the national tournament.
On top of all that, the Hounds advanced numerous players to higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division III hockey and to top-end ACHA college programs.
During their MWJHL days, a slew of Hounds players won weekly, monthly and yearly awards (all voted on by league coaches and GMs) with David Krejcik nailing down Goalie of the Year honors in 2014 and 2015.
At the NCAA level, forward Garrison Sanipass (2013-14) played in the D-III Frozen Four last March with the University of Massachusetts-Boston and goaltender Andrew Brownlee emerged as the starter for Finlandia University. Brownlee was also MWJHL Goalie of the Year in 2013.
Kyle Bollers, a talented forward from the Toronto suburb of Oshawa, Ont., was one of the youngest players in the USPHL last season and this past offseason, attended the United States Hockey League Combine for 1999 birth year players and recently, went to camp with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers.
“Playing in Traverse City played a huge role for me because it got me the exposure that was needed for me to get the opportunity to go to the Combine,” Bollers said. “I assess this past season as a fantastic year, wish I could relive it all. It was a great first year of juniors and the best memories were the road trips with the boys.”
Off the ice, the North Stars showcased their character in various community events, including working with Special Olympics Michigan each winter.
“Junior hockey has succeeded in Traverse City for many years due to the tremendous support of the community and that resonates with the players on the ice,” said Gardiner. “Every year, our roster looks a little bit different, but our staff has the resources to get the best out of each and every player that comes to the program. We consistently win on and off the ice – not too many programs can say that happens on a yearly basis.”
Cam Givens, who graduated from Traverse City Central in 2014 before skating with the Hounds for two seasons, said his time with his hometown team was extraordinary.
“(The two years were) the most fun years I've ever had playing hockey,” said Givens. “Being in my hometown with our fan base, facilities, coaching staff and teammates, it was a no-brainer to come back (for 2015-16). It’s definitely a step up from high school hockey.”
New signee Jackson Drake, whose father, Dallas Drake, moved the family to Traverse City after winning a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008, can’t wait to get started with the North Stars.
“I know the Hounds have done very well the past few years and I know that the USPHL is a very good developmental league,” Drake said. “I’m really excited about playing another year of competitive hockey while attending Northwestern Michigan College.”
“It's hard to say one thing that makes TC such a great place to play,” added forward Howie Rose, one of the North Stars’ captains for 2016-17. “The fan support is unmatched, the coaching staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful in getting players to the next level, and they always find not only great hockey players, but great guys off the ice that make this such a great organization.”
Next up for the North Stars is main camp at Centre ICE on Aug. 5-6, which is free of charge to all players.
“We have a good core group coming back, but we are always looking at ways to keep the talent pool flowing through Traverse City, so to speak,” Gardiner said. “We know there are some high-end kids out there that want to play here and maybe some we don’t know much about that will be diamonds in the rough.
“Camp is always an exciting time and we can’t want for that first weekend in August.”
Wilk is equally elated.
“Over the past three years, we have been able to recruit solid teams and players that just love to play in Traverse City,” said Wilk. “It’s such a nice place and a great facility, plus every year, we get more support from the community.”
Stay tuned for information on the North Stars’ new website and social media platforms.
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