Two Thompson players saw action with their Saskatchewan-based junior hockey teams as the Western Hockey League kicked off its 2012-13 regular season on Friday.

Goaltender Justin Paulic, who spent the past two seasons with the Norman Northstars before seeing some late regular season and playoff action with the Moose Jaw Warriors, picked up a win for the team at home in Moose Jaw’s first game of the season, turning aside 23 of 26 shots, including two in overtimes, as the Warriors edged the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in overtime on a goal by Andrew Johnson 2:43 into the extra frame.

Things didn’t go so well in the rematch in Swift Current on Saturday night, however, as Paulic gave up five goals on 19 shots in just under 33 minutes of playing time before being replaced by Daniel Wapple in a game that ended up 7-1 for Swift Current.

The other Thompsonite involved in WHL action over the weekend was centre Drake Bodie, a teammate of Paulic’s for the past two seasons on the midget AAA Northstars. Bodie wasn’t in the Saskatoon Blades’ line-up on Friday, but saw action in the team’s first home game on Saturday, when he was held off the scoresheet in a 5-2 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders, whom Saskatoon defeated 2-1 in a shootout on Friday night in Prince Albert.

Paulic, who was selected by the Warriors in the eighth round of the 2010 bantam draft, appeared in 33 regular season games for the Northstars in the 2011-12 campaign, posting a record of 17-11-2 with one shutout, a 3.33 goal-against average and a .914 save percentage. He appeared in six playoff games, with a 2-4 record, a 4.71 GAA and an .887 save percentage. Paulic was also a member of Manitoba's under-16 male hockey team, which represented the province at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was the only goaltender selected in the first round of the 2010 Manitoba Junior Hockey League bantam draft, taken fifth overall by the OCN Blizzard.

Bodie, who also played on the under-16 team at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, was selected 152nd overall by the Blades in the 2010 WHL bantam draft and went second overall in the MJHL draft a few weeks later, selected by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. He had 17 goals and 22 assists for the Northstars in 35 regular season games, then added a goal and five assists in six playoff games.