Come next May, elite Indigenous U18 players from across Canada are set to gather in Saskatchewan for the 23rd annual National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC)
By – David McPherson
Cambridge, ON – “A lot of the players who have participated in past championships tell us that this event is the most fun they’ve ever had playing hockey,” says Zach Fraleigh-Whiteye, Manager, Sport, Events and Athlete Services, Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO).
ISWO, the provincial governing body in charge of putting together a pair of Ontario teams, has the following mandate: “to develop and deliver sport and recreation opportunities for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth and communities in Ontario, living on and off reserve, in rural and urban settings, which positively impact lives and increase well being.”
Team Ontario earned double gold two years ago, which is the first time that’s ever happened for any province. Some of the most recent participants include: Kohyn Eshkawkogan, who currently stars with the Ottawa 67s; right winger Lincoln Moore, who plays with the St. Mary’s Lincolns; and Sydney Sawyer, a freshman on the women’s ice hockey team at Colgate University.
This year’s event is being hosted in partnership with Ochapowace Nation in southeastern Saskatchewan and takes place from May 3-9, at the Co-operators Centre, in Regina. In a press release announcing the event earlier this year, Ocapowace Chief Shelley Bear spoke about how the NAHC is more than just a hockey tournament.
“When we provide these opportunities, we’re not just developing better athletes — we’re developing stronger communities and future leaders who carry their cultural pride with them in everything they do,” said Chief Bear.
The non-profit, Aboriginal Sport Circle, which is the national governing body for Indigenous Sport in Canada, established the NAHC in 2002. This annual event is sanctioned by Hockey Canada and its goal is to provide Indigenous athletes with equitable access to top-tier hockey competition. The NAHC also addresses one of the 94 Calls to Action put forth in 2015 by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Sports and Reconciliation.
“Participants in the NAHC find a lot of familiarity with each other, which they don’t often find in traditional, mainstream sports,” says Zach Fraleigh-Whiteye. “A lot of them play AAA hockey, but they might be the only Indigenous kid on their team. It’s quite something to see how they interact with each other, and share each other’s nations and traditions — find that brotherhood or sisterhood within each other — and really lean into their identity, which is often something that they’ve struggled with.”
Team Ontario is now seeking players for this year’s event. Indigenous Sport and Wellness Ontario will enter one male U18 team and one female U18 team. Before applying, make sure you meet the following criteria:
- are born between the years of 2008 to 2012 inclusively;
- are of Indigenous (First Nation, Metis and Inuit) ancestry;
- are enrolled full-time in school; and an athlete’s parent(s) or guardian(s) must be more permanently residing in the province of Ontario OR the athlete is attending (full-time) a provincial hockey academy.
If you meet this criteria, fill out this form by March 1, 2026, to be considered for this prestigious event. Anyone else that is interested in being part of the volunteer bench staff (general managers, coaches, certified trainers and scouts) can apply here.
About the Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) was founded on November 27, 1890, and is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior hockey in the Province of Ontario. It is comprised of three Junior hockey leagues and two Senior hockey leagues: Junior A – Ontario Junior Hockey League; Junior B – Greater Ontario Hockey League; Junior C – Provincial Junior Hockey League, Senior –Allan Cup Hockey (AAA) and Ontario Elite Hockey League (AA). For the 2025-2026 season, these five leagues encompass 132 teams. 3100 players, and about 6,000 games each hockey season. The majority of our players are 16 to 21 years of age.
The objectives of the OHA are to foster and encourage the sport of amateur hockey, to conduct competition in the various categories established, to determine teams for entry into the inter-branch competitions that may be provided by Hockey Canada, and to provide for the affiliation of other hockey organizations.
The OHA provides administrative resources, coordinates programs, services and events for hockey participants and provides support to various Development Programs for coaches, officials, trainers and players, Safety and Risk Management Issues and offers resources for Harassment and Abuse education.
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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact:
Chris McCleary
General Manager, Operations & Marketing
Ontario Hockey Association
