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Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
The British Columbia city of Kamloops is getting ready to host this year’s National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC).
The event, which will feature 12 participating clubs (six female and six male), will be held May 4 to May 10.
“Everything seems ready to go and falling into place right now,” said Duncan Olthuis, who is serving as the tournament’s general manager. “There are a few little things we need to button up but nothing unusual compared to any other tournament. So, I’m in a very comfortable position right now.”
The NAHC features Indigenous players, ages 17 and under, representing their province, territory or region.
Besides the two host squads from British Columbia, this year’s tourney will include female and male clubs from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, plus Eastern Door and the North (EDN), which is comprised of Inuit players and those from First Nations in Quebec.
The NAHC, which is held annually in Canada, was first held in 2002.
“We've never hosted this tournament,” Olthuis said. “But we are Canada's tournament capital, so we’ve hosted many tournaments like this before.”
For example, Kamloops hosted the 2023 Memorial Cup, the season-ending Canadian Hockey League tournament, which, besides a host squad, includes champions from the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Kamloops also hosted the Canada 55+ Games in 2022, a multi-sport competition for those who are at least 55, as well as the B.C. Winter Games in 2018.
And this fall Kamloops will lay out the welcome mat for those participating in the national under-17 soccer championships
“Those are just to name a few,” Olthuis said. “We’ve hosted many, many more.”
The 2025 NAHC is co-hosted by the city of Kamloops, Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc, which was previously known as the Kamloops Indian Band, and the Kamloops Sports Council.
“I think it means a lot to our city,” said Olthuis, who is also the executive director of the Kamloops Sports Council. “We’ve all partnered together and it’s such a great partnership. Seeing all the groups working together is awesome.”
The Kamloops bid was awarded the 2025 NAHC in December 2023.
Olthuis was among those who travelled to the 2024 tournament held in the Alberta city of Grande Prairie to get a feel for the event.
The Kamloops tourney will be a tad smaller in terms of participating clubs.
“Last year they had 14,” Olthuis said. “But this year the Atlantic teams dropped out. So, that’s why we have 12.”
Olthuis said organizers were not concerned that some teams might opt out of the NAHC this year with British Columbia being the country’s most westerly province.
“That never came to mind when we put our hat in the ring for it,” he said. “We were just focused on putting together a great tournament for the athletes and the fans that are going to come and see it.”
Opening ceremonies for this year’s event will be held on May 4.
Tournament action will commence the following day at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre, which has a pair of ice pads. One of the rinks has a capacity of 1,200 fans while the other can accommodate 900 spectators.
Olthuis said the Kamloops school district will be bringing elementary school classes to the tourney throughout the week.
“We’re hoping to fill the stands on both sides of the rink,” he said.
And then, for the gold- and bronze-medal games, which will be on May 10, action will be moved over to the Sandman Centre, home of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. Capacity at the Sandman Centre is about 5,000.
Olthuis said fans will be treated to some high-calibre hockey throughout the tournament.
“It's amazing hockey,” he said. “I went to the tournament in Grande Prairie expecting one thing and I was completely blown away by the talent level that was showcased up there. It was amazing hockey to watch.”
Some NAHC alumni have gone on to bigger and better things. Those who competed in the event and went on to play in the National Hockey League, include Brandon Montour, Ethan Bear and Jordin Tootoo.
Several others move on to play junior hockey or in the college or university ranks. That’s why talent seekers from various organizations are among those who show up to catch some matches.
“We’ve already had a few scouts from different organizations contact us about scouting packages,” Olthuis said. “We’re expecting to have quite a few up here watching the games.”
Local Journalism Initiative Reporters are supported by a financial contribution made by the Government of Canada.