Team North had a successful National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), ending up higher-ranked than the last time around in 2019.

The 2022 NAHC was held May 7-14 on the Membertou Reserve in Sydney, N.S. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it was the first year the tourney has been held since 2019.

Four athletes from Whitehorse – Nevaeh Webb, 17, Jase Johnstone, 15, Chayce Tuton, 16, and Trevor Dobbs, 18 – played on the team.

Team North had a 2-0-2 in the preliminary round.

They lost to Team B.C. 7-5 in medal round qualifying.

In the Relegation Round, they lost to Team Manitoba 8-3 but bounced back to beat Team Atlantic 11-7.

Assistant coach Michael Tuton, who ran the defence, said the tournament went really well.

“The fellas came together really well ... we went down a week early and all three of the territories’ players met in Winnipeg and we had a bit of a training camp and everybody had a chance to meet each other and then we flew out as a team to Sydney.”

The highlight of the preliminary round was a 6-4 victory over Team B.C.

“A big upset,” stated Tuton.

“We looked good in that qualifying game, too, had a 3-1 lead, and then we just got ourselves into some penalty trouble and they buried on us a couple times and we just couldn’t seem to get that rhythm going again to get back into it.”

Tuton said the other games went “really good. I was very impressed with the compete level of our team and we had some younger players. A lot of these (other team’s) players are playing Midget AAA or Junior A and got drafted down south and we brought our kids and they competed – it was unreal to watch them play.”

“We were never really out of any game. We’d be getting outshot 3-1, 4-1 but we had some really solid goaltending and our guys just kept plugging away and I don’t think we got blown out of any games. We played some powerhouses like Manitoba and Saskatchewan and there was chances in the third in those games where we were right in it and we just couldn’t finish.”

The goalies were Tucker St. John, 18, from Arviat, Nunavut and Owen Pettipas, 17, from Hay River, N.W.T.

“We had some really good goal-scoring ... the tournament’s top scorer was on our squad, too, coming out of the Yukon, which was really nice to see,” added Tuton.

Jase Johnstone was named the Top Scorer in the tourney, tallying five points in the final game against Team Atlantic.

“He was impressive the whole week,” related Tuton.

“He’ll be back the next couple of years, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can do.”

Tuton said the players were pleased with their results.

“Overall, I think they were quite satisfied with the way they played and our approach to the games. I think we were a little disappointed that we didn’t make it to that medal round, knowing the way that we played and the opportunities that were presented to us. I could really see a path into the medal round for us and when the time came to win that game, it just wasn’t there for us.”

Tuton said the local kids did very well.

“The Yukon kids were incredible. There was a lot of nerves in the first game, coming from here and playing against Saskatchewan right off the hop and all the Junior players that they had and the big boys and the pace of the game.

“But as the tournament went on, every game, every period, they improved. And they felt a little more comfortable and they realized that they could play at that level ... all the kids did great but being from Whitehorse, I was really proud of the Yukon kids. On and off the ice, they were an amazing team.”

Tuton was happy that Team North improved their ranking.

“We’ll go in ranked higher than we came in this year. Next year we’ll have a better-looking schedule, I’m hoping.”

Team North came in as the seventh-ranked team and ended up sixth.

Tuton added “what an amazing opportunity for our kids to be chosen and to head to a tournament of this calibre and it’s such a great opportunity for them to get out and see the rest of the country and meet up with these other kids form the North and get an eye-opening to the different cultures and different scenes around the country, like, I don’t imagine any of them have had the opportunity to get to Nova Scotia before and the game of hockey has taken them there.

“I just really hope we get the support next season to take them back and to take a female team with us.”

The 2023 NAHC is scheduled for May 7-13 in Winnipeg.