Oh, so many stories and so little space.

There were even too many honourable mentions to mention this year.

On to the Top 10 Sports Stories of the year:

1. Yukon finishes first in the medal standings at 2023 Arctic Winter Games Yukon had an extremely successful Arctic Winter Games, which ran from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4 in Wood Buffalo, Alta.

Over 350 athletes, coaches, cultural delegates and support staff travelled to Fort McMurray.

Athletes competed in 20 events.

Yukon finished first overall in the medal standings in both gold medals and total medals. Yukon captured 61 gold, 57 silver and 51 bronze for a total of 169 ulus, which is what the medals were shaped like this year.

Alaska gave the Yukon a run for their money until the final day, racking up 58 gold, 44 silver and 43 bronze for 145 ulus.

Alberta North finished just one medal behind Alaska with 42 gold, 60 silver (the most at the 2023 AWG) and 42 bronze.

The games featured strong performances by the snowshoe and ski biathlon teams, the cross country team ski and snowshoe teams, and the wrestling and archery teams.

Individual performances that stood out included Tori (two gold) and Tom (one gold, one silver) Vollmer in alpine skiing.

After they both won gold in the GS, Tori Vollmer said, “It was a really nice way to start off the Games. It was great to be able to share the moment with my little brother.”

Stian Langbakk pocketed two gold ulus in snowboarding.

Emmet Kapaniuk struck gold twice in archery.

“This was the first time I was able to do it at an indoor event and it went well. I shot the best I’ve ever shot, even outside of practice,” recalled Kapaniuk after winning his first gold, along with Delia Therriault, in the Team Compound Mix competition.

Arctic Sports athlete Amélie Guilbeault, who won a gold in the Sledge Jump and a silver in the Two Foot High Kick, carried the Yukon flag into the closing ceremonies.

2. Gavin McKenna plays in first international tournament for Canada

It was a very good year for Gavin McKenna, the first-ever Yukoner to be taken number one in the Western Hockey League (WHL) draft.

He started off the year by leading the South Alberta Hockey Academy (SAHA) to a win in the Circle K Classic tournament in Calgary in late December/early January. McKenna tallied six goals and eight assists in six games and was named tournament MVP.

McKenna then dominated the Canada Games hockey tourney in P.E.I., racking up 29 points (including 14 goals), the highest total ever at the event, in just six games.

He also had a successful year with SAHA, tallying 37 goals and 38 assists for 75 points while leading the Canadian Sport School Hockey League in six categories.

“Our team had a good year. We won the Mac’s tournament – the Circle K – that’s a big accomplishment.” related McKenna.

McKenna finished off his season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, recording 18 points (4G, 14A) in his 18 career WHL regular season games. He also scored his first WHL playoff goal against the Winnipeg Ice, who swept the Tigers in the first round.

“We were down quite a bit, so it wasn’t really a big goal but I think it’ll be big for me in the future. Just having that playoff experience.”

McKenna also donned the Team Canada jersey for the first time in P.E.I. in November and helped his team to a fifth-place finish in the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He notched three goals and five assists to tie for the Team Red scoring lead. McKenna was also named Player of the Game for Canada against the U.S.

Mckenna capped off the year with a triumphant return to the Yukon in the Game for 55 charity event at Takhini Arena Saturday, racking up five goals and four assists in the game.

“I haven’t played here for a couple years now, so to finally get to play in front of my family and friends is good,” said McKenna. “Kinda flip-flopped with some guys on the lines there and I was just clicking with them, so it was lots of fun.”

3. Michelle Philips wins Yukon Quest

Veteran musher Michelle Phillips of Ten Mile, Yukon was the 2023 YQ450 champion.

She crossed the finish line in Dawson City on Feb. 15 at 1:16:39 a.m.

“It feels really weird. Yeah, it’s kind of bittersweet. It was like, just going through a lot of memories for me.

“I’ve been running dogs for 25 years,” she said. “I’ve run 21 1,000-mile races. So I’ve been participating in this event for a long time.

“And yeah, it was just a whole wave of emotions. Mushers that are not with us anymore and memories and sadness that the Yukon Quest hasn’t come together again.

“Hopefully we can have another 1,000-mile race. It’s such a cool event. Such a neat thing to travel through such beautiful country, all the history.”

Mille Porsild, a native of Denmark now living in Willow, Alaska, finished second and won the Rookie of the Year award.

Up and coming musher Mayla Hill of Grand Prairie, Alta. finished third.

Connor McMahon won the Challenge of the North Award for exemplifying the spirit of the Quest.

Louve Tweddell won the Sportsmanship award.

The Golden Harness for the winner’s lead dogs went to Phillips, as did the Joe Fellers award, two ounces of placer gold, for being the first musher to reach Dawson.

Phillips won $8,850 for her impressive effort.

Aiyana O’Shaughnessy, also of Ten Mile, won the YQ200 and pocketed $4,180, as well as the Veterinarians’ Choice and Rookie of the Year awards.

Veteran musher Luc Tweddell of Mendenhall, Yukon crossed the line first in the YQ100 and took home $1,485.

4. Alain Masson retires and is inducted into Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum

Legendary cross country ski coach Alain Masson retired from coaching the Yukon team this past April.

Masson, originally from Montreal, moved to the Yukon in 1993.

He worked for the national team from 1992 to 1995 while based in Whitehorse.

He was in charge of the Yukon cross country ski program since 1995.

A large crowd packed the Legion in Whitehorse Aug. 26 to wish him bonne chance in his retirement.

Among his many career highlights, Masson listed seeing “so many kids from Whitehorse making it to the National Ski Team structures, whether it’s junior national team members or senior national team, representing Canada in international competition. I think that always is what brought me the most joy, to see them being able to compete with the best athletes in Canada.”

Masson was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum Nov. 17. He called his induction “a great honour. I think it’s also a good honour on the Whitehorse area and the ski club and ski community as a whole.”

Masson has re-joined the national team as a wax technician.

He has been replaced as Cross Country Yukon’s sport coordinator and head coach by another Yukon cross country legend, Graham Nishikawa.

5. Dylan Cozens signs $49.7 million contract extension

The Buffalo Sabres’ Dylan Cozens, the first-ever Yukoner chosen in the first round of the NHL and WHL drafts, signed a seven-year, $49.7 million contract Feb. 7. The contract included a $2 million signing bonus.

“It felt really good to be locked up long-term like that,” said Cozens. “I know that I’m going to be in Buffalo for at least the next seven years.”

When it came to celebrating his new contract with a big purchase, Cozens is definitely a Yukoner at heart.

“I bought a nice fishing boat for me and the family to be able to go out on when I come back home. So I’m really excited about that.”

Cozens, nicknamed the “Workhorse from Whitehorse”, had a breakout third season for Buffalo last year, when he tallied 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists).

The 6’3”, 195 pound centre has six goals and 13 assists this season.

6. Yukon Native Hockey Tourney returns in record numbers

The 2023 Yukon Native Hockey Tourney (YNHT), also known as the Kilrich Building Centres tournament, took place March 23-26.

It was the first time the tourney faced off in three years.

The 2023 YNHT was the largest tournament to date. It was expanded from three to four days in order to accommodate an increase from 42 to 56 teams.

New to the tourney was the introduction of a women’s division consisting of five teams.

“I’m glad that I was able, along with my board, to pull this off. It really means a lot,” related Michelle Dawson-Beattie, president of the board of the Yukon First Nations Hockey Association.

She added, “This is not just a hockey tournament, but it’s really a family affair.”

The AFN Storm were the inaugural winners of the Women’s Division, downing the Cougars 4-0 in the final.

“It’s just absolutely unbelievable and a dream come true,” said Storm assistant captain Davina McLeod, named the Women’s Division’s Top Scorer.

Meanwhile, the Nationals three-peated as YNHT champions in the men’s Oldtimers division, dominating the Kaska Warriors 5-0.

Nationals’ Peter Johnston said, “I’m just happy to be here and thankful that the tournament’s back. It’s great to see so many people come.”

7. Yukoners compete at Canada Winter Games

The Yukon competed at the Canada Winter Games in P.E.I. Feb. 18-March 5. The team won one gold (Mike Sumner in

figure skating) and two bronze (Jaymi Hinchey in judo, Cheyenne Tirschmann and Cole Germain bronze in the mixed biathlon relay).

Sumner said winning the gold meant the world to him.

“Just being able to represent the Yukon and just going out there and trying my hardest.

“I felt like I gave my best skate to this routine to date.”

8. Jessie Gladish wins second straight Montagne Yukon Arctic Ultra

Dawson City’s Jessie Gladish won her second straight Montagne Yukon Arctic Ultra (MYAU), arriving home on her fat bike on Feb. 12 at 9:21 p.m. She has now done the race to Dawson on foot, skis and of course, fat bike.

“She’s the first woman to achieve this,” stated race organizer Robert Pollhammer.

“I don’t know if we’re gonna see this again. It’s certainly unique, the way she does it. Jessie always is (unique). You look at her; we all look more tired than she does when she arrives.”

England’s Gareth Hardcastle, Denmark’s Henrik Benzon and John Nakel from Cleveland, Ohio all came into Dawson together on Feb. 15 at 1:56 a.m.

Hardcastle, a cancer survivor, was raising money for a bowel cancer charity, Recession for Treatment to Bowel Cancer.

“When you’re out there, you realize what’s important is your family and loved ones. Really when you strip everything away, money, everything else, what matters in the heart is your health and your loved ones. So that’s what the trail brings to me, is just that perspective and appreciation for those smaller things in life, but the most important things.”

9. Archers compete at competition in Brazil and 2023 Canadian Outdoor Target Championships in Victoria

Two Yukon archers competed in the U15 Gymnasiade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aug. 19 to 27 as part of the International School Sport Federation 2023 U15 High School Multi-Sport Competition.

Shiori Manzo participated in the Recurve Girls category, and Delia Therriault competed in Compound Girls. Since it was a U15 competition, 13, 14 and 15-year-olds were all together in the same category.

Therriault won bronze in her category.

“It was an amazing experience. A huge culture shock. I’ve never been outside of Canada before, but it was super-fun.”

Manzo, 13, was the youngest one in the archery competition.

She said it was “amazing. But I think the thing that got to me was the heat because my body was not very used to it. And it was way hotter there than over here.”

Yukon archers also competed in the 2023 Canadian Outdoor Target Championships in Victoria Aug. 10-12, winning three medals.

Manzo won gold in the U15 Recurve Female category. Emmet Kapaniuk and Daniel Mead won bronze.

The archery team also won four medals at the North American Indigenous Games this year, including gold, silver and two bronze.

10. Yukon Little League baseball starts up

The Yukon Little League (YLL) started up this year for the first time ever in the Yukon. The league held practices and games at the Kwanlin Dün field in the McIntyre area in Whitehorse.

The league is run by Sara Skelton, the YLL chair and her husband Clark, who coached the boys of summer.

Their two boys, Henry, nine and Tommy, 11, were their main motivation for starting baseball in the Yukon.

“They just love baseball,” said Sara. “Just being a part of the baseball community was so positive for them, for their mental health, getting them off the screens. It’s just been such a positive and fun thing to do as a family; we just wanted it to keep going.”

About 50 kids were registered in the league this year. The registration fee was only $60.

The league also supplied most of the equipment, except the gear the kids were able to bring themselves.

“The big goal for this league is to keep it really affordable, and very inclusive. We want kids to be able to come out and not worry about the cost of things,” explained Sara.

A team from Haines, Alaska came to compete in a two-game series with the YLL.

“It was a blast,” recalled Sara. “They were so happy. We were so happy just to be able to do something like that. Great vibe, we had music playing. We had a lot of people watching from the community.”

The Haines team were 13-16 years of age. The YLL team ranged from about nine to 16 years of age. Despite the age difference, the games were quite competitive.

“We had more younger kids,” related Sara. “But they did great.”

Clark added, “That’s what I want for these kids, to be playing teams like that, because that’s how you get better, is when you play teams that have been playing for a while and the game’s faster and you gotta step up.

“They had such a good time.”