Male Team BC Wins 2016 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships
Monday, May 9, 2016 – Team BC went undefeated this past week to take the national title at the 2016 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (2016 NAHC), held May 1-7 in Mississauga, Ontario. Team BC defeated Team North in the gold medal game held Saturday evening.
“We are so proud to bring the gold medal back home to BC,” said Head Coach Joe Quewezance. “The hard work, dedication, and the team dynamics were all incredible. Each year we are impressed by the number of young talented Aboriginal hockey players in BC. Once the team was selected, we were confident our team was going to be a strong contender.”
Team BC advanced from the round robin ranked first overall with convincing wins over Team Atlantic, Team Alberta, and Team North. In the quarterfinals, Team BC beat Saskatchewan 6-2, earning a spot in the semi-finals against Team Manitoba. The semi-final thriller ended when Duncan’s Keenan Eddy scored 2:00 minutes into overtime giving BC a 3-2 victory. The gold medal game featured a Team North rematch. Team BC dominated the game through an entire team effort both offensively and defensively resulting in an impressive 3-0 win.
Team BC – NAHC is a program of the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Partners Council (Partners Council) and sanctioned by BC Hockey. The program provides an opportunity for the Province’s top Midget age male and female Aboriginal hockey players to compete at the National Championships, which celebrates sport excellence as well as cultural unity and pride.
“This program is about more than elite hockey as it develops future leaders both on and off the ice,” noted Assistant Coach (and Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief) Shane Gottfriedson. “This program is proof that investing in Aboriginal sport not only results in gold medals but also influences the way our communities see sport as a means for health and wellness.”
Other notable Team BC highlights from the 2016 NAHC included the female team’s fourth place finish. In the bronze medal game, they lost by a score of 2-1 in overtime against Manitoba. It was the female team’s best result in eight years. Team BC’s male defenseman Jeremy Gervais was awarded player of the game for the gold medal game; defenseman Austin Crossley was named a 2016 NAHC Tournament All-Star; and BC’s Jake Gudjonson was awarded Most Sportsmanlike.
The Partners Council and its Provincial Hockey Committee would like to acknowledge the Aboriginal Sports & Wellness Council of Ontario and its volunteers for hosting the event and to also thank all of Team BC’s fans and supporters. Congratulations to Team BC for their outstanding performance at 2016 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.
For information on Team BC Male and Female roster, please visit teambcnahc.com.
Head Coach – Joe Quewezance, Kelowna, BC
Asst. Coach – Shane Gottfriedson, Kamloops, BC
Asst. Coach – Kevin Ned, Westbank, BC
Manager – Tana Mussell, Chilliwack, BC
Trainer – Ben Guidolin, Vancouver, BC
National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC)
The NAHC provides a forum for elite Midget age Aboriginal hockey players from across Canada. The event aids in fostering cultural unity and pride and celebrates the athletic abilities of Aboriginal hockey players from across the country. Team BC is represented by two teams, one male and one female, which are both composed of the top players from across the Province.
Aboriginal Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Partners Council
The Partners Council is a consortium of the First Nations Health Authority, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, and Métis Nation BC. The overarching mission of the Partners Council is to improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal people throughout British Columbia by supporting and encouraging physically active communities and by expanding access to sports and recreation opportunities. The Partners Council has established six regions across BC inclusive of the Northwest, Northeast, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island. This structure brings together community sport, recreation, physical activity and health leaders from within each Region to establish committees, set priorities and create annual plans for advancing sport, recreation and physical activity in their area.
For more information about Team BC – 2016 NAHC, and the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council, visit www.teambcnahc.com or facebook.com/ASRPAPartnersCouncil, or contact:
Aboriginal Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Partners Council
Lara Mussell Savage Director, Sport
Alissa Derrick Team BC Coordinator
Email: teambc@bcaafc.com
Phone: 1.800.990.2432 (toll-free) or 250.388.5522
