By WAYNE SHIELS
Our region was well represented as Team Saskatchewan female and male teams earned bronze medals at the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia May 4-10.
In the highly competitive competition the boys finished with three wins, one tie and one loss in preliminary play to finish third,; the girls team also finished third with two wins, two ties and one loss.
The semi-final proved to be Heartbreak Friday as both teams lost in overtime to Team Manitoba. The girls lost 4-3, while the boys fell 5-4 in double overtime.
In the Bronze Medal games against Ontario on Saturday the boys battled back from a 3-0 first period deficit to win the game 6-4 and the girls took the medal with a 4-2 win.
The female roster included Abigail Fehr of Warman (Warman U18AA Wildcats) and was coached by Warman U18AAA Wildcats head coach Courage Bear.
The male roster included team captain Jaxon Herchak of Waldheim (Kindersley Klippers); Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation players Lawson Gradipy (Indigenous Sports Academy U18 Prep), Dawson Gamble (Battlefords U18AAAStars) and Waylon Gardipy ( Battlefords U18AAA Stars); Warman U18AAA Wildcats Dylan Danyluk of Saskatoon), Kaleb Dewar of Lanigan), Hudson Brehaut of Whitewood), and James Norman of Flying Dust First Nation.
The 2026 event will be hosted in Regina’s Co-operators Centre in partnership with southeastern Saskatchewan’s Ochapowace Nation. This will mark the first time Saskatchewan has hosted the championships since 2012.