The Little Native Hockey League (LNHL), also known as the Little NHL, is the largest annual ice hockey tournament for First Nation youth in Ontario, Canada.[1][2]
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| President | Patrick Madahbee (acting) |
| Motto |
|
| Official website | www |
History
editThe Little Native Hockey League was founded by Earl Abotossaway, former Chief Jim McGregor, James D. Debassiage, Reverend Leonard Self, and Norman Debassiage in 1971. They established the tournament on the basis on four pillars: education, citizenship, sportsmanship, and respect.[3] The inaugural tournament took place in Little Current on Manitoulin Island during Christmas break in 1971 and featured seventeen teams and 200 players.[4]
The largest holding of the event was the 2018 Little NHL tournament, which attracted 209 teams and about 3,000 players and was held in Mississauga.[5]
About
editExecutive committee
editThe acting president of the Little Native Hockey League is Patrick Wedaseh Madahbee, a member of Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation. He was appointed to the position after previous president Marian Jacko, a member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, was obligated to step down following her selection to a one-year term on the Board of Directors of Hockey Canada in December 2022. Jacko had held the position since December 2018 and is expected to return to the Little NHL following her leave of absence.[6][7]
Hosts
editOntario First Nation communities act as hosts for the tournament. First Nations that have hosted the Little NHL include Aundeck Omni Kaning, Atikameksheng, Curve Lake, Dokis, Fort William, Garden River, M'Chigeeng, Nipissing, Sagamok, Saugeen, Six Nations, Walpole Island, Wausauksing, Wiikwemkoong, and Whitefish River.[3]
Cities
editHistorically, the event was able to be staged in mid-sized communities, like those on Manitoulin Island, and smaller cities, like Greater Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, but the ever-increasing scale of the LNHL has made it such that only larger cities like Mississauga have “sufficient rinks and hotels to accommodate all of the participating players as well as their family member and supporters.” In 2018, Ontario Regional Chief Isadore Day explained that cities of similar size to Mississauga or larger are the only places capable of supporting an event at the scale of the modern Little NHL.[8]
Divisions of play
editTeams participating in the tournament are divided by age and gender. The only age category not separated by gender is under-7 (U7; formerly called Tykes) for five and six years old players. Girls are permitted to play in boys competitions but boys are not permitted to play in any girls division. All games are played on full ice hockey rinks, except for the U7 level, which plays half-ice games. All age divisions for boys have two levels of competition: Competitive and Recreational.[9][10]
Age categories for boys and girls divisions:
- U9 (formerly Novice) – ages 7 & 8
- U11 (formerly Atom) – ages 9 & 10
- U13 (formerly Peewee) – ages 11 & 12
- U15 (formerly Bantam) – ages 13 & 14
- U18 (formerly Midget) – ages 15–17
Eligibility
editAll teams must represent an Ontario First Nation to be eligible for the tournament. Every player is expected to compete for their First Nation community as indicated on their status card with the exception of those players who have used the residency option or have been granted release by their First Nation.[9] For players to be eligible, they must have one parent of native birth and a federal band number, or may qualify by presenting a legal affidavit proving native descent.[11]
Hall of Fame
editThe Little NHL has a hall of fame to honour the alumni, builders, and friends of the tournament.[12]
Notable alumni
editHall of Fame Alumni of the Little NHL
editThe Little NHL Hall of Fame has inducted ten former players who “have advanced to play hockey at a higher calibre” and who “have been instrumental in advocating hockey development in their communities and continue to support participation in the Little NHL Tournament,” designating them “Alumni of the Little NHL.”[12]
Other alumni
editMany other former participants have gone on to play high level ice hockey at the Junior B, Junior A/Tier II, major junior (OHL, etc.), college (NCAA, U Sports, etc.), and professional (AHL, NHL PHF, etc.) levels, including:
References
edit- ^ Forsyth, Janice; Giles, Audrey R. (December 25, 2012). Aboriginal Peoples and Sport in Canada: Historical Foundations and Contemporary Issues. UBC Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN 9780774824231.
- ^ Attfield, Paul (March 16, 2023). "Little Native Hockey League returns after three-year hiatus". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ a b "About". Little Native Hockey League. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ "Canada Congratulates Little Native on its 47th Annual Tournament". Canada NewsWire. March 11, 2018. ProQuest 2012682889.
- ^ a b Duhatschek, Paula (March 12, 2018). "Indigenous youth hockey teams lace up at the Little NHL". CBC News. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Laskaris, Sam (December 10, 2018). "The Little NHL executive committee welcomes new president". Anishinabek News. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ Laskaris, Sam (January 24, 2023). "Madahbee takes over acting president role for Little NHL tournament". Anishinabek News. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
- ^ "200 teams, 2,500 players: Little NHL tournament underway in Mississauga". CBC News. March 15, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Tournament Rules and Regulations". Little Native Hockey League. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ "LNHL 2023". Nipissing First Nation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ Paraschak, Victoria (1997). "Variations in race relations: Sport events for native peoples in Canada". Sociology of Sport Journal. 14 (1): 7–8. doi:10.1123/ssj.14.1.1. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
- ^ a b "Hall of Fame". Little Native Hockey League. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ Switzer, Maurice (April 2011). "Dreams do come true for Little NHL players" (PDF). Anishinabek News. Vol. 23, no. 3. pp. 1, 6–7.
