Indigenous Players/Trainer wanted for Team BC & 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships

BRITISH COLUMBIA — Earlier this year, the Aboriginal Sport Circle announced the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships have been awarded to Grande Prairie, Alberta. The event will take place May 6-12, 2024, at the Design Works Centre.

The NAHC is the premier forum for elite U18 Indigenous hockey players. It is the only annual national hockey championship that showcases and celebrates the top male and female Indigenous hockey players from across the country, while fostering cultural unity and pride. Team BC is represented by two teams, one male team and one female team, featuring the top U18 eligible hockey players from across the province.

U18 hockey players of Indigenous ancestry are invited to participate in the Team BC Player Selection Camp to be held April 5-7, 2024, in Prince George, BC.  Players will be evaluated over the three-day camp to determine the top 20 male and top 20 female hockey players to represent BC. Online registration for the camp will launch on January 15, 2024.

Players must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in the Camp:

Male and Female Divisions: U18 eligible, as of the 2023/24 competitive season (born 2006 to 200​8.)

U15 male and female age players (born 2009-2010) are also age-eligible, but for safety reasons they must be pre-approved by the Team BC coaching staff before they will be allowed to participate in the Selection Camp. You must be a resident of British Columbia (out of province players registered at a Full Time Hockey Academy in BC, or BC residents at an out of province Academy may be eligible to try out via the NAHC Academic Residency Form.)

Players must be of Indigenous ancestry (First Nations, Métis, Inuit.)  Acceptable proof of ancestry includes Status Card, Treaty Card, Métis Nation BC Card, Inuit or Inuvialuit identification.  For those without an identification card, a formal Declaration of Ancestry may be completed with supporting documentation (form available upon request).

For inquiries, or, to request an online application, please email: teambc@isparc.ca.

If Status Cards are expired, Team BC athletes will require submitting a renewal application with ISC or local band office. Alternatively, you can also ask for a letter from your local Band/Nation registrar verifying that you are a registered member.

Registered or eligible to be registered with BC Hockey. (Players currently not registered with BC Hockey may be registered via this camp for an additional fee of $50.)