Liam Cardinal will be the Beaufort Sea's sole representative at the bantam division of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse this March after emerging as one of 17 players to make the elite team after three days of trials Dec. 12-14 at the Midnight Sun Complex in Inuvik.
"I'm really nervous," he admitted after learning he was named to the team. "But I'm excited."
Having played hockey since he was five, Cardinal said he was told his hustle and teamwork was what put him in the cut. For his part, he was staying humble as the team begins practices right before the holiday.
"I'm just going to train hard, you know," he said.
Cardinal was one of 21 players from the Beaufort Delta area to take a crack at the team, joined by 11 other players from Inuvik, four from Paulatuk, two from Aklavik, two from Fort McPherson and one from Tuktoyaktuk.
Joining them were 44 players from across the territory, including from Behchokǫ̀, Fort Smith, Hay River, Whati, Łutsel Kʼe and Yellowknife.
A few athletes from around the area were also marked down as alternates. Telly Banksland-Stefure of Inuvik and James Keevik Jr. of Tuktoyaktuk could still get the call.
SportNorth marketing and communications coordinator Jack Duffy said the alternates could get called to Whitehorse if one of the main players were to fall ill or otherwise not be able to make the tournament.
"Alternatives are always sort of the procedure in these games, because we can't judge the future," he said. "We analyze how the players are on the ice, how they're off the ice, how they work with each other, that sort of thing."
He praised the town of Inuvik for its hospitality and said the Midnight Sun Complex was an excellent place for a tournament of this magnitude.
"Since we got here, we've been sort-of waited on hand-and-foot with food, places to sleep and everything like that," said Duffy. "From my experience, the children are really enjoying the weekend."
More Inuvik players hitting the ice
Midget trials were held in Hay River the same weekend. Inuvik Minor Hockey wished to congratulate Sam Skinner and Jacob Lennie-Blake for making Team NT's midget boys team and Jazelle Pokiak, Madison Steen-Cockney and Kyra McDonald for making the midget girls team.
Team Bain narrowly misses team slot
Inuvik's junior curling squad, Team Bain, will not be representing the Northwest Territories at the Arctic Winter Games, finishing just out of rank by a single rock.
The team did not have much time for disappointment, however, as they were immediately thrust into the 2019 U18/U21 Territorial Championships. Those games began Dec. 14 and will conclude Dec. 19.
More trials to come in Inuvik
There will be one more weekend of trials to determine who represents the territory at the Arctic Winter Games — on Jan. 23-25 trials for Snowshoeing and for Arctic Sports also known as Northern Games.
Arctic Winter Games 2020 gets underway March 15.
