A pair of Hay River hockey athletes will be taking their talents east after being selected to play at the 2018 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Membertou, N.S.
Chandelle Leonard, 14, and Tyrell Wilgosh, 18, have been named to Team North's female and male squads respectively.
The annual tournament, sanctioned by Hockey Canada and founded by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, sees top-tier Midget and Bantam-level Indigenous hockey players from across the country come together to compete.
The Northern male and female squads, set to face-off against western, Atlantic and Ontario-based teams, are made up of players from all three territories.
Wilgosh, a member of the Midget Hay River Huskies who describes himself as a physical playmaker on the ice, said he's excited to showcase his skills in Membertou.
"It's a big deal to represent my town and my territory," said the Grade 12 Diamond Jenness Secondary School student.
Wilgosh, who has been skating and playing hockey for as long as he can remember, said easy access to ice time in the hockey-happy town of Hay River has "helped him in the long run," turning a pastime into a passion – and a skill.
Leonard, a Metis Hay Riverite who plays defence for the Bantam Hay River Huskies and also attends Diamond Jenness, told the Hub practice – which began at the age of five – has made perfect.
She said the skating and shooting drills didn't stop when the community was left without a rink. Leonard said she continued to hone her skills on the back rink during the rec centre's construction.
Leonard, who has never been to Nova Scotia, said she's excited to see the town and play with friends from other Northern communities and towns she rarely sees.
Yellowknife, Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik are also represented by players on both Northern squads.
As for her strategy going into the tournament, Leonard plans to "work hard and make smart plays."
For Wilgosh, the goal is to "have fun and see where it takes me."
"Just playing is enough," he said.
Twenty teams – 10 for both male and female divisions – will vie for victory when the tournament, hosted by Membertou First Nation, kicks off on May 6.