National Aboriginal Hockey Championships coming to BC in 2025

The National Aboriginal Hockey Championships have come to an end in Grand Prairie, Alta, and soon the large tournament will make its way to BC.

The championships are slated to be hosted by the City of Kamloops and Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc next year.

“The Kamloops Sports Council is extremely excited to partner with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops to host the 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship,” said Duncan Olthuis, executive director of the Kamloops Sports Council.

“We believe with the region’s rich culture and Kamloops’ tournament hosting history this will be an exceptional event.”

The national event hosts U18 male and female teams from across Canada and will take place over six days in May 2025.

The Kamloops Sports Council has successfully secured $102,000 in grants from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport to host the tournament.

"As the proud host of the upcoming National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, we are honoured to welcome elite Indigenous hockey players from across Canada to our city,” said Tkwenem7íple7 Justin Gottfriedson, acting Kúkpi7, Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc.

“This event not only showcases exceptional talent but also celebrates cultural unity and pride.”

The last time the tournament was hosted in BC was in the Cowichan Valley in 2017 and previously in Prince George in 2004.

The male Team BC squad has received medals in the last 10 events (three gold, one silver and six bronze) and the women’s team won bronze in 2022 and 2024.

“Kamloops is proud to have world-class facilities that can support this championship event,” said Dušan Magdolen, the City’s culture service and events manager.

“Our community has a proven track record of providing an exceptional athlete experience and we are honoured to be selected as the host community for 2025.”