RED DEER – One year removed from winning the bronze medal, Team Alberta U18 Female upped its game and brought home another medal at the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) May 5-11 in Grande Prairie.
After a thrilling 3-2 triple overtime victory over Team Manitoba in the tournament semi-final, Team Alberta Female came home with silver after falling to Team Ontario in the championship game. The silver medal is the team’s best finish at the event after previously winning two bronze medals, bringing Team Alberta’s total medal count to three.
Alberta finished second after the round robin, going undefeated. They beat Team British Columbia in their opening game 2-1, then followed that up with 8-1, 2-1 and 2-0 victories over Team Eastern Door & North, Team Manitoba and Team Atlantic, earning them a berth in the semi-finals. Alberta outscored its opponents 14-3 after the round robin and 17-8 at the end of the tournament.
Tayla Lamabe was Alberta’s leading scorer, registering three goals and two assists in six games. Makenna Brassard was second on the team with four points.
TEAM ALBERTA U18 FEMALE ROSTER >
Team Alberta’s U18 Male began its tournament with a 2-2 tie with Team Saskatchewan, and finished with one win, a tie and two losses. Their victory came over Team Atlantic by a 6-4 score. Alberta qualified for the quarterfinals, falling 6-4 to the eventual silver medalists from Saskatchewan.
Team Alberta won its placement game by a 10-2 score over Team Eastern Door & North. Owen Folstrom was Alberta’s leading scorer, scoring four games and eight points over the duration of the tournament. Hayden Iron Shirt followed closely with seven points, including five assists.
TEAM ALBERTA U18 MALE ROSTER >
The 2025 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship are being held in Kamloops, British Columbia on the traditional territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
Tryouts for Team Alberta competing at the 2025 NAHC is being held Aug. 8-11 in Red Deer. Registration opens on June 17.
The Aboriginal Sport Circle established the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) in 2002 to serve as the premiere competition for young Indigenous hockey players in Canada.
The annual event provides a forum for elite U18 aged Indigenous male and female youth and attracts participation from First Nation, Inuit, and Metis across the 13 provinces and territories. This annual event helps foster cultural unity and pride to celebrate the athletic abilities of Indigenous players from across the country. The NAHC also serves as a focal point for grassroots and regional Indigenous hockey development.
