Bryan Phelan - Wawatay News

A minor hockey program is flourishing in Lac Seul First Nation’s new arena.
After the arena’s NHL-size artificial ice surface became ready for play in April 2013, local parents began talking about creating an organized hockey program for their kids.
Up until then, less than 20 youth from Lac Seul’s on-reserve population of 840 would typically play for teams in the Sioux Lookout Minor Hockey Association each hockey season.

The Lac Seul Eagles soared to their fourth consecutive championship Sunday at the Northern First Nations Hockey Tournament in Sioux Lookout.
Lac Seul outscored Pikangikum Stampede in the championship game 5-1 to take the title.
Despite the Eagles’ defending champion status, there was reason to consider them the underdogs heading into this year’s final. The Stampede, after all, had earlier in the tournament defeated Lac Seul 6-3. Pikangikum posted an undefeated record during round robin play: five wins and a tie.

Hockey players from Cat Lake must have been happy just to be playing indoors, never mind in a championship game.
Outside the Dryden Memorial Arena, the temperature dropped as low as –25 Celsius on Sunday. Inside that morning, after a week of games involving 29 teams, two Cat Lake teams met in the C-side final of the Northern Bands Hockey Tournament.
They hadn’t had much opportunity to practice for this big moment back home, almost 300 kilometres north, where those in the community of 550 skate on an outdoor rink.

A temporary banner hangs outside the entrance: “Welcome Northern Bands Hockey Tournament.”
Nearby, attached to the front of the Dryden arena named for him, is a giant poster of the town’s greatest hockey player: “Proud Home of Chris Pronger.” It notes the awards Pronger, six foot six, won in a St. Louis Blues uniform as the NHL’s best defenceman and most valuable player. Later, he became a Stanley Cup champion as an Anaheim Duck and a two-time Olympic gold medalist for Canada. His career ended in 2011 due to concussion and eye injuries.