The Rankin Inlet Falcons defeated the Sagkeeng Braves 5-2 to capture the A-side of the North American First Nations (NAFN) Tournament of Champions in Kenora, Ont., on March 31.
The win earned the Rankin team $25,000 in prize money. The Falcons went undefeated throughout the entire tournament.
The NAFN Tournament of Champions returned to Kenora in 2023, after a four-year hiatus.
Falcons forward Kyle Tattuinee said he found the event to be very similar to Rankin Inlet鈥檚 annual Terence Tootoo Memorial (TTM) senior men鈥檚 championship when it comes to the overall level of play.
He said, if anything, play at the Tournament of Champions may have been a little faster than at the TTM.
鈥淭he top teams will be the top teams at the TTM no matter what,鈥� said Tattuinee. 鈥淒own there, it鈥檚 very similar, but, maybe, a wee bit faster, so you have to think faster. It鈥檚 a totally different atmosphere down there. But, even though you鈥檙e not at home anymore, the game of hockey is still the same.
鈥淭he atmosphere was totally amazing. It鈥檚 very, very close to the TTM in almost every way.鈥�
The Rankin Falcons are also scheduled to travel to Saskatchewan to compete in the Fred Sasakamoose 鈥淐hief Thunderstick鈥� National Hockey Championship in Saskatoon from May 16 to 19.
Tattuinee said the Sagkeeng Braves were a young, fast group of players, who were champing at the bit to defeat Rankin.
He said one of the key elements to Rankin鈥檚 win was the level of goaltending they received from Seth Ningeongan in the championship game.
鈥淭heir goalie was a youngster and not quite as experienced as the goalies we had (Ningeongan and James Merritt).
鈥淭hey were an awesome team. We just had guys with more experience than they did. Seth was in net for us in the championship game. He鈥檚 gained a lot of experience playing in all these different Aboriginal tournaments down south.鈥�
Tattuinee said the Falcons had a number of players who had a good idea of what to expect at the Tournament of Champions.
He said they led the way at the event and came to the tournament with one goal is mind 鈥� to win it all and that鈥檚 how it went.
鈥淭he fans seemed to love the way Rankin played. We were fast and creative, and we obviously had some good goal scorers.
鈥淎ll in all, I think the crowd kind of warmed up to us a little bit. That was probably even more so because we came from so far away compared to the other teams there.
鈥淚t was just awesome, clean hockey from beginning to end.鈥�
The end to this hockey season had a special feeling for Tattuinee, who got to play with his son, Liam, in both the TTM and the Tournament of Champions.
He said it鈥檚 a memory he won鈥檛 soon forget.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a young man鈥檚 game today,鈥� Tattuinee chuckled.
鈥淭he highlight of my tournament was playing with my son. I know, as a parent and a hockey player, as you get older, you have that aspiration, or a want, to get to play with your kid at a high level of hockey.
鈥淚 got to experience that at both the TTM and this tournament. And, just to see him grow as a hockey player 鈥� the development he鈥檚 gone through with this being his third year playing away from home 鈥� and to see how far he鈥檚 come is really quite something. At 17 he has legs for days, I like to say.
鈥淪o, having that experience and winning the tournament was an absolute blast. I even got to play on the same line as him. It was just awesome.鈥�
