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2021 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament cancelled

The 2021 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament, scheduled for March 25 to 28 in Whitehorse next year, was officially cancelled on Nov. 24 in a press release from organizers.
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Cody Pederson of the CA Storm walks around LJ’s Sabres player Clay Plume during the ‘A’ division final of the 2019 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament. The 2021 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament, scheduled for March 25 to 28 in Whitehorse next year, was officially cancelled on Nov. 24 in a press release from organizers. (John Hopkins-Hill/Yukon News file)

The 2021 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament, scheduled for March 25 to 28 in Whitehorse next year, was officially cancelled on Nov. 24 in a press release from organizers.

In the release, the board of directors for the event said the decision “rested on the board doing its part to ensure the health and well-being of Yukon’s communities.”

The tournament typically attracts teams and spectators from across the Yukon, the North and Western Canada.

“While we don’t take a decision like this lightly, when we looked at actions we could take as a board to best ensure the health and safety of our communities and especially elders, it became clear that cancelling the tournament was simply the best option in light of the ongoing pandemic situation and the many unknowns associated to it,” said Yukon First Nations Hockey Association president Michelle Dawson-Beattie in the release.

Organizers will now focus on planning a youth hockey camp next summer, as well as restructuring the tournament divisions.

Plans for the tournament include shifting the C division to be more community-based, adding tiers to the youth and jamboree divisions. There will also be time put into a COVID-19 safety plan for the summer camp.

Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com