The 44th annual Yukon First Nations Hockey Tournament is in the books, with stiff competition through the brackets of all eight of its divisions.
A total of 56 teams from all over the North participated in the tournament from March 21 to 24.
LJ’s Sabres won gold in the A division, beating the Selkirk Bears in the finals by a score of 2-1. The Blueberry Weekend Warriors took third place in the division.
In the B division final, the K&D Outlaws beat the Deline Braves 4-2 to earn gold. The Tahltan Selects won the bronze medal.
The winners of the C division tournament were the Kwanlin Dün Predators. They were followed onto the podium by the Fort Nelson Gongshow, who they beat 4-2 in the final game. The North Yukon Eagles took the last podium spot.
The six-team women’s division was won by the YT Cougars 3-2 over the AFN/CAFN Storm. The Northern Auroras took third in the division.
The top old-timers team was the CAFN Bruins, who edged out a 4-3 win over the second-place Royals. Third place went to the Nationals.
Youth tournament gold went to the Fort Nelson Bears, with the CYI Raiders in second and the Blueberry Weekend Warriors bagging the last podium spot.
The North Yukon Eagles took the Jamboree “A” win in a high-scoring 9-6 victory over the Inuvialuit Falcons. The Tahltan Selects won bronze.
JMB Thunder earned gold in the Jamboree B division, with the Trondek Hwech’in Wolfpack and CYFN Chiefs rounding out the podium. The close final went 5-4 to the Thunder.
—With files from Amy Kenny
Contact Jim Elliot at jim.elliot@yukon-news.com