Hockey history will be made this weekend in Moosonee and Moose Factory. Never has a game at the U-18 or higher level been played in either community. They each get regular season game in the Great North League between the Timmins Majors and Kap Flyers.
Timmins head coach Shawn McArthur says 60 members of the Moose Cree Nation have played in the league. His team currently has five.
Both teams will travel by train from Cochrane Friday morning.
McArthur says the Timmins and Kap players know each other well already, thanks to social media.
“I think it’s going to be a really neat experience for both teams to kind of experience the trip by train, especially those who have never done it,” states McArthur, “and then the players who have done it, the opportunity to show their teammates what it’s like to travel that train up to Moosonee.”
There are a lot of hockey-related activities in store, we well as cultural demonstrations.
The teams will run hockey clinics for young players, and embrace the Indigenous coastal culture.
“There’s going to be a cultural demonstration, so wild meat and bannock on a stick. That’s going to be pretty neat to experience for our players.”
Both games will be streamed on Flo Hockey TV.
There is so much more on the weekend here in the audio of our interview with Coach McArthur.
