Team BC  – Monday, May 9, 2016 – Team BC went undefeated this past week to take the national title at the 2016 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (2016 NAHC), held May 1-7 in Mississauga, Ontario. Team BC defeated Team North in the gold medal game held Saturday evening.
 
“We are so proud to bring the gold medal back home to BC,” said Head Coach Joe Quewezance.  “The hard work, dedication, and the team dynamics were all incredible.  Each year we are impressed by the number of young talented Aboriginal hockey players in BC.  Once the team was selected, we were confident our team was going to be a strong contender.”
 
Team BC advanced from the round robin ranked first overall with convincing wins over Team Atlantic, Team Alberta, and Team North. In the quarterfinals, Team BC beat Saskatchewan 6-2, earning a spot in the semi-finals against Team Manitoba.  The semi-final thriller ended when Duncan’s Keenan Eddy scored 2:00 minutes into overtime giving BC a 3-2 victory. The gold medal game featured a Team North rematch.  Team BC dominated the game through an entire team effort both offensively and defensively resulting in an impressive 3-0 win.    
 
Team BC – NAHC is a program of the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Partners Council (Partners Council) and sanctioned by BC Hockey.  The program provides an opportunity for the Province’s top Midget age male and female Aboriginal hockey players to compete at the National Championships, which celebrates sport excellence as well as cultural unity and pride. 
 
“This program is about more than elite hockey as it develops future leaders both on and off the ice,” noted Assistant Coach (and Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief) Shane Gottfriedson. “This program is proof that investing in Aboriginal sport not only results in gold medals but also influences the way our communities see sport as a means for health and wellness.”
 
Other notable Team BC highlights from the 2016 NAHC included the female team’s fourth place finish. In the bronze medal game, they lost by a score of 2-1 in overtime against Manitoba. It was the female team’s best result in eight years. Team BC’s male defenseman Jeremy Gervais was awarded player of the game for the gold medal game; defenseman Austin Crossley was named a 2016 NAHC Tournament All-Star; and BC’s Jake Gudjonson was awarded Most Sportsmanlike.
 
The Partners Council and its Provincial Hockey Committee would like to acknowledge the Aboriginal Sports & Wellness Council of Ontario and its volunteers for hosting the event and to also thank all of Team BC’s fans and supporters.  Congratulations to Team BC for their outstanding performance at 2016 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.
 
Team BC (Male) Roster

#	Last Name	First Name	YOB	Hometown	Position	L/R	HT	WT	2015/16 Hockey Club
1	Virgo	Kaleb	2000	Kamloops	Goaltender	L	5’11	160	Kamloops Midget Tier 2 Elks
2	Patsey	Joel	1999	Prince George	Defense	L	6’2	200	Prince George Cariboo Cougars – BCMML
3	DeBruyn	Dylan	1999	Chilliwack	Defense	R	6’1	165	Fraser Valley Thunderbirds – BCMML
4	Gervais	Brevin	2000	Prince George	Defense	L	6′ 0	175	Prince George Midget Tier 1 Cougars
5	Russell	Landon	1999	Mission	Defense	R	6’0	165	Abbotsford Pilots – PJHL
6	Gervais	Jeremy	1999	Prince George	Defense	L	5’10	160	Prince George Cariboo Cougars – BCMML
7	Crossley	Austin	1999	Fort St. John	Defense	L	6’0	205	Kamloops Storm – KIJHL
8	Loring	Cory	1999	Alexis Creek	Forward	R	6’1	185	Williams Lake Tier 2 Timberwolves
9	Harris	Darian	1998	Ladysmith	Forward	L	5’8	179	Orangeville Ice Crushers
10	McLean	Spencer	1998	Montrose	Forward	L	5′ 9	165	Trail Smoke Eaters – BCHL
11	Gudjonson	Jake	1999	Golden	Forward	R	5’11	160	Golden Rockets – KIJHL
12	Wullum	Logan	1998	Creston	Forward	L	5′ 8	160	Creston Valley Thundercats – KIJHL
13	Brant	Ty	2001	Duncan	Defense	L	5’9	145	Shawnigan Lake School
14	Eddy	Keenan	1998	Duncan	Forward	L	5’10	190	Kerry Park Islanders – VIJHL
16	DuBois	Chase	1998	Williams Lake	Forward	R	5’9	145	Prince George Cariboo Cougars – BCMML
18	Ghostkeeper	Tyson	1998	Prince George	Forward	L	5’11	170	Prince George Midget Tier 1 Cougars
19	DuBois	Daine	1999	Williams Lake	Forward	L	5’9	165	Prince George Cariboo Cougars – BCMML
21	Delorme	Haydn	2000	Port Moody	Forward	R	5’11	171	North East Chiefs Coquitlam – BCMML
22	Ignace	Ryan	1998	Savona	Forward	L	5’10	170	Sicamous Eagles – KIJHL
23	Joe	Ethan	2000	Vernon	Defense	L	6′ 1	230	Vernon Midget Vipers
30	Paul	Daniel	1998	West Kelowna	Goaltender	L	5’10	185	North Okanagan Knights – KIJHL

 

Head Coach – Joe Quewezance, Kelowna, BC
Asst. Coach – Shane Gottfriedson, Kamloops, BC
Asst. Coach – Kevin Ned, Westbank, BC
Manager – Tana Mussell, Chilliwack, BC
Trainer – Ben Guidolin, Vancouver, BC

National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC)
The NAHC provides a forum for elite Midget age Aboriginal hockey players from across Canada. The event aids in fostering cultural unity and pride and celebrates the athletic abilities of Aboriginal hockey players from across the country. Team BC is represented by two teams, one male and one female, which are both composed of the top players from across the Province.
 
For more information about Team BC – 2016 NAHC, and the Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Partners Council, visit www.teambcnahc.com or facebook.com/ASRPAPartnersCouncil, or contact:
 
Aboriginal Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Partners Council
Lara Mussell Savage         Director, Sport
Alissa Derrick                    Team BC Coordinator
Email:                                teambc@bcaafc.com
Phone:                              1.800.990.2432 (toll-free) or 250.388.5522