Little NHL Cancelled For Third Straight Year

The Little NHL, Ontario’s largest and longest running hockey tournament for Indigenous youth has been cancelled, again, due to COVID-19 concerns.

“In these rapidly changing and unpredictable times, your health and safety has always been our top priority,” said LNHL President Marian Jacko in a release to participants. “I would like to thank the NFN LNHL Host Committee and the NFN Chief and Council for their leadership, their support, and their resilience. On behalf of the LNHL Executive, we express our heartfelt gratitude for their unwavering dedication and support for the Little NHL.”

This marks the third straight year that the Little NHL, which typically sees teams participating from Walpole Island First Nation and Delaware Nation, has been cancelled.

“While this isn’t the kind of three-peat anyone aspires to, the decision to cancel the tournament for the third year in a row was made entirely out of concern for the health and safety of First Nation communities across Ontario, especially those unequipped to deal with increased demands on already very limited resources,” said NFN Chief Scott McLeod.