278 Teams Compete in 30th Annual Native Hockey Provincial Championships

Native Hockey Alberta Championships player from Enoch (Photo Credits - Daniel Barker-Tremblay)

The puck has dropped on one of the most highly anticipated events in Indigenous sport, as the 2025 Native Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships officially kicked off on April 3 for the three-day tournament in various arenas across Edmonton. The tournament celebrates 30 years of competition and community pride, cultural identity, and the enduring spirit of Indigenous hockey in Alberta.

Joseph Busch, Directory of Operations of the Native Hockey Alberta Championships, spoke with CFWE as he highlights day one and two of the tournament, and speaks on the tournament’s humble beginnings to the magnitude of the event that it is today, seeing 278 teams competing from Treaties 6, 7 and 8, along with the Metis Nation of Alberta.

Joseph Busch, Directory of Operations of the Native Hockey Alberta Championships (Photo Credits – Daniel Barker-Tremblay)

Busch highlights the strong sense of community fostered by the tournament, as children and parents come together to cheer on their loved ones competing in various arenas throughout Edmonton.

Junior B Elites Kainai Goodstrikers vs High Prairie Red Wings at the Native Hockey Alberta Championships (Photo Credits – Daniel Barker-Tremblay)

Busch emphasizes that the tournament is a celebration of Indigenous hockey, expressing hopes that both the players and the community leave with a strong sense of pride from being part of the Native Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships.