Nunavut hockey team travels 250 km by snow machine for tournament

Arviat hockey team (Source: Robert Karetak)

A Nunavut-based hockey team has redefined the meaning of the hockey tournament road trip.

The team from Arviat (formerly known as Eskimo Point) took to their snow machines on Tuesday for an approximate 11-hour journey along the Hudson Bay coastline, to take part in the Walter Lundy Memorial hockey tournament in Churchill, Man.

“This is how they do it; They roll in on snowmobiles and the other teams arrive on train or plane and they’re the ones with delays,” said Heather Botelho, tournament organizer.

The hockey tournament is back this year after an eight-year hiatus. It was first played in 2011 as a way of honouring Botelho’s grandfather Walter Lundy, also known as Geronimo.

He was an accomplished hockey player who was well known and respected throughout the north.

“The young men that are here today, their fathers and grandfathers and families all know Walter Lundy and that’s what this tournament is about,” said Botelho.

Robert Karetak was part of the six machine convoy that made its way from Arviat to a community welcome party at the Churchill River flats about 250 km away.

“The trail can be rough in some areas and it changes every year,” said Karetak. “There’s a lot of river systems in between and can affect where the trail is.”

For some, it was a repeat journey but for others a first.

Despite temperatures in the -25 C range, Karetak said some team members broke a sweat with sunshine and a trailing wind helping them along.

To be safe, the sleds carried necessary survival gear like tents and hunting equipment in case weather or mechanical issues left them stranded.

Another group followed behind, but they weren’t so lucky in their route of choice.

“I should have gone with those guys. My mistake,” said Arviat resident Ronnie Suluk.

He made the trek to Churchill to play for the Cross Lake Chiefs after not being drafted by his hometown.

“They’re in trouble,” said Suluk.

He was joined by his uncle and a cousin’s boyfriend. Their trip took about 16 hours.

“The last 50, 60 miles we were travelling over bare ice so we had to stop quite often to cool down the snowmobiles,” Suluk said.

The tournament could not have come at a better time for both men. With the pandemic limiting playing time over the past couple of years, both players were itching to get some competitive ice time.

Their choice of tournament transport was limited to flights or snow machines. Had they flown, their journey would not only have been more expensive, but it might also have even taken longer.

Flight routes would have forced the players to fly from Arviat to Rankin Inlet to Winnipeg and then to Churchill. While a shorter flight may have helped with an increased roster size, the other option was more appealing.

It offered the players the opportunity to return to their community with supplies like lumber and propane, which can be more expensive at home.

The tournament runs through the weekend. The Arviat team has split its first two games with a win and a loss while the Chiefs are 0-1.

“We haven’t won yet. My team plays (Arviat) tomorrow. I know all the guys. I’ve been playing with them for years,” Suluk said. “We’re friends and family right now, but game time, it’s going to be a different story altogether.”