A Chilliwack youth will be one of the goaltenders for Team B.C. at the upcoming National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.
A roster of 20 players and three alternates was announced Monday (May 9).
Darian Moberly, a 2005-born stopper, is one of two goalies. He’ll share the crease with 2006-born netminder Landon Garbitt from Horse Lake First Nation.
Moberly earned his spot with a standout performance at a three-day selection camp that was held April 8-10 in Chilliwack, with 147 male and female players competing for 40 roster spots (20 per team).
Now, Moberly heads to the other side of Canada. The NAHC will take place May 7 to 14 at Membertou First Nation in Nova Scotia.
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“Congratulations to all our Team B.C. players, coaches, and staff participating in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships,” said Rick Brant, CEO of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC). “Due to the pandemic, it has been two years since the NAHC was held and we are all excited to see these talented hockey players hit the ice.
“Our three-day selection camp showcased an amazing level of talent from across the province. We are very pleased with our rosters and the strengths of our two teams as they get set to compete in Membertou.”
The last time the NAHC was held was 2019 in Whitehorse, Yukon and Team B.C.’s males captured bronze.
Team B.C. begins this year’s tournament against the North on May 9, followed by two games on May 10 against the Eastern Door & North and then the Atlantic. Moberly’s crew finishes the preliminary round against Saskatchewan on May 11.
Quarter-finals take place on May 12, followed by the semi-final round on May 13, and bronze and gold medal games on May 14.
The Aboriginal Sport Council (ASC) established the NAHC in 2002 to serve as the premiere competition for young Indigenous hockey players in Canada. It provides a forum for elite 13 to 17-year-old Indigenous male and female youth. It attracts participation from First Nation, Inuit and Metis across thirteen provinces and territories.