One athlete from the Penticton Indian Band and two more locals from the Métis Nation have been selected to play for Team BC at the upcoming National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Winnipeg, Man.
South Okanagan athletes Preston Gabriel, Danica Maynard and Hayden Wild were named to the team’s female roster following a province-wide selection camp last weekend in Kamloops.
I·SPARC is pleased to announce the official Team BC Male & Female Rosters for the Winnipeg 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC)! 🏒
— Team BC NAHC (@TeamBCNAHC) April 13, 2023
For more information, and I·SPARC's announcement, please visit the link below ⬇️https://t.co/Kzf1zjhrzX pic.twitter.com/UU71IPltoH
The trio plays out of the Penticton-based Okanagan Hockey Academy in the U17 and U18 age groups.
“Being able to represent B.C. and all three coming from the same program is quite a rare accomplishment,” said Jason Wild, a coach at OHA.
“It’s really amazing, and goes to show the quality of the program we have.”
While Gabriel is listed from the PIB, Maynard and Wild are from the Métis Nation British Columbia.
The prestigious nationwide tournament is entering its 20th year and is being played from May 7 to 13.
Gabriel, Maynard and Wild recently played for the OHA at the Penticton-hosted CSSHL Championships.
READ ALSO: Penticton to host 86 hockey teams across North America for CSSHL Championships
Maynard also appeared at the Canada Winter Games earlier this year in Prince Edward Island, while playing for B.C.’s female hockey team.
READ ALSO: 4 South Okanagan-based athletes heading to Prince Edward Island for 2023 Canada Games