Organizers finalizing Team Saskatchewan roster

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The 2006 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships will be held in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec from April 30 to May 6. The fifth annual tournament will attract participation from First Nations, Inuit and Metis Bantam/Midget hockey players from across the country.

The process of putting together Saskatchewan's entries for the tournament is well underway. Tryouts have been held on Montreal Lake Cree Nation and Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation and in Lebret. Now, it's just a matter of shortening down the roster for Team Saskatchewan's boys and girls teams.

"There will be nine girls and nine boys to each team representing every province and region," said Courage Bear, co-ordinator of games for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

Bear hopes to announce the members of the two teams by the end of February or early March.

"We are still going through evaluations to cut the number down to the required number of 20 players. We just want to give every player the chance to play so we can determine who will be on the team."

Both Saskatchewan teams were successful at last year's National Aboriginal Hockey Championships held in Miramichi, N.B. from April 17 to 23, coming home with bronze medals.