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Nationals move
Curt Styres has expanded his sports empire and now owns three professional sports franchises. The Six Nations businessman is now the sole owner of the Hamilton Nationals, a men’s field lacrosse team. The Nationals, who compete in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL), had spent the past two years playing out of Toronto. The team officially announced its relocation to Hamilton in early February. Styres was previously a part owner of the club. But now he owns the franchise exclusively. Styres also owns the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans and the Rochester Knighthawks, a box lacrosse squad that participates in the National Lacrosse League. The Nationals are one of six clubs that compete in the MLL. And they are the only Canadian entry in the league. Other squads that compete in the circuit are the Boston Cannons, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Denver Outlaws, Long Island Lizards and Rochester Rattlers. All teams play a 12-game regular season schedule, which runs from May through to August. The top four regular season finishers then advance to the playoffs. This year the MLL championship weekend will be staged Aug. 27 and 28 in Annapolis, Maryland. The Nationals will play their home contests at Ron Joyce Stadium, located at McMaster University. A year ago the Nationals’ roster included several Aboriginal players. Such is expected to be the case once again this season. The team has also a new coach with some Native connections. Regy Thorpe, whose ancestors were believed to be Mohawk, was introduced as the team’s new head coach this off-season. Thorpe is no stranger to Styres. From 2007 to 2009, he coached the Six Nations Junior A box lacrosse team that Styres has overseen.
Outdoor rink built
Little Buffalo, a small Aboriginal community in northern Alberta, can now boast about having its own outdoor hockey rink. Little Buffalo, which is located 100 kilometres northeast of Peace River, has about 500 Cree residents. The construction of the rink was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Alberta Federation of Labour, whose unions, including the Health Services Association of Alberta, helped raised $97,000. The unions are part of the National Union of Public and General Employees, which is one of the country’s largest labour organizations. It has more than 340,000 members. The groups involved came together to work on a project that would improve the lives of the oft-forgotten Aboriginal community.
Lacrosse summit
About 300 people from across North America converged in Six Nations in late January to take part in the Native American Youth Lacrosse Summit. The two-day event was staged at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29. Organizers billed the summit as the first time lacrosse players and officials could come together and discuss the state of the sport, of not only where it is but also where it is heading. This was believed to be the first time such a summit had been held for the Aboriginal lacrosse community. Representatives from various associations from across Canada and the United States were among those who took part in the summit. Besides discussions, the summit also included social events and an opportunity to see lacrosse players in action for those who were new or relatively newcomers to the sport.
Cowboys win tournament
British Columbia’s Ashcroft Cowboys took top honors at a long-running Aboriginal hockey tournament. The Cowboys edged a squad from Alberta’s Sarcee Nation 5-4 in the championship final of the 42nd annual Invitational Moccasin Hockey Tournament. The three-day event, which concluded on Feb. 13, was staged at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena in Merritt, B.C. This year’s tournament attracted 12 entrants from across B.C. and Alberta.
Saskatoon hosts nationals
The country’s top Aboriginal curlers will be coming to Saskatoon this April to decide national bragging rights. The 2011 National Aboriginal Curling Championships will be staged at the Granite Curling Club. The event runs from April 1 to April 3. Those looking to take part must register before March 25. Four divisions will be contested at the nationals, two for adults and two for youth. A maximum of 32 teams will be accepted into the men’s division. And there’s a 16-team limit in the mixed category, which features rinks with two female and two male players. The two youth categories are for those aged 16 and under. There will be both female and male divisions. Each grouping will have a maximum of eight teams. More information is available by emailing Louis Gardiner at l.gardiner@sasktel.net. or by calling him at (306) 833-2007.
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