Record-breaking Little NHL tournament wraps up for another year
By Sam Laskaris
MARKHAM – Another chapter in the long history of the Little Native Hockey League tournament has concluded.
The 51st annual event, often simply called the Little NHL, concluded on Mar. 13. The five-day tourney, which attracted a record 270 clubs, was primarily held at rinks in Markham. Arenas in nearby communities were also utilized for some matches.
Chico Ralf, the president of the Little NHL executive, deemed this year’s tournament a success.
“We had a few glitches, of course,” Ralf said. “That happens every year, but we always manage to work through it, keep going, and moving forward. And if you were at the tournament, you could see all the smiling faces, all the happy people that enjoyed the tournament.”
This year’s record number of participating clubs surpassed the previous high of 245 squads from the 2024 tournament, also primarily staged in Markham.
Ralf wouldn’t be surprised to see another record established next year.
“Who knows what will happen,” he said. “But after talking with many people from many teams, I could see us growing more. They are talking about bringing more teams. So, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Ralf added he’s amazed at how much the event has grown. The Little NHL was first held in 1971 in Little Current, the largest town on Manitoulin Island. That inaugural tournament attracted 17 boys’ teams.
“In my whole dreams of the Little NHL, I would never think that we would reach 270 teams,” Ralf said. “That’s just astonishing to me. I’m so happy with it.”
Ralf is also thrilled with the number of girls’ squads that now compete at the tourney. This year’s event featured another record with 48 female clubs taking part.
Ralf said there were plenty of other highlights at this year’s event. For example, several former National Hockey League players who are Indigenous attended the event.
This list includes the father-and-son tandem of Reggie and Jamie Leach, who were both members of Stanley Cup championship squads.
Others in attendance were Garden River First Nation member Ted Nolan, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach for his work with the Buffalo Sabres during the 1996-97 campaign. Nolan’s sons Jordan and Brandon, who both played in the NHL, were also at the tourney. Jordan Nolan is a three-time Stanley Cup champ.
Other ex-pros who took in some of the action were Dan Frawley, Jordin Tootoo, and Jonathan Cheechoo.
Also, officials from the Hockey Hall of Fame brought in various championship trophies, including the Stanley Cup, and organized various displays during two days of the tournament.
“Normally, they would only come for one day and sometimes it was just the afternoon,” Ralf said of previous years Hall of Fame reps would bring in championship hardware to display. “But we had them for two days this year and a longer time-frame so our people could manage to get there and see them. The tournament is so hectic. You almost have to pick what day you’re going because you’re so busy going around and watching all your family members playing.”
Though this year’s tourney was mostly in Markham, it was hosted by the Chippewa Tri-Council, which consists of Chippewas of Rama First Nation, Beausoleil First Nation, and Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation.
At the opening ceremonies of this year’s tournament, it was announced that Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory would host the Little NHL in both the 2026 and 2027. Those two events will once again be primarily contested at Markham arenas.