Inaugural coaching experience ends with Little NHL championship
By Sam Laskaris
UNIONVILLE – Terrence Waddilove might want to start looking at coaching a bit more seriously because the first time behind the bench for the Munsee-Delaware Nation member proved to be hugely successful.
Waddilove served as a co-coach for the Oneida Nation girls’ under-11 house league squad at this year’s Little Native Hockey League tournament.
Waddilove’s charges ended up winning their category at the tournament, often simply called the Little NHL.
Oneida Nation defeated the Six Nations-based Grand River Spirit 5-2 in its championship match, held on Thursday at the Angus Glen Community Centre in Markham.
This year’s five-day Little NHL tourney attracted a record 271 teams from across the province. The Little NHL, first held in 1971, has become the largest First Nations youth hockey tournament in the province.
“It means everything,” Waddilove said of the fact his squad won its division this year. “I played in this tournament from the time I was a Tyke until I was in Midget, going to places like Espanola and Sudbury and with my dad.”
Waddilove never managed to win a Little NHL championship during his own playing days.
He was asked to step behind the Oneida Nation bench this year, in part because his daughter Braxtyn Lucas-Waddilove is on the squad.
“I was more than honoured and happy to do it,” he said. “And to have the girls come together as a team, all at once, and play as hard as they did, I’m so proud of them. Each and every one of them.”
Waddilove admits the team’s coaching staff did have high expectations for its team coming into the tournament.
“We didn’t want to set them too high,” he said. “But we expected the girls to play their best and play as a team. And we had some strong players that were returning from last year. So, we had a really good base. The expectations were high. But we didn’t want to put too much pressure on the girls. We wanted them to have fun and make some good memories. And I think they did.”
The Oneida Nation club enjoyed a comfortable 4-0 lead in the third period of its final match, yet the match still turned into a nail-biter.
Grand River scored a pair of late goals to cut the deficit in half. The Spirit also had a late powerplay advantage, which it failed to capitalize on. Oneida Nation added a goal of its own with one second left in the contest.
“I could feel my blood pressure going through the roof and checking my heart rate on my watch,” Waddilove said of the final moments of the game. “But I’m glad the girls pulled it out.”
And not just in the final.
“They pushed through so much and they came together and they showed a lot of perseverance,” he said. “I’m just so proud of them right now. It’s so surreal.”
Though this was his first time coaching the Oneida Nation entry, Waddilove’s daughter has played in the Little NHL annually since she was at the Under 7 level.
“So, this year is definitely going to be very special,” he said.
Even more so because he played a key role as well.
“I’m just proud that I was asked to help out,” he said. “And I wanted to do the best I could.”
This marked the 52nd year the Little NHL has been staged. The tournament has been held annually since its inception, except for three years during the COVID-2019 pandemic, 2020 through 2022, when it was deemed unsafe to hold a large gathering.
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory served as the host for this year’s tourney, which was primarily staged in Markham. Rinks at nearby communities were also utilized during the event.
Wiikwemkoong is also slated to host the 2027 Little NHL.