Battle for the Bay

In a stunning come-from-behind victory, the Cree Nation Jr Trappers defeated the Moose Cree Scrappers 4-3 in overtime to secure their first-ever national title at the National Indigenous Junior Hockey Championships held in Toronto July 16-19. In a gold medal game dubbed “The Battle for the Bay”, the two Cree teams from opposite coasts of James Bay left it all on the ice. The Jr Trappers faced off against a stacked Moose Cree team that included tournament MVP Sam McCue, a 7th-round draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024.  “Everyone was gunning for us, and we knew it was going to happen,” said Moose Cree coach Jordan Cheechoo. The defending champion Scrappers opening the scoring with an unassisted goal by McCue two minutes into the first period after a Trappers turnover in their zone. The Trappers tied the game just three minutes later on a goal by Chisasibi’s Jeffrey Kitty off a sweet centring pass by Ouje-Bougoumou forward Ivan Simard. McCue made the Cree Nation team pay for another defensive-zone turnover five minutes into the second period as the Moose Cree forechecking overpowered the Trappers. In a tight, back-and-forth, hard-hitting game, the Cree Nation Trappers tied it again when Chisasibi’s Zane Washipabano set up Mistissini forward Andrew Mark with a nice feed. Moose Cree captain Billy Biedermann gave his team a 3-2 lead in the third with a powerplay goal during a Trappers penalty for too many men. The Scrappers would make it 4-2 just 30 seconds later on another Trappers penalty. Through perseverance and tenacity, the Trappers scored two unanswered goals to force overtime. Then the ultimate drama: streaking Chisasibi forward Zane Washipabano split the defence to net the OT winner with a highlight-reel goal. As good as both teams were, Trappers goaltender Tre Altiman from Walpole Island First Nation was the story of the game, facing 22 shots in the third period to stave off the Scrappers’ relentless attack. Altiman played the 2025-26 season for the Leamington Flyers in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. “I got a lot of shots, a lot of action and that just makes it fun for me,” said Altiman, who was named the tournament’s top goalie. “I’m very competitive and I never give up. I’m focused and I believe my mental game is one of the best there is.” After winning gold at the 2025 NIJHC, the Scrappers team was coached again this year by Jordan Cheechoo, brother of famed NHLer Jonathan Cheechoo. “We came in ready with a strong team and made it right to the end. We met a really good team and they just outlasted us,” Cheechoo told the Nation. The coach added he was proud of his Scrappers and excited for the future of hockey in Moose Factory, noting there was “tons of good talent” at this year’s NIJHC. The tournament showcased top Indigenous prospects from across the country with 11 teams in the men’s category and four women’s teams. Legendary NHL coach Ted Nolan and Mervin Cheechoo, father of Jordan and Jonathan, were in attendance. “I’m still passionate about supporting my kids,” Mervin said. “I told Jordan I like the way you’re coaching; you’re pulling a lot of great moves out there. Keep it up.” Mervin stressed the importance of parental and fan support. He noted there was an improvement on last year’s tournament with more fan support, but he feels more can be done. “You see it in the adult tournaments,” he said. “But I would like to see the children and youth tournaments where it’s just packed. If we can get more of our community members coming out that would be great. We’ve got a lot of good talent out there and we need to keep encouraging our youth.” Tournament organizer Hockey Indigenous confirmed this year’s attendance was way up, with an estimated 180 spectators per day last year compared to 400 to 500 per day at this year’s championship. The men’s category standings had the Cree Nation Jr Trappers winning gold, the Moose Cree Scrappers with silver and the Blackfoot Confederacy Kakato’siiks winning bronze. The women’s category champions were the Wiki Rockets, with the One Nation Selects winning silver and Team Wabanaki winning bronze. Next year’s NIJHC will again take place in Toronto with the dates to be announced.