A trio of South Okanagan athletes have been selected to play at the 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Alberta.
Hayden Wild from Penticton, as well as Samera Gabriel and Preston Gabriel from Oliver, will suit up for Team BC when the tournament heads to Grande Prairie, Alta., from May 6 to 12.
The trio represents three out of the six Okanagan Hockey Academy-based athletes to be selected to play for the team. Kate Streek from Kamloops, as well as Saddle Lake-based duo Sophia and Tiani Makokis, also play for the Penticton-based OHA and are heading to Alberta for the championships.
“We are very excited about the strong representation this year,” Jason Wild from the Okanagan Hockey Group wrote in an email.
Danica Maynard, who is originally from Osoyoos but now lives in Kelowna, was also selected for Team BC. The 17-year-old defender played out of OHA from 2020 to 2023 but spent this past season with Kelowna-based RINK Hockey Academy.
Team BC’s female team will play its three preliminary games against Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan from May 6 to 8, before the playoff stage begins on May 9.
Ontario captured the gold medal in 2023 when Winnipeg hosted the tournament.
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