The Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship takes place May 15 to 18 in Saskatoon (Fred Sasakamoose "Chief Thunderstick" National Hockey Championship/Facebook).

By Austin Mattes

Fred Sasakamoose Tournament

Onion Lake, Sweetgrass and Red Pheasant look to capture gold at National Championship

May 14, 2025 | 4:20 PM

Excitement is in the air as the annual Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship prepares to hit the ice again from May 15 to 18. The tournament includes 40 teams in the men’s division and eight in the women’s and will be played at four different arenas across Saskatoon. Both tournaments will begin on Thursday with the women crowning a champion on Saturday night, while the men will do the same on Sunday.

Among the teams playing in the tournament, three men’s and one women’s team from the Battlefords and surrounding area will be looking to take home the hardware: the Onion Lake Border Chiefs, Sweet Grass Broken Feathers, Red Pheasant Rebels and Red Pheasant Lady Rebels.

The tournament, named in honour of Fred Sasakamoose, the first Indigenous player with Treaty status to play in the NHL, has become a cornerstone event across Canada, not only showcasing top-tier hockey talent but also celebrating Indigenous identity and pride.

Onion Lake Border Chiefs

Going 0-3-1 in last year’s tournament, the Border Chiefs look to have a big bounce back in 2025. They’ve been placed in Pool C with the Kainai Braves from Southern Alberta, Fort McKay Braves out of Northeast Alberta, the Peguis Mohawks from Southern Manitoba and the Keeseekoose Rangers out of Saskatchewan. The Border Chiefs first game is on Friday, May 16 against Keeseekoose at 9 a.m. at the Rodd Hamm Arena.

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(Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship)

Sweetgrass Broken Feathers

Last year, Sweetgrass just came up short of getting into the win column, going 0-2-2 in pool play and now hope to improve for this year’s tournament. The Broken Feathers are in Pool A, along with the defending champions, Eagle Lake Chiefs from Northwestern Ontario, Rankin Inlet Falcons from Nunavut, La Ronge 89ers out of Northern Saskatchewan and the Akwesasne Wild from Southern Ontario. Sweetgrass’s first game is Thursday, May 15 at 9:00 a.m. against Eagle Lake at Merlis Belcher Place.

(Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship)

Red Pheasant Rebels

Despite going 1-2-1 in last year’s tournament, the Red Pheasant Rebels have a lot of promise going into this year and are feeling hot as they are just coming off a tournament win at the Jim Neilsen Invitational. The Rebels are placed in Pool E with the Cross Lake Islanders from Northern Manitoba, Sheshatshiu Mainlanders out of Newfoundland and Labrador, Sandy Bay Flying Feathermen from Northern Saskatchewan and the Chipewyan Prairie Wolves out of Northeast Alberta. Red Pheasant takes on Sheshatshiu in their first game on Thursday, May 15 at 9 p.m. at Merlis Belcher Place.

(Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship)

Red Pheasant Lady Rebels

After not losing a single game last year and being crowned as national champions, the Lady Rebels are expected to bring the same in 2025 with their deep skillful roster. This year, the Lady Rebels are in Pool A along with the Treaty 4 Ladies, Cross Lake Islanders and Fort Carlton Blackhawks. Their first game is Thursday, May 15 against Treaty 4, 3:15 p.m. at Merlis Belcher Place.

(Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship)

The finals for the women’s tournament is set for 9 p.m. Saturday at Merlis Belcher Place, while the men’s final will happen on Sunday at the same place and time.

Results and an updated schedule can be found on the tournament’s website.

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Austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @AustinMattes