The Norway House Bruins have claimed the 2026 Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship after a 5-3 victory over the Red Pheasant Snipers in Saskatoon on May 17, 2026. This win marks the third time the team has taken home the national title, with previous championships in 2018 and 2022.
Following the final game, Hockey Manitoba and leaders from the Norway House Cree Nation shared messages of support for the team. Chief Season Roulette, along with Councillors Tim Folster and Alfred Laugher, expressed community pride in the Bruins for their performance during the national tournament.
The tournament is named in honour of Fred Sasakamoose, who was the first Indigenous person with Treaty status to play in the National Hockey League. Sasakamoose appeared in 11 games with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1953-54 season. He was a survivor of the residential school system, having endured abuse at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan starting at age six.
First established in 2016 as an invitational tournament with eight teams, the event has since grown into a national championship. It officially adopted its current name in 2019 to recognize the legacy of Sasakamoose.
The Norway House Cree Nation is located on the Playgreen Lake section of the Nelson River system in Manitoba, and serves as the home base for the Bruins, who continue to represent the community in senior men’s hockey.
