Advertisement

Moving hockey games upsets First Nations leaders

Some First Nations leaders are speaking out against sanctions placed on a Junior B hockey team.

The Keystone Junior Hockey League relocated home games of the Norway House North Stars to Gimli, Man., a road trip that takes about eight hours.

The move, implemented in early March, was in response to rowdiness, including fighting, in the stands of the Norway House arena.

But Ron Evans, chief of the community, is criticizing the league's move.

"Why should we continue to compromise our home games, when there's no valid reason to?" Evans told CBC News. "Because they're not afraid to play our team, but they don't want to play them in Norway House."

An oversight body, Hockey Manitoba, is looking into the situation.

Meanwhile, calls by CBC News to league officials were not immediately returned.

Gimli is about 380 kilometres south of Norway House. However, road travel between the two communities takes a much longer route.