Nunavut youth brings home hockey gold

Daniel McKitrick, originally from Coral Harbour but now living in Thunder Bay, Ont., holds a gold medal from the Canadian Junior A national hockey championships. The 19-year-old’s team, the Cobourg Cougars, are this year’s national RBC Cup winners. (PHOTO COURTESY B. MCKITRICK)

As of last week, a Welcome to Coral Harbour sign also reads: 2017 RBC Cup Champion.

Daniel McKitrick, a 19-year-old hockey player from Coral Harbour, brought home a gold medal for his win, May 21, in the Canadian Junior A national championships.

His Ontario Junior Hockey League team, the Cobourg Cougars, won the final game of the RBC Cup with a score of 3-2 in overtime against Alberta’s Brooks Bandits.

“When we tied it up with a minute and 20 seconds left in the game the whole arena went nuts,” McKitrick said.

The players went on to take gold in overtime.

“Our team battled hard all year, to win was something special,” he told Nunatsiaq News.

But the team’s 3-1 semi-final win against B.C.’s team, the Penticton Vees, also made McKitrick proud.

“We were down one-nothing and it was a power play going into the second period,” he said.

McKitrick scored during the power play.

“I think the other team had a lot of momentum, [but] after that goal we got on a roll and won the semi,” he said.

In addition to praise from his home community of roughly 890 people, McKitrick got a shout-out from NHL player Jordin Tootoo of the Chicago Blackhawks who is originally from Rankin Inlet.

“He said, ‘Congratulations on winning the RBC and don’t let it [distract you] from training hard this summer. Good luck next season,” McKitrick said, quoting Tootoo.

Tootoo also told McKitrick young players like him have paved the way for even more Inuit to play hockey in the South.

“He said he’s very proud,” said McKitrick, who looks up to Tootoo as a role model in hockey, along with players like Johnny Gaudreau and Sidney Crosby.

McKitrick, a Leafs fan, who moved to Thunder Bay, Ont. in Grade 5 to go to school and play hockey, has been on the ice since he was just a boy.

“My dad would make a rink every year. That’s all we would do, is play hockey,” said McKitrick.

After a few hunting trips for geese, seal and caribou around Coral Harbour, McKitrick will head back for training in Thunder Bay with his personal trainer.

“I’ll be on the ice all summer,” he said.

His next goal: to play university hockey in Canada or college hockey in the United States.