Repulse Bay wins Rankin Inlet’s Sakku First hockey tournament

When Rankin Inlet Miners’ forward Pujjuut Kusugak tied up the March 18 championship game with a short-handed goal in the second period, they thought they had a chance.

But it wasn’t enough to secure the coveted Sakku First Avataq Cup, which Repulse Bay went on to win with a 6-3 victory.

It was Repulse Bay’s first top-place finish at the 11-year-old tournament, hosted in Rankin Inlet March 14 to 18.

But if Repulse Bay’s victory was sweet, the Miners’ second place finish was bitter for the Avataq’s Cup’s host team and defending champions.

“We had good momentum when we tied it up, but then we just let up after that,” said Kusugak, also mayor of Rankin Inlet. “It’s a disappointment, especially since we’ve only lost two [championships] in the last seven years.”

But Kusugak and the rest of the community won’t let the loss weigh too heavily on them – not during one of the region’s most celebrated tournaments.

The Sakku First Avataq Cup brought out its usual full crowds and “great atmosphere” that translated into crafts sales, bingo nights and community celebrations outside of the arena.

Inside the arena, “every game is packed,” Kusugak said, adding that even more people would come out to watch if they could fit into Rankin’s crowded rink bleachers.

“The tournament’s been getting tougher, and players are getting better and better,” he said. “It’s amazing to watch and makes for great entertainment.”

This year, the Avataq Cup seemed to draw more attention than in years past, with media reports in southern Canadian newspapers and hits on the tournament’s website from around the globe.

Kusugak credits the interest to social media — fans were sharing hockey scores over Facebook, while the tournament’s webmaster Brian Tattuinee reported the games’ play-by-play live on Twitter.

Some of the games were also broadcast across Nunavut over CBC radio. But Kusugak said that he hopes the tournament can be broadcast through television or Internet eventually, when the technology allows it.

The Avataq Cup got off to a slow start when blizzard warnings cancelled the flights of a number of the 10 teams scheduled to participate in the tournament.

Two neighbouring teams — Whale Cove and Chesterfield Inlet — finally decided to snowmobile to Rankin Inlet to take part March 16, battling gusting winds and low visibility.

Only one team — Coral Harbour — didn’t make it this year due to poor weather.

The 2012 Avataq Cup also hosted teams from Baker Lake, Arviat, and Iqaluit, who finished in third position.

See the full results at www.rankinhockey.com.