“Let’s go Owls!”: Gjoa Haven wins gold at Kitikmeot Cup

Chants of “Let’s go Owls! Let’s go!” rang out in Taloyoak as the Gjoa Haven Snowy Owls captured the 2026 Kitikmeot Cup last Sunday with an 8-0 victory in the final.

The Snowy Owls took gold at the regional tournament, while Kugaaruk’s Aqvilikruaq earned silver and the host team Taloyoak Trail Blazers claimed bronze.

“It was a fun weekend. It means so much,” said head coach Michael Jewell.

“We prepared all year for this, and to do it in such a dominant fashion, 8-0, I don’t think it has ever been done before. So we also made a little history for our community.”

The win marks the senior men’s team’s second title in April, following their C-division championship at the Yellowknife Recreational Hockey Easter Tournament on April 5. It was their first victory there since 2014.

Despite having no ice time at home leading into the tournament due to arena repairs in Gjoa Haven, the Snowy Owls found their rhythm after the first few games, Jewell said.

The team’s alternate captain Joseph Okpakok was the tournament MVP and longtime goalie Darryl Kogvik earned the Best Goalie award.

Okpakok said the MVP recognition reflects a full team effort.

“I couldn’t do it without the help of my teammates,” he said in an interview.  “The leaders were locked in, the goalie was locked in, and it really brought the whole team together.”

Support from Gjoa Haven residents was visible throughout the tournament, with many making the roughly 135-kilometre trip to Taloyoak by snowmobile.

“It almost felt like a home game,” Jewell said. “It was a beautiful sight to see our fans in the crowd.”

A community celebration is being planned in Gjoa Haven for Friday, with the hamlet’s recreation department organizing a feast, parade and possibly a live band to mark the team’s recent successes.

The celebration will also recognize other local achievements in April, including a gold-medal finish in volleyball for the Snowbirds at the Waylon Nahaglulik Memorial Tournament in Gjoa Haven and a bronze-medal performance by the junior boys Snowy Owls at the same tournament.

These wins came during a challenging period for the community. Residents are still dealing with a prolonged boil water advisory that was exacerbated in early April by a blizzard and multi-day power outage.

“It means a lot to us to end the season this way ,and it gives me goosebumps and I almost shed a tear because we really made our community proud,” said Jewell.

Okpakok said he is looking forward to next season, mostly to get back together on the ice with his team.

“We’re all close friends and a tight-knit group, so the games have really brought us together,” he said.