Nunavut hits the ice at Arctic Winter Games
Under-19 female, under-18 male hockey teams drop opening games in round robin tournament on 1st day of Whitehorse Games
Mika Simic of Nunavut’s U19 female hockey team circles the offensive zone during a game against Team Alberta at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon on Sunday, March 8, 2026. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Updated March 9 at 5 p.m. ET
Two Nunavut hockey teams hit the ice at the Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse on Sunday, even before the event’s opening ceremony was held.
Nunavut’s U19 female hockey team huddles before their game against Team Alberta at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon on Sunday. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatsiaq News)
In a matchup that coincided with International Women’s Day, Nunavut’s under-19 female team faced off against Alberta. The Nunavut squad lost the first game of the four-game round robin tournament, 8-5.
Kylie Ipeelie-Dunphy led Nunavut with three goals and one assist, while Jordyn Machmer and Pearl Uluqsi also scored, according to results posted on the Arctic Winter Games website.
On Monday, Nunavut defeated Alaska 6-2. Ipeelie-Dunphy and Machmer each scored twice for Nunavut, while Rihanna Qamaniq and Raina Armstrong added singles.
Earlier on Sunday morning, Nunavut’s under-18 male team also played, losing 8-1 to the Northwest Territories. Cam Kaludjak scored the lone goal for Nunavut, which plays its next game Monday night against the Yukon.
The first game for Nunavut’s under-15 male hockey team is Monday at 4 p.m. MST (7 p.m. EST).
Nunavik does not have a hockey team in any of the three hockey categories.
Hockey action takes place at the Takhini Arena in Whitehorse.
Takhini Arena in Whitehorse is the venue for hockey competition at the Arctic Winter Games that got underway Sunday. (Photo by Dustin Patar, special to Nunatsiaq News)
Nunavut is sending 313 participants to the Arctic Winter Games, including 219 athletes competing in 14 sports.
Nunavik’s team includes 58 athletes.
Hockey is one of 20 sports athletes compete in at the Games, which are held every two years. Other sports include curling, badminton, and wrestling.
The Arctic Winter Games bring 2,000 participants together from eight circumpolar regions — Nunavut, Nunavik, Alaska, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Greenland and the Sápmi region of Scandinavia.
Note: This story was updated to include the names of goal scorers for Nunavut’s hockey teams.
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