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The National Aboriginal Hockey Championship鈥檚 games will begin on Tuesday. The contingents, all 18 boys are girls teams made up of the best Aboriginal hockey players in the bantam and midget-age categories will get their practice time today at either Takhini Arena or the Canada Games Centre.

The Championship will bring exciting, high-quality hockey to Whitehorse. There will also be exciting opportunities for those who can鈥檛 make it to the capital. BC Hockey in partnership with the Vancouver Canucks, Air North, and the Yukon Government Sport and Recreation Branch will be bringing the Air North National Aboriginal Hockey Championship School Tour to four surrounding communities.

On Saturday at Takhini, 30 kids who had never played organized hockey before, learned the basics of skating and hockey. The local coaches who were helping were joined on the ice by Vancouver Canucks alumni Dave Babych and Jyrki Lumme.

The Canucks鈥� mascot Fin also joined the youth on the ice to lend a 鈥渉and鈥�.

It is the first time the Vancouver Canucks Learn to Skate program has been held in Whitehorse.

As the 30 participants took to the ice outfitted in their new gear, provided to them as part of the program, there was some falls and some nervousness. For some, it was their first time stepping onto ice.

After they had done a few laps they were called to the centre of the rink to be introduced to Lumme and Babych.

鈥淒id you ever win a Stanley Cup,鈥� yelled one young athlete to Babych.

鈥淣o. But thanks for reminding me,鈥� he responded through a laugh.

Babych, who played defence for the Canucks for seven seasons, has been a part of the Learn to Skate program for three years. It was his first time back in the Yukon in 30 years.

鈥淚 love it up here, it鈥檚 the way it should be,鈥� said Babych. 鈥淚 really like this type of area.鈥�

He said hitting the rink with the young kids is always a good time.

鈥淲e always have fun out here,鈥� said Babych. 鈥淲hen the first kid came out 鈥� and some of them it鈥檚 their first time on the ice and you鈥檙e thinking 鈥極K this is going to be a tough one鈥�. But then all of a sudden you work with them, you kind of have to get them engaged.

鈥淪ome of them are shy and might not have friends out here yet, but that鈥檚 what hockey is all about. Once they get out here and see the other kids going, even if they can鈥檛 go that hard, they just get their feet wet. By the end of it, they were all skating real well. They had smiles on their faces and no one was on the bench.鈥�

When it comes to teaching first timers the game Babych said it is important to make them feel comfortable on the ice.

鈥淚t鈥檚 probably the first thing you have to do,鈥� said Babych. 鈥�(They need to) know they aren鈥檛 going to come out here and get judged, even by the other kids. They are all in the same boat. They are all nervous, you know, they鈥檝e got this beautiful new equipment and I think they are thrilled about that, but now it鈥檚 time to get on the ice.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the idea. Get them the equipment, get them on the ice and get them to experience the team atmosphere of hockey and create friends that way.鈥�

By creating that fun team atmosphere the hope is that the kids will get inspired and continue with the sport.

鈥淓xactly, and you know, keep them out of trouble,鈥� said Babych.

鈥淛yrki is here with me and we鈥檝e been friends ever since we played. It doesn鈥檛 matter what league your in or anywhere. Even kids I played with when I was younger 鈥� still friends with them.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something that is a conduit of life. It doesn鈥檛 necessarily have to be hockey, it could be any sport or any kind of group. It鈥檚 just a matter of taking that first step and getting involved.鈥�

Even if the kids at the Learn to Skate clinic on Saturday don鈥檛 stick with hockey Babych hopes that maybe it is the start of friendships.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 about. If I wasn鈥檛 in hockey I wouldn鈥檛 know him,鈥� said Babych while gesturing to Lumme, 鈥渟ome Finnish guy from across the world.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 different. It doesn鈥檛 matter if your playing baseball or playing soccer there is all the same characters. There is a couple goofy guys, a few quiet people and then you learn how to be good teammates and work together.鈥�

Lumme, a defenceman, spent nine seasons with the Canucks. During his tenure with the organization, he was named the club鈥檚 annual top defenceman four times. He became the team鈥檚 all-time top goal- and point-scoring defenceman (but was surpassed by Mattias Ohlund in 2007). He was also part of the team鈥檚 run to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.

It was Lumme鈥檚 first time in the Yukon.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great so far,鈥� said Lumme. 鈥淚t鈥檚 too bad we can鈥檛 stay longer.鈥�

Lumme, like Babych, has been a part of the Learn to Skate program for three years. He said watching the kids progression is something special.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see these kids,鈥� said Lumme. 鈥淚t looks like it (that they are having fun). I hope that鈥檚 the case. It鈥檚 great to see them. Over the years, the kids, four/five-year-olds, first time on the ice and they are falling all over the place. They learn quick. It鈥檚 unbelievable how quick they learn.鈥�

Lumme said it was nice to see the kids be so receptive to the coaching as well as getting involved in the game.

鈥淵eah and some of them were probably wondering 鈥榳ho the hell are these guys?鈥� But it鈥檚 great,鈥� said Lumme. 鈥淲e both grew up, he (Babych) grew up in Edmonton, I grew up in Finland, so we were skating outdoors and hockey was a big deal. It鈥檚 great to see kids getting into the sport.鈥�

He hopes the Learn to Skate program gives the kids a good foundation to start and then stay in hockey.

鈥淓xactly, and it鈥檚 happening,鈥� said Lumme. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to a lot of people all around the lower mainland and a lot of these kids who have signed up for Learn to Skate they鈥檝e stayed with hockey.

鈥淥bviously hockey is expensive so they get a set of gear with the Canucks logo so they look cool. Hopefully, a lot of them stay and play hockey. It鈥檚 a great sport. You don鈥檛 have to be overly competitive, just to play is great. Hopefully, they stay within the game.鈥�

Lumme agreed there was some talent out on the ice for them to pick up the fundamentals so quickly.

鈥淥h yeah, but it all comes down to how much you enjoy it,鈥� said Lumme. 鈥淚f you enjoy it you work hard. Sure, it鈥檚 not for everybody and also some kids are so scared for the first time and they don鈥檛 want to get on the ice.

鈥淏ut after a couple of times they get used to it and with all the gear falling down is no big deal. We all fall down all the time, get up and go.鈥�

After their time on the ice, the new hockey players lined the boards near the benches and got autographs from Babych, Lumme, and Fin.

Stacie Couch of BC Hockey helped bring the Learn to Skate program to Whitehorse and will be travelling to the communities as part of the School Tour.

She said in B.C., and places outside of the lower mainland, kids tend to register for hockey after doing Learn to Skate.

鈥淔or sure,鈥� said Couch. 鈥淓specially when we go to smaller communities or take it outside of the lower mainland and bring it places like Whitehorse; we have also been to Ashcroft and Hazelton.

Those places have definitely seen an increase in their registration the following year. Hopefully, Whitehorse will as well.鈥�

Starting today, representatives from BC Hockey, the NAHC and the Yukon Government will be travelling to Carmacks to give youth at Tantalus Community School the opportunity to learn hockey through floorball.

The kids and the schools involved will get a demonstration on basic hockey skills, a deliverable educational program and the donation of a set of floorball equipment for the children to continue to learn hockey skills and remain physically active.

Couch said it鈥檚 about giving the kids in the communities the opportunity to play.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 exactly it,鈥� said Couch. 鈥淪ome of these small communities, they have to travel to play hockey. If we leave floorball at their school then they can play during gym, they can play after-school during after school programs and don鈥檛 have to travel and still get to play the game Canada loves to play.鈥�

Although they have not yet been to the communities, or all of them, Couch said the reception to the program has been positive.

鈥淰ery positive, very excited to have us up here,鈥� said Couch. 鈥淓ven talking to parents here they can鈥檛 believe something like this has come to Whitehorse and have their kids involved.鈥�

Once the School Tour is done in Carmacks this afternoon it will head back to Whitehorse for the Kwanlin D眉n First Nation After School Program.

Tuesday, it will be in Carcross, Wednesday in Teslin and Thursday in Pelly Crossing.

All 18 teams competing in the 2019 NAHC will have their opportunity to practice today.

Round-robin play will begin tomorrow. The female Team North team will have two games. They start their tournament against B.C. at 11 a.m., at Takhini. Following the opening ceremonies at 8 p.m., the team will be back on the ice to play Saskatchewan - both at Takhini.

The male Team North team has a bye on Tuesday and start their tournament on Wednesday with two games. Their first game is against Ontario at 11 a.m., then against Manitoba at 8:30 p.m., both games are at Takhini Arena.