The final day of competition in the 41st annual Yukon Native Hockey Tournament lived up to its expectations – and more – with the large crowds treated to thrilling games that went down to the wire.

The tournament hosted by the Yukon Indian Hockey Association had a total of 38 teams compete in this year’s tournament in six divisions.

Association president Michelle Dawson-Beattie said players from across the country have bound on Whitehorse to participate in the tournament and teams from communities representing interior and northern B.C. and the Northwest Territories.

“We have a team from Deline, N.W.T. They chartered a flight here,” Dawson-Beattie told the Star Sunday afternoon before the gold-medal games kicked off.

“We have these great players that are coming from Ontario and Saskatchewan to play in our tournament. The stakes are high when it comes to the final for sure and it’s so awesome to see.

“For the bigger divisions I think that it’s about the bragging rights. It’s a yearlong rivalry and the last couple of days things can get pretty intense and it’s going to be some great hockey tonight for the finals.”

And this intensity was on full display in the division finals at Takhini Arena. The final game of the tournament featured the A Division final between the C/A Storm and the K&D Outlaws. This division had four teams competing in a round- robin format with the top two teams advancing to the gold-medal game. Both the Outlaws and the Storm finished with two wins and a draw, as they tied each other 2-2.

In the rematch in front of a crowded Takhini Arena, the game was fast-paced and the energy electric from the opening puck drop. With the score tied 1-1 after the first, the Storm took control in the second adding two goals with Codie Peterson contributing on both with a goal and an assist.

With several power-play chances at the beginning of the third period, including an extended 5-on-3, the Outlaws were unable to capitalize and cut into the lead. But then with less than seven minutes to go, the Outlaws cut the lead in half and saw an opportunity.

With three minutes to go in the game, Anthony Kinistino picked up his own rebound to tie the game at three. Before the crowd was able to settle from that goal, the Outlaws struck again less than 30 seconds later to stun the Storm and take a 4-3 lead on a goal by Vern Smith. The K&D Outlaws would add an empty-netter to take the championship 5-3.

The B Division also saw the final game go down to the wire between the team from Deline, N.W.T. and Reign Lake.

The Deline Braves had a longer road to the final losing their opening game 7-1 to the Lower Post Wolfpack before going undefeated on their way to the final, beating the Wolfpack in a shootout in the semifinal.

In the final, Reign Lake led 1-0 into the third period where the flood gates opened on both sides and goals started to pour in.

The Braves scored three goals in a minute and 13 seconds to suddenly lead 3-1.

They would add another one to extend their lead to three, but Reign Lake kept pushing and led by Robbie Sidhu, tied the game at four with just over three minutes remaining. Only 10 seconds after the goal, they regained the lead and added an empty-net goal with nine seconds to go to stun the Deline team.

In the largest C Division with a total of 12 teams, The Carmacks Hawks made their way to the final with an undefeated run in the knockout round. They faced the Tu Lidlini Lightning who they faced earlier in the tournament. In the final, scoring came fast and frequently with the Lightning leading 2-1 after the first.

Leading 3-2 in the third, the Lightning increased their lead to win 5-3 and were led by Malachi Lavalee who scored a hat trick for the team.

This year’s C Division was different than in past years, said Dawson-Beattie noting they wanted to make it more community-based.

This year there was a team, the Nisutlin Bulls, made up of players from Teslin with six women on the team.

“That’s so awesome. That’s what we want to see,” Dawson-Beattie said. “That is the team that we’re kind of setting as an example.”

Numbers this year for the tournament were a little bit lower than in previous years, Dawson-Beattie said, with 38 teams compared to the usual 43 – which is the maximum number of teams the tournament can hold.

She said this is due to fewer teams in the youth and jamboree divisions because of B.C. provincial hockey championships and the Arctic Winter Games happening at the same time.

Dawson-Beattie said this tournament allows young players to compete on a larger competitive scale in front of large crowds.

“Well for me, I don’t have kids so I’m not a hockey mom but the reason I do it is to see these kids, like the way their face lights up when they step out onto that ice for the final game and they have the stands full of their friends and their family,” she said.

“This might be the largest scale that these kids will ever play on and for community-based players I think it’s so important and it’s such a significant milestone in their life. They look forward to it, so that’s why I do it and the sense of community that comes out of it, it’s so great to see.”

This was evident at the Youth Division final at the Canada Games Centre with the stands packed with passionate and supportive family members as the Jr. Tahltan Selects took on the Arctic Backhoe Warriors.

The Selects won the game 6-2 and were greeted with enthusiastic applause following the game in the Games Centre lobby as well as the parking lot with the honking of car horns as the team left the rink.

The Jamboree Division was won by the Tahltan Selects and the Nationals took the Old-timers Division final by a score of 4-1 over the Han Timberwolves.

With the 41st annual event coming to a close, Dawson-Beattie said it’s the community aspect that has kept it alive.

“It’s a great gathering. I can walk down this hall and know half the people in it. It’s just the sense of community. There’s people from up North that you don’t generally get to see and the only time you see them is at the tournament and it’s the sense of community I think and the sense of pride in their nation and in their team.”