The 27th annual Yukon native hockey tournament gets underway in Whitehorse Friday.

The tournament will feature five A division teams, 17 B division teams and four youth teams for a total of 26 four more teams than last year, when there were 22.

'We're really stretched for ice time,' said Yukon Indian Hockey Association (YIHA) president Steve Smith, who is also coaching the Southern Tutchone Selects in the A division, in an interview Thursday.

'The B division is going to be pretty much a dog fight. Teams are going to have their work cut out for them, especially if they lose. It's not a kind schedule.'

Smith said there is going to be stiff competition this year. There are six teams from Outside the territory two from Inuvik and one each from Williams Lake, B.C., Aklavik, Fort McPherson, N.W.T., and Fort Nelson, B.C.

This year's tournament will also feature three ex-NHL players in the lineup. Gino Odjick, John Chabot and Victor Mercredi are all coming to the territory this weekend with the McPhoo Gwitchin Nation.

Odjick, the most prominent player of the three, is an Algonquin aboriginal and has played 605 regular season games in the NHL, accumulating 137 points and 2,567 penalty minutes. Drafted to the NHL 86th overall by the Vancouver Canucks, Odjick played with Vancouver, Philadelphia, the New York Islanders and Montreal before he retired in 2001.

Chabot, who was recently an assistant coach with the Gatineau (Hull) Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is of Algonquin ancestry as well. Drafted 40th overall by the Montreal Canadians, he played in 508 games, accumulating 312 points with three different NHL clubs. Chabot toiled with Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit before heading to Europe to finish his playing career and retiring in 2001.

Mercredi is of Chippewa decent and was the first born-and-raised Northwest Territories player to be drafted and signed by the NHL. Drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Flames in 1973, he played two games in the NHL, recording no points. He toiled with several clubs in the minor leagues before hanging up his skates in 1979.

The McPhoo Gwitchin Nation is playing in the B division of the tournament, and thus they are only allowed one ex-professional player on the ice at one time. It is still unclear if the NHLers will be taking turns playing or if one of the players will be added to another team in the tournament.

Smith said YIHA is excited for a couple of reasons.

'One is, of course they're ex-NHLers, and of course with Gino Odjick a lot of the younger people remember him. And us older people, most of us remember John Chabot.'

Smith added ex-NHLers being here always adds to the tournament because somebody who normally would not attend the games might check them out now. He's also excited because having first nation ex-NHLers is even better.

'(It's) just so nice, not only for the young, young people but for first nation people as a whole,' he said. 'These people attained the highest level of hockey there is. It's good for the first nation people to see a positive. A lot of the time, so much ugliness is shown. It will be a good thing for our people to see these guys who have done it, they've beaten the odds and achieved their goals.'

While in Whitehorse, the three players will be delivering a hockey clinic for 32 randomly selected kids that are playing in the youth division of the tournament. They will also be attending a pizza party meet and greet that will involve all the youth in the tournament.

'We're thrilled to have such great role models attending out tournament,' said Smith.

The clinic is sponsored by the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle and Yukon Indian Hockey Association and takes place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Takhini Arena on Saturday April 3. The meet and greet will immediately follow the clinic. The public is more than welcome to come and watch the clinic and all the games in the tournament.

Games begin 8 a.m. Friday and run until 6 p.m. on Sunday. Day passes are available at the door.