The Yukon will be well-represented at the 2006 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), despite the fact the territory won't be sending a team of its own to the event.

Five Yukon athletes will play for Team B.C. at the championships, which will be held in Kahnawa:ke Mohawk Territory, outside of Montreal, from April 30-May 6.

Teslin's Jocelyn Boutilier and Old Crow's Miranda Charlie are both in their third year on the female team while Jessica Trotter of Haines Junction will suit up for the second year on the squad. Chris Gleason of Whitehorse will play on the B.C. male team for the second straight year while Xavier Quash, who resides in Lower Post, is hoping to make a big impression in his first year at the championships.

Three more Yukoners will attend the event, with Lisa Boutilier acting as the team manager for the female team, and Jean Gleason and Denise Trotter going along as chaperones.

The NAHC provide a forum for elite bantam and midget aged aboriginal hockey players, from within each of the 13 provinces and territories in Canada.

All of the local players attended camps last month in order to make the team. Boutilier, Charlie, Trotter and Gleason traveled to the main camp together as returning members from last year.

Quash went down on his own to regional tryouts earlier, accompanied by his grandfather. Once he made the regional team, he went to the main camp and was also selected to the squad.

'(The tryout camp) was a lot harder this year,' said Boutilier, in an interview from Teslin.

'There were a lot of good players.'

Asked what she felt was her strong point in camp, Boutilier said, 'I hope it was my aggression and passion for the game, that I did my best and tried my hardest.'

Dean Mastrangelo, an aboriginal sport developer with the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle, is familiar with most of the Yukoners who will be attending nationals. Mastrangelo expects them all to do fairly well in Quebec.

'Miranda is probably one of the older girls on the team, since she's 19, which is considered an overage player (an exception is made in the female division, allowing a maximum of five players up to the age of 20). She's more of an offensive-type, setup person. A couple of years ago, she was selected to the all-star team, so I expect her to do very well again.

'The one thing with her though, is she hasn't been on the ice as much this year because she's been in Old Crow. She hasn't played much organized hockey since the Arctic Winter Games.'

Boutilier, he said, will bring more leadership to the team this time around, even at the young age of 15. He described her as an 'in-your-face type player.' Trotter will be one of the younger players on Team B.C., at 14.

Mastrangelo pointed out all three females can score their fair share of goals Boutilier tied for the scoring lead in the Youth Jamboree division at this year's native hockey tournament but Trotter may have the most pure offensive talent.

'She's big and strong and she has a really good shot.'

B.C.'s female crew usually ranks around the middle of the pack, with Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan considered the teams to beat each year.

'I hope the competition is still just as tough as last year, except I hope the Quebec team is a little less strong,' Boutilier laughed. 'They beat us like 13-0 last year.

'But last year, we had so much fun. It's a great experience and it's something to remember when you're older. We finished seventh I think, but that didn't matter to us. We just went and had fun.'

On the male side, Gleason is hoping to repeat his performance from 2005, when he led B.C. in scoring and was named team MVP. He'll also be one of the oldest players on his team this time around, having just turned 18 this month. Gleason was also the leading scorer for the Whitehorse Mustangs midget rep team this season.

'With his speed and shot, he should do very well,' said Mastrangelo. 'I would be surprised if he didn't make the all-star team.'

Quash played for the Mustangs in 2004-05, when he was a forward. For Team B.C., he will play the role of defenceman. Mastrangelo said that should suit him, due to his size and strength.

A lot of midget AAA and junior scouts make the trip to the NAHC, and now that she's in her third year and has more experience, Boutilier hopes to turn a couple of heads in Quebec.

The young athlete, who is on the female development team for the 2007 Canada Winter Games, said she's hoping to take her hockey career as far as possible, even dreaming of one day suiting up at the Olympics.

Mastrangelo said the NAHC have a Canada Games-type feel, because it's each province and territory against each other, rather than each club, and because they feature the best young aboriginal hockey players in the country.

'It's a good chance to get recognized,' he stated, pointing out that's why the Aboriginal Sport Circle organizes the championships. 'It's a chance for kids in the North, who don't usually get much attention from scouts, to be seen and hopefully further their hockey careers.'

The five Yukon athletes, as well as the team manager and chaperones, will depart Whitehorse Friday evening and return on May 7.