by George Paul, Communications Officer, MFCS

When the 2019 Canada Winter Games, takes place in Red Deer, Alberta on February 15, the Mi’kmaw Nation may want to pay close attention to the men’s and women hockey telecast when two Mi’kmaw youth will lace up the skates for Team Nova Scotia.

One being Mike Sack of Sipekne’katik for the men’s team and the other will be Eskasoni’s own Erin Denny for the women under 18 team. To reach this level of hockey for both players is an amazing accomplishment. To be a Mi’kmaw youth, at this level of hockey needs to be recognized and celebrated.

For 16 year old Erin Denny, reaching this goal is a historical first. Erin is the first Mi’kmaw woman to ever play for Team Nova Scotia. How Erin reached this historical goal goes back to a history of family sports and a passion for hockey.

Erin’s drive stems from her upbringing and her support from her parents, family and her community. Like every kid who plays hockey, Erin started at the atom level. In here words she said I wasn’t the best at it but when she began to start scoring it almost became natural.

From then on her passion for hockey escalated to an achievement even Erin could not have ever imagined. Erin’s hockey progression continued. Every year she got called up to play higher levels of hockey as an underage, and at every level she continued to excel. Erin was scoring at least two to three goals a game at one point and scored 75 goals in one season.

When she played in the girls Peewee level her scoring continued and her hockey skills also continued to develop. In 2013 Erin played in the spring team league, the Canadian Tire Selects made up of girls from Nova Scotia. CT Selects would travel to tournaments in New Hampshire, Montreal and Vermont.

In 2014 she tried out for the boys Peewee AAA only because there wasn’t enough girls to have a female team that year. So she tried out for the Peewee AAA Cape Breton County male team and she made the team.

Hockey was faster and the boys were bigger but Erin held her own and grew as a hockey player. Even though she didn’t score that often Erin said, “Playing at this higher level, especially with boys, it made me a better player and I think made me developed the most, skill wise and also the mental side of the game.”

Erin’s hockey continued to develop, in 2015 she would play again CT Selects in the spring and then play for the Bantam AA female team based out of Glace Bay then the following spring of 2016 she would again play for CT Selects again.

That same year Erin tried out for Team Atlantic to play in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Mississauga, Ontario and made the team as an under ager at 14 years old. That year was extra special because she got to play with her older sister Levia. Erin was named Assistant Captain for Team Atlantic that year.

For mom, Mary Elizabeth (Tuii) she said, “Having 2 daughters skating on the same ice surface and playing for the same team made us the proudest hockey parents ever.”

That same year in the summer Erin tried out for U16 Team Nova Scotia and made it to the summer camp. She did not make the cut but it opened a door for her to be eligible to tryout and maybe play for the MacIntyre Chevy Panthers Women’s Midget AAA as a under ager.

When one door closes another one is opens. So in the fall of 2016 Erin tried out for the Chevy Panthers and made the team as an under ager and playing with girls a couple years older than her some even 3 years older.

For Erin the decision to play at a higher level was difficult because she would no longer be with the friends she grew up playing hockey with. But in every high level of sports, sacrifices will have to be made. This is Erin’s third year with the Panthers and she knows she made the right decision, “I believe that the three years I have spent on the Panthers were the times were I developed the most throughout my years playing hockey. I was made to push myself to play with bigger and stronger girls, and I also pushed myself because I wanted to be one of the best.”

Erin would continue to excel. She played for the CT Selects in the spring of 2017 and that year she tried out again for the U16 Team Nova Scotia but this time she made the cut. Erin was one of Atlantic Canada’s top U16 and represented Team Nova Scotia at the Atlantic Challenge Cup in Moncton and Team Nova Scotia took home silver that year.

Erin would again make the Team Atlantic women’s team for the 2017 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in British Columbia and would again be assistant captain. She had a great season with the Panthers winning the women’s Midget AAA title.

In the spring of 2018 she played for Team Atlantic which this year they were the host team. The tournament was held Membertou and this time Erin would wear a C on her Jersey and be named team Captain for Team Atlantic.

Before the tournament was over Erin and her family were approached by these people that were scouting for an aboriginal sports reality TV series called “Hit the Ice.” She was invited to Ontario to participate and join other elite aboriginal female hockey players from all across Canada. To be selected and to be part of this TV series was a special moment for Erin. Her hard work was finally paying off, “I was super proud of myself and to be able to say that I made the hit the ice female roster. I can say that I am in the top 22 female aboriginal players in Canada.” Erin was the only aboriginal female hockey player to be chosen from Atlantic Canada.

The “Hit the Ice” series was scheduled to begin telecasting in Ontario from July 4-22, that same spring Erin also tried out for U18 team NS and made it to the summer camp for July 18-22. But this year the U18 Team NS will be heading to the Jeux Canada Winter Games in February 2019.

Erin was faced with a dilemma. She wasn’t sure what to do but still decided to head to Ontario and take part in the “Hit the Ice” series. So a week into the recording of “Hit the Ice” Erin was still in the show but now the U18 Team NS tryout were looming.

Erin now had no choice but to choose;, stay in Ontario or go back home try out for U18. After many tears and debating what to do Erin decided to head back home and take her chances and to give it her all to make U18 Team NS.

At only 16 years of age Erin was taking a big gamble. Last year she played for U16 Team NS but this time it was another level up, U18. With Erin’s inner drive and hard work she was selected to join U18 Team NS for the Atlantic Challenge Cup that October and this was the last try out to make the team. A week after the tournament Erin got a call from the head coach congratulating her, that all her hard work had paid off and had made the u18 team and that she would be heading to Red Deer in February 2019.

When asked “Where do you get you inner drive?” Erin said there are a lot of factors the keep me motivated, “When I need to find my inner drive, I think about my goals that I have set for myself. I think about my future and how my inner drive will make me better and give me better opportunities. I also find inner drive from thinking about other people. I think about the people who look up to me, or people who are proud of me, and that gives me the inspiration to keep pushing myself.”

With every great athlete there is a loving and supportive family and Erin’s parents and family are their number one fans. For Mom Tuii and Dad Levi, Erin’s hockey journey has been a love affair with hockey all their lives.

“I grew up in a hockey family and always wished I could have played,” said Tuii, “seeing my children play makes me happy. The thing I think started it for my children was having our own rink. I remember the first year Levia wanted to play hockey they had allotted girls ice time. Jill Googoo, Paige Johnson and Ramona Morris would have been the other girls who took time and got on the ice with the girls and made a girls team. The girls that just wanted to play and even took the team to play at the Wally Bernards.”

Eskasoni’s arena is actually named after Erin’s great-grandfather, the late Eskasoni Chief Dan K. Stevens. Dan K’s vision over 40 years ago was to make an indoor rink for the community and his vision became a reality 25 years ago. So to say hockey for the Denny and Steven’s family is a family affair is absolutely true.

Hockey has taken Erin and the family to many places, to many exciting games, to gut wrenching battles but they would not have it any other way. “There are a lot of proud moments with my kids and sports. I am just happy that we can do what we can for our kids. But Erin making U18 Team NS and going to represent Nova Scotia in Red Deer is the best so far,” said Erin’s mom Tuii.

Erin’s young hockey journey is also a reflection of the dedication and passion of the parents. Erin would be the first one to tell you that she has received a lot of support in her hockey journey so far, “I would like to thank my community and also surrounding communities, my coaches, teammates, friends outside of hockey and especially my family.”

Despite her busy hockey schedule, off ice training and school work, Erin makes every effort to give back to the community by joining the girls’ ice time in Eskasoni and also joining the Chevy Panthers girl team for hockey sessions with girls’ hockey in town.

Even though hockey is pretty well Erin’s life, she did collect some prestigious titles in the last few years. She recently received the 2018 Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Athlete of the Year, the Anastasia Sylliboy Award (High School), Rick MacDonald “Leadership” Award, NSSAF Female Athlete of the Year, Lydia Dixon Award and did we mention that she is the reigning the 2018 NS Mi’kmaw Summer Games Queen!

At only 16, Erin is truly an inspiration for the young and old. She is role model for the young girls that want to play hockey. When ask, “Who is your role model?” Erin didn’t have any specific role models only that, “Everyone in my life inspires me in different ways. But for my hockey role model, it would have to be my grandfather Walter Dan Stevens. My grandfather is always encouraging me to be my best, and always to be positive. His wise words during our talks always help me when I am in need of encouragement.”

So don’t forget to watch the Winter Game on February 15 (probably TSN) and cheer on Mike Sack of Sipekne’katik and Erin Denny. Be on the lookout for Erin’s parents too because they wouldn’t miss this for the world.

2018 was a great year for Erin. So what’s in store for 2019 Erin? Congratulations. Hard work does pays off.

Represent our Mi’kmaw Nation with pride in Red Deer, Alberta. #GoErinGo

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