A celebration of Indigenous hockey
June 25 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Free
Join Indigenous Programs and Services (IPS) for a celebration of Indigenous contributions and passion for the game of hockey in Canada.
We will screen “Episode #7: Quite the Collection” of the APTN docuseries A Good Game created by Nish Media. Special guest Catherine Connell, daughter of the legendary Johnny Harms, will be attending the film screening to share information and history on how the game was experienced by her father and family. Naim Cardinal will also bring his hockey card collection for display.
Johnny Harms played for the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1940s and was one of the first players of Indigenous ancestry to play in the NHL. Harms continued to play professionally in the American Hockey League (AHL) and United States Hockey League (USHL) where he won back-to-back league championships with the Kansas City Pla-mores. Additionally, Harms played senior hockey for several years in British Columbia and was the team captain of the Vernon Canadians when they won the Allan Cup, the Canadian Senior Hockey National Championship, in 1956. In 2023, Harms was included in an eight–card set called the Upper Deck First Peoples Rookie Cards, which was an effort to honour NHL players of Indigenous descent who did not have a hockey card made during their NHL career.
About the Docuseries: A Good Game
“In A GOOD GAME, professional coach and former NHLer John Chabot, a native of Kitigan Zibi reserve in Quebec, will travel the country to better understand the place that hockey holds in the collective life of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. During the series, Chabot will visit new communities, meet new people, or uncover the past to paint a picture of hockey that has never been seen before. For the first time, viewers will be able to see Canada’s favourite sport through Indigenous eyes.” (A Good Game, 2024)
About Episode #7: Quite the Collection (22 minutes)
“John travels to Kelowna to meet Naim Cardinal, the owner of the biggest Indigenous NHL rookie card collection in the world and understand what has pushed him to turn his love for card collecting into much more than just a childhood hobby. John also pursues his voyage to Armstrong to meet the family of the late Johnny Harms, one of the Indigenous players featured in Upper Deck’s recently released special edition Indigenous rookie card set.” (A Good Game, 2024)
Special thanks to Nish Media for providing permission to share this docuseries on our campus.
Please note that limited seating is available, so please register early. As well, UBC Okanagan parking costs will be in effect for this event.
For more information, please contact Indigenous Programs and Services Educational Facilitator, Naim Cardinal, via email at naim.cardinal@ubc.ca.
