16 Jun 2023
Posted by Andrea Sakiyama Kennedy 
Loading ...
Ottawa Asian Hockey Classic lower rec champions Asian Invasion during the tournament on Mother’s Day weekend, May 13 to 14. Photo credit: Marc Lafleur/Marc LaFleur Photography.
OTTAWA — The puck dropped at the Ottawa Asian Classic Hockey tournament during Asian Heritage Month in May 2023, marking the highly anticipated return to play following a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Held annually on Mother’s Day weekend, the Ottawa Asian Classic has been running since 2009, said tournament organizer Naomi Katsumi, a hockey goalie and long-time volunteer in the Ottawa and national Japanese Canadian community.
OAHC organizer Naomi Katsumi with Upper Rec Champions Old Tigers & Chimps’ captain William Kung. Photo credit: Marc LeFleur.
“I had participated in a similar tournament in Toronto, and I thought, why not create a tournament in Ottawa,” said Katsumi, referring to the Asian Hockey Championships, which has been running in Toronto since 1989.
“I had always played hockey with Caucasians, and playing hockey with players of my heritage was definitely a special event.”
Katsumi collaborated with the Ottawa Asian Heritage Month Society in 2008 on the initial planning of the intercultural tournament, which invites hockey players of at least one-quarter Asian heritage (including Chinese, South Asian, and Japanese) to form teams to play in a fun but competitive event. Teams often include a mixture of different Asian cultures but are limited to only three player “imports” of non-Asian descent.
For its return in 2023, the tournament included 10 men’s teams, across two divisions of play, with some players travelling from cities like Toronto, Vancouver, California, and Boston to participate.
Neil Fukumoto, coach of the Asian Invasion, shared that a core group of six players have been making the trip to Ottawa every year for over a decade, something he says reflects their commitment to this tournament and the other players.
“It is a huge part of the motivation to be there with guys who really want to be there,” said Fukumoto. “It is part of the dynamic of the team to have guys who make the trip all the way up from Toronto.”
Upper Rec Finals Chicken Chow Men vs Old Tigers and Chimps. Photo credit: Marc LeFleur.
To foster the spirit of intercultural collaboration and grow the tournament, registration expanded in 2010 to include players and teams from Ottawa’s Indigenous community who have been participating ever since.
Steven Price has been playing with the Odawa Moose since that first tournament and shared how important it was to him to get the Odawa team, including some new Indigenous players, back on the ice and participating post-Covid.
“It was a good opportunity for me to bring the new generation in to see what we’ve built here with the Asian community,” Price said. “We want to show our appreciation for the inclusion.”
The Ottawa Asian Hockey Classic has become a must-attend event for teams, many of whom return year after year to compete for the trophy. Due to a smaller format for the first year back, some teams were unable to a secure spot. Registration peaked in 2019, with 18 teams registered, representing 200+ players, competing across four divisions, including a men’s, women’s and children’s division.
Josh Shimizu takes a shot during the Upper Recs Final game. Photo credit: Marc LeFleur.
In many cases, teams have strong family connections with fathers and sons, sometimes fathers and daughters, siblings and friends all playing together.
And don’t forget the fans! Even at the early morning games, wives, girlfriends, mothers, and friends are up in the stands cheering for their favorite team. Jean Kung was at the rink at 7:15 a.m. on May 13 to cheer on her husband and her three sons, all members of the Ottawa-based team Old Tigers & Chimps which started as a father/son team.
“They all play hockey throughout the year on their own,” Kung said, pausing to shout out some encouragement, “but this is a highlight for me to see them bond this way.”
Ottawa Asian Hockey Classic lower rec champions Asian Invasion during the tournament on Mother’s Day weekend. Photo credit: Marc LaFleur.
This year’s tournament took place at Minto Recreation Centre and Ray Friel Arena from May 12 to 14 and culminated with the division finals on Mother’s Day.
In the men’s upper rec division, Old Tigers & Chimps defeated Chicken Chow Men to take home the trophy, and Asian Invasion topped the Asian Aces to win the men’s lower rec division.
***
