The Mushkegowuk Cup is back on the ice after a two year hiatus, and Hockey Indigenous is celebrating with hockey cards.

The cards are a part of the Upper Deck NHL First Peoples Rookie Cards collection which celebrates Indigenous players who were not featured on licensed trading cards before.

Stephane Friday and Abigail Linklater will be on hand until 5pm today at the McIntyre Community Centre, handing out the packs of cards and talking to young people about what the Mushkegowuk tournament means to them.

Friday, one of the founders of Hockey Indigenous, said that he’s excited to see the youth’s reaction to the cards, as Indigenous players get the recognition they deserve.

“When I mentioned I’d be attending the tournament, Upper Deck asked me to come on board,” he said. “We’ll be giving out cards at events and hockey camps too, and we’re not the only ones with the cards.”

They’ve already handed out over 200 packs of cards to people attending games by 3 p.m.

Teams from Mushkegowuk First Nations communities have come to Timmins to compete in the Mush Cup for the first time in two years, and they’ll be playing at the McIntyre Community Centre, Mountjoy Arena and the Archie Dillon Sportsplex until Sunday.

Friday says he loves having the chance to share his love and the Indigenous history of hockey with others, and especially with young people.

“We’ve been getting messages to save some, but it’s first come, first serve for the youth,” he said. “The reaction has been great!”

Friday says that these cards mean so much to, not only fans and young people but the entire community.

“These superstars really deserve this and the attention,” he says. “It’s about damn time.”

Day passes for the tournament are $10, and are available at the arenas.

Amanda Rabski-McColl, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TimminsToday.com