Elite Ojibwe hockey player takes Ottawa 67's to his hometown to experience Indigenous culture

When Kohyn Eshkawkogan started playing hockey at elementary school with the Little Current Flyers, few of his teammates would have imagined that the member of M’Chigeeng First Nation would become a junior pro player with a shot at the NHL while still in high school. 

But for Eshkawkogan, there is no limit to his ambitions. The 17-year-old has played as a defenceman with the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for two seasons now. By the end of his first season in 2024-2025, he was awarded Rookie of the Year, and he has just hit the significant milestone of 100 games with his team on the ice.

The defender says he wants to take his hockey career as far as it can go. 

“My biggest goal is—everyone’s dream is to win a Stanley Cup—and mine is to take hockey as far as I can,” he said in an interview after a game in January against the Oshawa Generals.

That month, in celebration of the team hitting 2,000 wins, Eshkawkogan and his teammates visited the Manitoulin Island communities of Little Current and the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation where Eshkawkogan grew up. There they had a chance to wind down and take part in traditional Indigenous activities. It was the second time the Ottawa 67’s had visited the island. They did the same in January 2025.

The local community welcomed them and gave them a break from their gruelling training routine. 

“We did some fire making. We learned about some cultural eagle staffs, which are important to the communities,” Eshkawkogan said. 

“The experience was pretty cool, sharing some of my culture and my hometown with the guys on the team,” he said. “Biggest takeaway was you’ve got to work as a team. We did some activities. Teamwork is important. It was just like building the chemistry with the new guys as well.” 

While on Manitoulin Island his team was welcomed by his hockey-loving family.

“Kohyn comes from an incredible family,” said assistant coach Paul Stoykewych. “So to have the opportunity to go to Kohyn’s hometown where his father gracefully took us in and gave us an unbelievable team experience; it was incredible to learn a little bit about Kohyn’s culture and how proud they are. And the fact that they bring us in with open arms and they teach us, they cook for us; they made it an enjoyable experience for us to get away from the game.”

Stoykewych said the visit was “a special experience” and a welcome break from the hard work that has made the 67’s one of Canada’s top performing junior teams.

“It’s such a grind over the course of 68 games. For four or five hours you kind of forget about it. You come together as friends and teammates.”

The 67’s secured a spot in the OHL playoffs following a win over the Brantford Bulldogs on Feb. 7. This is the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the team has clinched a play-off spot.

Coach Stoykewych said Eshkawkogan’s intelligent and energetic style of play, and his ability to turn up the intensity when defending, has been impressive.

“Kohyn is an extremely competitive athlete on our team. It really does make him stand out,” Stoykewych said.

“Kohyn is quiet, he’s focused, he’s intelligent, but under all that relaxed motion, he’s extremely competitive. So when he gets in a one-on-one situation, when he gets in a practice situation, he increases the energy level, he increases the compete, and he hates to lose.”

As a kid, Eshkawkogan shone on the ice playing for the Manitoulin Panthers, Copper Cliff Redmen and Nickel City Sons before being drafted to the North York Rangers, an U16 AAA team further south in Ontario. 

In 2024, the teenager helped Team Ontario gain a gold medal at the U18 National Aboriginal championships. That year he also earned a silver medal at the World U17 Hockey Challenge.

Eshkawkogan developed his skills with the Rangers and was awarded Best Defenceman before taking his talents to the Ottawa 67’s. 

His advice for young players who want to follow his example. 

“For up-and-coming hockey players, spend time on the ice. Ask questions if you don’t know what you are doing. Just go and have fun,” he said. “That’s how you learn. That’s how you develop your skills.”

His passion for hockey developed at a young age, from shooting pucks on his sister to playing for the local team. 

“My older sister was a goalie, so she pushed me a lot. I would get mad if I didn’t score on her,” he said. 

“Also, my dad, he loved the game and he wanted me to play it. I’ve loved it ever since I started playing hockey.”