History of the Game on Great Bear Lake
A story that began on frozen northern waters — and continues today.
A Moment Written Into History
In the winter of 1825, Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew established their winter camp at Fort Franklin (now the present-day community of Délı̨nę) on the southwest shore on the southwest shore of Great Bear Lake. Preparing for the long northern journey ahead, the men settled into daily routines that helped them endure the cold and isolation.
Among those routines was a morning activity Franklin casually recorded in his writings:
“till the snow fell, the game of hockey played on the ice was the morning’s sport.”
This simple line — a brief observation in a much larger journal — is now recognized as one of the earliest written accounts of hockey being played on ice in North America.
It happened here, on Sahtú, the vast lake that has sustained the Dene people for generations.
Two hundred years later, the All-Star Alumni Winter Classic brings hockey back to the place where Franklin’s men once played.
But this time, it’s not an expedition passing through. It’s a community-led celebration — rooted in culture, history, and northern pride.
The event honours:
- · The Dene people who have lived on Sahtú since time immemorial
- · The explorers who recorded the earliest written game
- · The generations who carried the spirit of hockey forward
- · The youth who will shape the game’s future
What began as a morning pastime in 1825 has become a national-scale celebration on the same ice.