Hockey was a regular part of life for Robert Kabvitok growing up in Rankin Inlet.

In his youth, heSA国际影视传媒檇 travel by all-terrain snow vehicle to tournaments and watch televised games at home with his father. As an adult, heSA国际影视传媒檇 referee the hamletSA国际影视传媒檚 senior menSA国际影视传媒檚 league.

With a vast knowledge of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 favourite pastime, Kabvitok is to be one of the first Inuit to provide live game coverage in Inuktitut as part of a partnership between APTN and SportsnetSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒淗ockey Night in Canada.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭he excitement is already around,SA国际影视传媒� Kabvitok said.

SA国际影视传媒�(Inuit) love hockey in Nunavut. Us helping understand the game in Inuktitut and colour commentating is really going to help Elders from here or even the youth who want to learn our language.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淗ockey Night in Canada in InuktitutSA国际影视传媒� builds on APTNSA国际影视传媒檚 efforts to provide programming in Indigenous languages. The national broadcaster debuted SA国际影视传媒淗ockey Night in Canada in CreeSA国际影视传媒� in 2019. Inuktitut will be the second Indigenous language to get the full play-by-play treatment.

Kabvitok is to provide colour commentary for three games along with host Pujjuut Kusugak and play-by-play announcer David Ningeongan beginning in March.

The two other men, who are also from Rankin Inlet, recruited Kabvitok last year.

SA国际影视传媒淲ithout asking my wife or family, I said, SA国际影视传媒榊eah, ISA国际影视传媒檇 love to be on your team,SA国际影视传媒橲A国际影视传媒� Kabvitok said with a laugh.

Having little experience with calling games, the first thing Kabvitok did when he found out he would be part of APTNSA国际影视传媒檚 broadcast was look up previous games in Plains Cree. He couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 understand what the panel was saying, but he admired the energy and love for their language that panellists Earl Wood, Clarence Iron and Jason Chamakese brought to their coverage.

SA国际影视传媒淚 hope that people will enjoy listening to Inuktitut. I look forward to telling the story of hockey to Elders that have been watching for many years,SA国际影视传媒� Kabvitok said.

This will include using phrases such as sikuqsijut, which translates to icing, or itiqtitsijut, meaning goal.

Kusugak and Ningeongan, whom Kabvitok calls the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 version of legendary sportscaster Bob Cole, previously worked to translate some of the English hockey terms into Inuktitut. The two provided play-by-play coverage in Inuktitut for CBC during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

APTN is producing six games in Cree and Inuktitut this season.

SA国际影视传媒淪port is a perfect vehicle for us to try and deepen our commitment to language reclamation because itSA国际影视传媒檚 not political SA国际影视传媒� sport unites people. It brings people together and itSA国际影视传媒檚 exciting,SA国际影视传媒� said Mike Omelus, executive director of content and strategy for the broadcaster.

There are more than 70 distinct Indigenous languages spoken across Canada, with some at risk of being endangered.

In 2021, more than 237,000 Indigenous people reported they could speak their mother tongue well enough to conduct a conversation, data from Statistics Canada suggests SA国际影视传媒� a decrease of four per cent from 2016.

Part of APTNSA国际影视传媒檚 goal with the SA国际影视传媒淗ockey Night in CanadaSA国际影视传媒� series is to get young people re-engaged and excited about learning their language, said Omelus.

SA国际影视传媒淲hat weSA国际影视传媒檙e doing is sending signals to speakers, learners and everyone that languages are cool and itSA国际影视传媒檚 OK to learn your language,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e want to help you embrace that.SA国际影视传媒�

Kabvitok hopes to see that as well. He grew up speaking Inuktitut, but English took over when he started going to school. He picked it up again and now incorporates it into his day job as co-host of CBCSA国际影视传媒檚 Tusaajaksat radio program.

SA国际影视传媒淚f I can do it, start speaking my language and able to talk to my parents fully in Inuktitut, then somebody else can as well.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淗ockey Night in Canada in InuktitutSA国际影视传媒� will kick off with the March 8 game featuring the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars. The crew will be back for the March 22 game that sees the Ottawa Senators take on the New Jersey Devils and the April 12 matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SA国际影视传媒擝y Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press