The Pee Wee Hockey Tournament this past weekend had a couple teams who traveled over 1,500 kilometres from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

Sarah Crawford is the registrar for the Steinbach Minor Hockey Board. Crawford says it's exciting to have a team come from so far away to participate in the weekend tournament.

"I've heard that one of the parents is actually announcing the game in English and in their native tongue for the parents on the team who don't understand English. I think that's so incredible and it's a great experience just to be there."

David Clark is the coach of the Rankin Rock, one of the two teams who traveled the distance to participate in the tournament. Clark says they try to come to Manitoba once a year and participate in a larger tournament, adding this weekend costs the team approximately $50,000.

"It's a total team effort. Our rink and minor hockey association puts money forward for the team for travel assistance which usually consists of about $15,000," notes Clark. "From there we need to fundraise on our own. The Rankin Inlet [community] is really behind hockey and it always has been."

Clark says back home in Rankin Inlet hockey looks a little bit different.

"We have one big regional event, which we have seven communities in our region, and we'll have a tournament with them. Other than that, the kids play against each other. We do a five-game series, so, every Saturday we have a game day and then I switch up the teams. So we just play against each other and practice twice a week."

He adds Steinbach has been very welcoming and good for their players to participate and play other teams.