Meet the Barkmans, the First Nations hockey family fuelling the dreams of their youngest son

If there's one thing Ricky Barkman loves, it's hockey.

It's a passion that led the teenager to leave his home in Sachigo Lake First Nation to attend high school in Thunder Bay, Ont., nearly 650 kilometres south.

The 14-year-old wanted to play league hockey so badly, he was willing to take a big leap. From Sachigo Lake First Nation in northern Ontario, with about 500 people, to Thunder Bay, a city  of 110,000, and Hammarskjold high school, which has about 800 students. 

"I wanted to do it ever since I was like 12 years old," Ricky said. "It's fun to meet new people and play with other teams."

Since he was nine, Ricky would skate and play hockey for about five hours a day, as soon as it was cold enough for the community's rink to freeze. He would play with a handful of friends, and from time to time would join teams pulled together to play in tournaments across northern Ontario. 

But when he came to Thunder Bay, Ricky entered competitive minor hockey, a world away from what he was used to.  

He started by attending evaluations for the U15 division, where coaches get a chance to watch the players before a city-wide draft.  He was trying out alongside players who had likely already been in organized hockey for about 10 years.

But Ricky said he wasn't daunted by that, particularly knowing he had the backing of his family.

"Oh, it feels pretty good," he said. "I think I'm the first person in my family that actually has been on a team of any sport." 

But Ricky is definitely not the first in his family to leave home for high school. He has eight older siblings who left to pursue their secondary education, but they all attended school in Sioux Lookout, a community much closer to home — about 440 kilometres away. 

When parents Tim