Meet the Barkmans, the First Nations hockey family fuelling the dreams of their youngest son
Ricky Barkman, 14, moved from Sachigo Lake First Nation in northern Ontario to Thunder Bay to play and study
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 and Ella started making arrangements for Ricky, there were new things to navigate, especially this year.
LISTEN | Here's The Barkman Hockey Family radio mini-documentary from CBC's Superior Morning
"With the pandemic, the kids are not even allowed or they don't recommend kids come and go, so all the students are still at home. But because Ricky wanted to play hockey, you know, we supported him," Ella Barkman said.
"We had to sign a waiver for him to come and to go to school and play hockey."
Tim said the decision was tough, but worth it.
"It's not easy letting your child go out at 14 and for them to go to high school," Ricky's dad said. "But for him, he's lucky that he's got his sisters he lives with."
Kayla and Samantha Barkman, Ricky's sisters who live and work in Thunder Bay, are looking after him while he's in high school, helping him meet the demands of high school and his team.
"It's nice having him here. He always wants to go to the arena and skate, and to the outdoor rinks and stuff. Sometimes we both like to go to the practices," said Kayla.
While she initially wasn't into hockey until her brother started playing, Kayla and the rest of her family are Ricky's biggest fans, wearing matching Barkman hoodies and cheering for every goal.
But his sisters aren't the only Barkmans who can be seen in the stands.
Tim and Ella come to watch as often as they can, despite the sacrifices they have to make to get there.
Getting from Sachigo Lake to Thunder Bay means either taking an expensive flight, with plane tickets costing about $700, or setting out on a long drive, when the ice roads are passable.
"The travel could be 17 hours, too, depending on the road. I mean, it could take longer than that at times, you know? But we have to, I mean, we have to travel," said Tim.
When they can't make it in person to watch their son play, the family gathers in Sachigo Lake to watch the live video feed available at several Thunder Bay arenas.
Even at home, Ella cheers like she's there.
WATCH | Ella Barkman cheers on Ricky from her home in Sachigo Lake First Nation:
This season, Ricky has given his family a lot to cheer about as one of the team's highest scorers, although he shares the credit with his teammates.
"Feels pretty good, but it's all of the team's work. They just feed me good plays and I'm just putting it in the net. That's just how it's going so far."
A star on the rise?
It's that talent that his coaches saw when Ricky first arrived for the U15 tryouts, according to KC Sabres head coach Nick Parry.
"From the get-go you could tell he had talent. He was skating hard. Very nice hands. You could tell the kid loved hockey. And that right there drew us into wanting to draft Ricky."
Parry said Ricky's lack of minor hockey experience didn't matter, and it's something he's seen before with other First Nations players he's drafted from northern communities.
"Every single one of them I've had, they've loved hockey greatly. They've always been at every practice, every game. They want to be there. They give it their all and they want to improve."
If Ricky wants to stick with it, Parry said, he could definitely play AA hockey, if not junior hockey, down the road.
The teen has similar hopes, but is also looking to his education to open up other possibilities.
"Maybe I'll become like an engineer or something."
Until then, he said, he'll enjoy the journey, knowing his family is cheering him on.
