Wiikwemkoong rookie making impact with Junior A squad in Espanola – Anishinabek News
February 19, 2025
ESPANOLA – Ashton Pitawanakwat was fully expecting to pay his dues in his rookie season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
But instead of playing a limited role, the 16-year-old member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is making quite an impact with the Espanola Paper Kings.
Pitawanakwat, a left winger, made the jump to the Junior A circuit this season after starring with the Sudbury Nickel Capitals’ Under 16 AAA squad last year.
“This year, I was coming into the different ages where guys are 20 and 19 and I’m just 16,” he said. “So, I was just trying to kind of find my role on the team.”
