MacEwan University is heartbroken to learn that 23-year-old Nakehko Lamothe, a member of the Griffins men’s hockey team, has passed away. After playing a game in Calgary on Friday, January 25, Nakehko became unwell, and was rushed to Foothills Hospital. Sadly, just before midnight, Nakehko passed away.

Dr. Deborah Saucier, president, MacEwan University, has spoken to family members to share condolences and offer support. “It’s difficult to comprehend the pain Nakehko’s family is going through right now. We will do whatever we can to assist them during this tragic time.”

A student in the Bachelor of Science program, Nakehko was in his third-year with the Griffins after joining the program out of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s La Ronge Ice Wolves in 2016. He played a vital role with the Griffins, helping the team to win back-to-back Alberta Colleges Athletic Association (ACAC) titles in 2017 and 2018.

Nakehko grew up in the Bigstone Cree Nation in Calling Lake. Nakehko was extremely proud of his Indigenous heritage and took the same passion and enthusiasm he demonstrated as a player and applied them to becoming a role model for Indigenous youth.

Saucier said that Nakehko considered his fellow players as family, not just as teammates. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates, who Nakehko considered to be family. The university is putting support services in place to help them through this difficult time.”

The Griffins’ hockey game scheduled for January 26 has been cancelled.

This is an extremely sad time for Nakehko’s family and the MacEwan University community. The university asks that the media respect the family's privacy and direct any questions to MacEwan’s media relations advisor, David Beharry. The university will not be making any further statements at this time.