Ryan Landa photo

Victoria’s curling community welcomes the world this spring, but hockey fans will have plenty to cheer about as well.

With its excellent year-round climate, Victoria is renowned for its outdoor pursuits, but rest assured, we definitely enjoy our indoor ice sports as well. The passion locals bring to curling and ice hockey is legendary, borne out by the exciting events filling local arenas this spring.

Hockey fans will thrill to the on-ice action of the city’s two top teams, the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals, and the BC Hockey League’s Junior A Victoria Grizzlies. Both the Royals, carving up the ice at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena, and the Grizzlies, at the Bear Mountain Arena in the West Shore, offer exciting play from top-ranked athletes on their way to the next level.

The Royals finish regular season play at home March 15, and at press time were expected to clinch a playoff berth. The Grizzlies conclude their regular season March 9, with the press-time division leaders looking forward to an exciting playoff run.

Come cheer on the home team and tomorrow’s stars as they shoot for the top.

Curling fans have two opportunities to see the world’s best in action this spring.

Just over downtown’s Johnson Street Bridge in the neighbouring community of Esquimalt, the eighth annual Victoria Curling Classic welcomes the world to the Archie Browning Sports Centre.

From March 20 to 24, the top men’s teams in Canada will compete against champions from Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as teams from Japan and beyond, and with $25,000 on the line for the winner, you know competition will be fierce!

On the heels of the Classic, the local curling community welcomes the prestigious 2013 Ford World Men’s Curling Championships, March 30 to April 7.

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre reprises its role as host following a successful turn at the event in 2005, when Team Canada’s Randy Ferbey put together an amazing eight-game winning streak to claim the world title.

Vying with Canada for the 2013 title will be curlers from Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Denmark, Russia, Switzerland, Scotland, Finland, China, Japan and the USA.

Canadian fans will be able to catch their athletes in action in three games during the opening weekend: March 30 at 2pm and March 31 at 9am and 7pm. The Canadian team continues round robin play April 1 at 2 and 7pm, April 2 at 9am and 7pm, April 3 at 9am and 2pm and April 4 at 2 and 7pm. 

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