By WAHEEDA HARRIS
Maple Leaf Gardens (Photo: Michael Clesle)
Hockey playoffs begin this week and what better way to add to your fan cred and keep your fervour going in the post-season than with a visit to one of the hockey shrines of Canada? (more…)
By WAHEEDA HARRIS
Maple Leaf Gardens (Photo: Michael Clesle)
Hockey playoffs begin this week and what better way to add to your fan cred and keep your fervour going in the post-season than with a visit to one of the hockey shrines of Canada? (more…)
Scotiabank Place. Photo credit: Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images.
After months of waiting, the stars are finally coming to town…the NHL All-Stars, that is! Just in time to celebrate the Ottawa Senators‘ 20th season, Scotiabank Place will be the battleground for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 29, which sees some of the best players in the league face off (and our Captain, Daniel Alfredsson, lead one of the teams). But the game itself is not the only event taking place. On Jan. 28, check out the NHL Skills Competition, and from Jan. 26 to 28 the NHL Fan Fair will offer interactive games and attractions, plus special appearances, entertainment, and more. It will definitely be a weekend to celebrate Ottawa, hockey, and the National Hockey League.
Soccer ball photo copyright Mikdam/Dreamstime
Tennis Canada takes on France in the Davis Cup, at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (Feb. 10 to 12).
Soccer Goooaaalll! That’s what the eight teams are shooting for in CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Soccer, at BC Place Stadium (Jan. 19 to 29).
Basketball An evening watching the Harlem Globetrotters perform? It’s a slam dunk, at Rogers Arena (Feb. 24).
Hockey Luongo, Kesler, the Sedins and the rest of the Vancouver Canucks have the home-ice advantage for several games, at Rogers Arena.—Sheri Radford
After close to 20 years without a Western Hockey League team, Victorians were thrilled to welcome the WHL’s Victoria Royals to town this fall.
Since opening in September to a sold-out crowd at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, the players – talented 16 to 20-year-olds striving to make it to The Show – have offered thrilling, fast-paced hockey action for both home fans and visitors alike.
Led by NHL and national team veteran Marc Habscheid as coach and GM, the boys in blue have come off the bench flying on their inaugural season. As members of the WHL, visiting teams this winter will include some of North America’s best such as the Vancouver Giants, the Calgary Hitmen and the Portland Winterhawks. All are vying not only for their league championship, but also a place on the national stage, as the West’s representative at the prestigious Memorial Cup. And, with single-game tickets starting at just $12, there’s no better deal for hockey fans!
For ticket information, visit the Select Your Tickets box office at the arena, call 250-220-7889 or find your perfect seat online at www.selectyourtickets.com
Wildlife photos at the Royal BC Museum
Head Indoors for these Winter Escapes.
Victoria is indeed a beautiful city no matter what the season, but during the winter, it’s inevitable we’ll have at least a few days that aren’t ideal for outdoor activities. Luckily there’s plenty of indoor options to both inspire and entertain! Here are five of our favourites…
1. Make it the museum. Victoria is blessed with several fine museums that make it easy to while away an hour, an afternoon or a day! Overlooking the harbour is the Royal BC Museum, with its natural history, First Nations and settlement displays. This winter, meet animals around the world with the visiting exhibit Wildlife Photographer of the Year, from London’s Natural History Museum. Around the harbour, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia explores all things nautical, from pirates to the BC Ferries and everything in between!
2. Take in a movie – IMAX style! Also at the Royal BC Museum is the six-storey tall screen of the IMAX Theatre, showing both the ever-popular IMAX films as well as Hollywood movies given a whole new look with the theatre’s state-of-the art technology.
3. Enjoy a little family fun. No matter what your age, who can resist an entertaining stroll through history and literature at Miniature World or the fascinating world of insects and arachnids presented at the Bug Zoo, both within a few minutes’ walk of the Inner Harbour.
4. Chill out at the rink. Victoria boasts two great choices for hockey, the WHL’s Victoria Royals and the BC Hockey League’s Victoria Grizzlies. The Royals heat up the ice at downtown’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, while the Grizzlies entertain fans at the Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood.
5. Get inspired in the garden. The world famous Butchart Gardens is a joy any time of year. In addition to the outdoor gardens, the New Year also brings two indoor features, Spring Prelude and the annual historical exhibit. Take a tropical vacation without ever leaving Vancouver Island with a visit to the beautiful Victoria Butterfly Gardens, also on the Saanich Peninsula. With colourful birds, butterflies, fish and flowers, it’s impossible to visit and not be inspired.
Jets roll from Meiji. Photo by chronic creative.
Local restaurants have caught game-day fever, offering tasty fare to savour in front of the big screen or creative dishes named after Winnipeg’s professional sports teams.
Just steps from the MTS Centre, 4Play Sports Bar & Grill has all the glitz and glam of a Las Vegas sports bar with cushy loungers lined up in front of a 24 ft.-projection screen. A mountain of red, green and yellow tortilla chips generously covered with roasted vegetables and melted cheese scores a grand slam in flavour. 1405 Portage Ave, 783-6155.
Succulent, flame-licked chicken is the specialty at West End eatery Galo Louco. Chow down on subtly seasoned kebabs and fresh house-made potato chips, while watching the action play on TVs in the dining room and lounge. 1075 Notre Dame Ave, 772-4256.
The Jets roll (pictured) at Japanese eatery Meiji salutes the returning NHL team. Local freshwater favourites—fresh pickerel and smoked goldeye—offer a decadent taste of Manitoba inside each bite of this artful roll topped with avocado, snow crab and salmon. 454 River Ave, 284-3996.
Two levels of TVs and games, and a rooftop patio with stellar city views make the downtown location of Tavern United a sports fan favourite. Classic pub fare like fish and chips are done exceptionally well with a crunchy, beer batter coating. 260 Hargrave St, 944-0022.
Ultra-trendy Unburger’s “Blue & Gold” creation is a tribute to the city’s beloved Blue Bombers. Here, a Manitoba lean ground beef patty is topped with gourmet blue cheese, chipotle aïoli, balsamic onion, greens and tomato. 472 Stradbrook Ave, 888-1001.
The crowd comes alive at Scotiabank Place. Photo credit: Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/OSHC.
Tuesday, Oct. 11. With a new season comes new hope as the Ottawa Senators introduce a batch of fresh young faces to the line-up, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the modern franchise. Led by captain Daniel Alfredsson and superstar Jason Spezza, the team will be looking to make their mark this year. With new coach Paul MacLean behind the bench, goalie Craig Anderson between the posts, and All-Star Erik Karlsson on the ice, you’re definitely going to want to catch a game this season. We suggest their first regular season home game, which sees the Sens face off against the Minnesota Wild (also know as Dany Heatley’s new team), meaning it’s going to be one that really gets the fans going. All together now: Go Sens go!
To mark the start of the local NHL team’s 41st season, we present an intro to the Canucks, Vancouver’s favourite team
By Sheri Radford
Brimming over with team spirit, this Vancouver Canucks fan shows her true colours. Photo by Jeff Vinnick courtesy Vancouver Canucks
Fevered Fans
Die-hard Canucks supporters never stop believing. Their beloved team has made it to the Stanley Cup finals three times, and even gone all the way to game seven—twice—but has never won the coveted trophy. Local fans remain faithful, though, already anticipating that lucky season 41 will see Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler, the Sedin twins and all the rest of the hardworking lads bring Lord Stanley’s cup home to its rightful place, within sight of the 400-hectare (1,000-acre) park that also bears Stanley’s name. Season 40 proved to be the most successful so far, racking up the Presidents’ Trophy for the team, the Art Ross Trophy for Daniel Sedin (one year after his identical twin, Henrik, won the honour) and the William M. Jennings Trophy for goalies Luongo and Cory Schneider. Fans are already breaking out the blue and green face paint and hand-lettering signs in anticipation of the season opener Oct. 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Tickets
With a waitlist for season’s tickets estimated to be up to a decade long, and every game sold out since November 2002, tickets to Canucks games are harder to find than a Toronto Maple Leafs fan in downtown Vancouver—unless you know where to look. Visit www.ticket master.ca first. If that ends in a shutout, try the Prime Seat Club on canucks.nhl.com. It’s where season’s-ticket holders sell off unneeded tickets. Follow the team on Twitter (twitter.com/VanCanucks) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/Canucks) to get updates on last-minute ticket releases.
Gear
Looking for your own Luongo jersey or Kesler t-shirt? Head to the Canucks Team Store to find everything from official jerseys, hockey pucks and baseball hats to foam fingers, coffee mugs and adorable little onesies.
Goalie Roberto Luongo high-fives eager fans. Photo by Jeff Vinnick courtesy Vancouver Canucks
Clues That the Canucks Are in Town
Where to Watch
If you can’t score tickets to a seat in Rogers Arena, head to one of the many restaurants and bars around town filled with giant screens showing the game. A few of our favourites:
Fans fill Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery to root for the home team. Photo by KK La
October 2011 Home Games at Rogers Arena
Oct. 6 Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct. 18 New York Rangers
Oct. 20 Nashville Predators
Oct. 22 Minnesota Wild
Oct. 26 St. Louis Blues
Oct. 29 Washington Capitals
More information:
CANUCKS TEAM STORE Find official merchandise for the city’s NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks. Apparel, from jerseys to t-shirts, as well as collectibles and memorabilia.
Gate 6 at Rogers Arena, 800 Griffiths Way. 604-899-7890.
1151 Robson St.
Canucks Team Store Outlet, 2893 E. Hastings St. 604-676-8140.
www.canucks.nhl.com
FORUM This bar is often full of excited young sports fans. The karaoke is a fun event to take in with friends (M nights). Open daily.
1163 Granville St. 604-605-1163.
www.forumsportsbar.com
G SPORTS BAR AND GRILL Serves comfort food and streams live sports daily. Low drink prices make it a popular hangout. VIP room available. Open daily.
1208 Granville St. 604-687-7684.
www.thebestgspot.com
RED CARD SPORTS BAR + EATERY Watch your favourite game while dining on Italian cuisine in a restored heritage building. Open daily.
900 Seymour St. 604-689-4460.
www.redcardsportsbar.com
SCORE ON DAVIE This friendly neighbourhood bar has strategically placed TVs throughout the room, making it a fun place to watch the game. Features a daily brunch starting at 10 am.
1262 Davie St. 604-632-1646.
CACTUS CLUB CAFE Best Casual Chain, Vancouver magazine since 2008. Great vibe, mod decor and globally inspired dishes. Come for drinks or dinner. $$. L/D (daily).
588 Burrard St. 604-682-0933.
1136 Robson St. 604-687-3278.
357 Davie St. 604-685-8070.
1530 W. Broadway. 604-733-0434.
www.cactusclubcafe.com
PHAT SPORTS BAR AND RESTAURANT Savour hot Montreal-style smoked meat on rye served with a kosher dill pickle. Freshly made wild mushroom bisque and matzo ball soup are delicious sides. $. B/L/D (daily).
1055 Mainland St. 604-684-6239.
www.phatdeli.com
SHARK CLUB BAR AND GRILL Sports goodies decorate the walls, while TVs around the room show worldwide sporting events. Extensive menu. DJs spin top 40 on the dance floor, F-Sa. Open daily.
180 W. Georgia St. 604-687-4275.
www.sharkclubs.com
The Halifax Mooseheads, of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, have a daunting schedule this month. Highlights include matches with always tenacious Moncton on October 5, provincial rivals Cape Breton on October 9 and league champions Saint John on October 21.
MTS Centre, the new home of the Winnipeg Jets.
The NHL’s return spins off benefits to a hockey-crazy city
When the Winnipeg Jets play their season home opener on October 9, Lauren Robb will be at the MTS Centre, along with 15,000 other crazed fans cheering themselves hoarse.
After all, 15 years is a long time to wait for the return of the home team.
“I’ve been excited at the prospect for years,” says the 35-year-old, who runs the website Winnipegjetsonline.com.
He’s not alone. (more…)
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