Covid over the past has put Rugby 7’s on hold with the exception of September 18th-19th and only permitted fans in the lower bowl consultation with BC Place and Provincial health and safety officials, 

We are hearing that Rugby Canada makes it official and announces the return of Canada Sevens February 26-27, 2022 with tickets on sale Nov. 25, 2021 at 10:00 AM. 

As we should expect and understand, anyone attending will be required to show proof of vaccination upon entry at BC Place.

Next year 16 teams are expected to return which include Fiji, Australia, Samoa, England, Scotland, Wales, France and Argentina. New Zealand has tentatively accepted the invitation to the Vancouver event, pending confirmation of travel logistics.

Grosvenor is the main sponsor and once again presents the annual 50-50 draw with BC Rugby with proceeds benefiting local rugby and a charity of their choice. 

We should make note that in 2020, the property company got behind the ‘Boots to Kick Cancer’ campaign which, in combination with the 50-50, raised over $35K for Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon.

“We are pleased to continue our involvement with the HSBC Canada Sevens as we enter our sixth year supporting the tournament,”  

Senior Vice President of Development and GM for Grosvenor’s Vancouver Michael Ward mentioned “As an active property owner and developer, we are committed to making a positive difference in the communities, like Vancouver, where we operate. We are extremely proud of the role we continue to play in ensuring the event’s success and we value the vibrancy the Sevens brings to Vancouver.” 

Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen mentioned “On behalf of Rugby Canada, I would like to thank Grosvenor, as well as our other Premier Partner Sport Hosting Vancouver for their continued support of HSBC Canada Sevens.”

Coverage for all HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament stops will once again be CBC Sports beginning in Dubai November 26-27, 2021. 

The post Rugby 7’s Returns first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

We continue to hear about the Olympics and what they mean to the country they will be held in, but at what cost must we continue to throw money around to promote select athletes who get the best training.

Money talks and if you’re a parent of a sports individual you clearly know what part of your yearly budget you have to set aside for your son or daughter to play. 

In some, but not all cases the sport they wish to play is one that was picked or chosen by one of his/her parents, but this is not the case for all young athletes.

Parents pay and support their children and want only what’s best for them, but what about the youngsters who are not able to play because of family situations which mainly involves money when it comes to sport.

One organization that helps offset the cost is “KidSport” which has a fully confidential application process which provides grants between $250 – $500 which helps parents cover equipment and registration and costs. 

The program is a success for those who are in need of such a program and due to it’s confidential process no family has to feel ashamed to apply, which not only helps financially, but mentally as well. 

All funds raised by “KidSport” in your community stays in your community rather than help other areas, which has merit both ways.

In Delta alone “KidSport” last year helped 202 kids alone and if needed are  more than willing to help more in the upcoming year.

In April 2018 Kevin Adlem and I had the privilege to cover the “KidSport Gala” for Eastlink TV which was held at Tsawwassen Springs for a fundraiser all to benefit Delta.

The event was extremely well attended by individuals such as former Canuck goaltender Kirk McLean  Chris Burns (former CFL player), Bobby Singh and Paul McCallum both retired BC Lions.

A good friend of mine and a person whom I have had the privilege to work with over the past years is Carlene Lewall is the “Chairperson” and has a solid group of five (5) Directors working with her to help grow the program.

Over the years I have had the luxury to offer assistance as an official in the minor level of sport and see young persons sitting on the side-lines who have a look of “how much they would love to play, but couldn’t.”

Of course that was in the past, but as times change so must society to become more involved to develop not only better citizens, but also possible future Olympic Athletes representing their community.

That alone has a feeling of being proud that you not only helped out, but also possibly changed the life of a young person for the better.

We have far too much unrest in today’s world and the sooner we can help change this, the better place the world will be for not only today’s youngsters, but future generations to come.

Let’s all get on board and support  “KidSport” in your community.

The post “KidSport” Helping Kids!! first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

While many would welcome the chance to travel to California for a holiday, visiting many of the various sights and sounds they have to offer would be a huge change given what we have been through the past 18 months, but personally I’ll wait.

Sports has taken many twists and turns over the past while, but not all have changed ever so abruptly as the transition that the Vancouver Whitecaps have made replacing Marc Dos Santos following the 4-3 loss to Canadian Premier League Pacific FC in the Canadian  Championship prelim round.

Moving forward from this turnaround the team knew they had their backs to the wall that was until Whitecaps FC Sporting Director and CEO Axel Schuster replaced him with interim head coaches Vanni Sartini and Pablo Mastroeni.

Talk about a “turn around”; this was like a new lease on life or like offering up Christmas in late August for not only the team, but mainly for their fans.

Anyone who has attended a Whitecaps match of late has more fun watching Vanni on the sidelines rather than the play at times which are actually fun to attend.

Their last road game against Los Angeles Tuesday evening (November 2nd) saw them earn a 1-1 draw that sets up a must win match for their last home game November 7th at BC Place against their rival Seattle Sounders at 3 pm.

The win saw them get a huge point in hopes of advancing to the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs which many thought they were not just out, but more like “done like dinner” writing this season completely off.

Should they manage a win against Seattle they will secure their first MLS Cup Playoff  run  since 2017, all due to the mind-set of the players working together as a group who simply believe.

Tuesday’s match saw their first chance when Gauld delivered one to White who sent a cross to  Cristian Dájome, who got past an LA defender, getting his 10th goal of the season. 

Talk about a motivation goal, this was what the Caps needed as well as a strong performance in goal by Maxime Crépeau who came up with what many call the save of the game in the 22nd minute turning aside LA midfielder Raheem Edwards.

From one end of the pitch to the other at BC Place, Laird has the best view, but in this game the Whitecaps were able to keep any attack from LA to the outside that saw the Caps come close to grabbing a two goal lead having Bruno Gaspar’s shot go wide.

With the first half coming to an end LA got even on the sheet after a lengthy video view that saw their goal being credited to 18-year old Defender Mamadou Fall who recently signed a two-year deal with options through 2024.

With the first half coming to an end LAFC found their equalizer through Mamadou Fall, who was given the goal after video review sending the teams to the dressing room at the half tied at one.

Returning to the pitch it was apparent that LA wasn’t finished with their attack and were focused on taking an early lead but were once again turned aside with Crépeau making yet another impressive stop, this time from striker Cristian Arango. 

The Caps came close to taking the lead in the 71st minute off a Header from Javain Brown only to be denied by LAFC goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.

As aggressive as both teams played this match would end in a 1-1 draw sending the Caps home to get ready for their final match of the season, all pending the outcome

The Caps face their Cascadia rivals from south of the 49th, the Seattle Sounders FC Sunday, November 7 at BC Place at 3 pm 

MATCH DETAILS (from Whitecaps FC)

GE Appliances VWFC Player of Quality: Maxime Crépeau

Referee: Alex Chilowicz

Scoring Summary

14′ – VAN – Cristian Dájome (Brian White, Ryan Gauld)

45’+2 – LAFC – Mamadou Fall

Statistics

Possession: LAFC 52.8% – VAN 47.2%

Shots: LAFC 25 – VAN 5

Shots on Goal: LAFC 11 – VAN 2

Saves: LAFC 1 – VAN 10

Fouls: LAFC 12 – VAN 7

Offsides: LAFC 1 – VAN 2

Corners: LAFC 6 – VAN 5

Cautions

80′ – LAFC – Brian Rodríguez

82′ – VAN – Russell Teibert

The post Winning – His Way! first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The one that seemed to get the most press at that time was the BCJHL, while the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League seemed to be on the backburner, which no one to this day can tell you why, but they were.

Like a marriage gone wrong the PCAHA  soon disbanded while the BCJHL continued to grow operating under strong leadership that at one point had Ernie “Punch” McLean as their President.

Ernie was a force to deal with, but was fair and demanded honesty from everyone he dealt with be they player, coach and/or official.

The British Columbia Junior Hockey League’s second decade began with the loss of two teams, but finished with league membership at an all-time high of 13. In between, 13 clubs received expansion franchises, six relocated and another seven ceased operations as the league struggled in some communities but thrived in others.

There were others all of whom truly deserve the utmost respect and thanks for helping the league allow it to grow as the BCHL enters its 60th season that had seven games scheduled

After a shortened 20-game pod season last year, the league is back to a full schedule with each team playing home and away games and a limited capacity for fans in the building. All teams and facilities are observing health-authority protocols in their region.

It’s fair to say that last season was a “write-off” for many leagues as well as teams, while the BCHL saw both the Langley Rivermen as well as the Wenatchee Wild on hiatus.

Entering the season saw the league governors approve a realignment to a two-conference format. 

With the WHL Cranbrook Royals moving east to Winnipeg the City was in need of a new team which saw the emergence of it’s 18th franchise, namely the Cranbrook Bucks.

Last year saw Sportswave cover their “Pod” season, which was more than strange, but this year the Due to last year’s pod season, this realignment to the Coastal and Interior Conferences was put on hold until this year.

In addition to the realignment, the playoff format has also changed that will see no crossover or wildcard team, mainly due to the balance of nine teams in each conference.

All of the top eight (8) teams from each side will qualify for the postseason with one playing eight, second playing seventh and on an on. 

After each round is played teams will reseed with the top seed playing the lowest with the overall winner of the two conferences face-off in the Fred Page Cup Final.

The BCHL recently had to revamp it’s schedule due to changes to the Wenatchee Wild schedule that will see the team play 50 games, down from the previous schedule of 54. 

The unbalanced schedule will see the BCHL standings be sorted by point percentage, rather than the normal stats of regular points.

Safety continues to be the main concern for everyone in all sports and in light of this the BCHL approved various initiatives at the 2021 Annual General Meeting, which includes taking a stronger stance against fighting.

The Leagues Department of Player Safety can now add an Instigator or Aggressor penalty to a fighting major upon review, even if the officials did not assess one.

This is in addition to the rules that were implemented at the 2020 Annual General Meeting, where a player receives a suspension upon receiving his second Fighting major of the season and will continue to receive increased discipline the more Fighting majors they are assessed.

The league recently announced several league retro theme nights initiative for the 60^th Anniversary season.

BCHL teams will host a retro night in their arena where they will wear their brand-new retro jerseys and take their fans for a walk down memory lane by honouring the history of their franchise, the league and hockey in their region.

Retro nights will take place throughout the year, starting with an Oct. 16 date in Cowichan Valley and finishing Jan. 22 in Coquitlam.

Each team’s retro night will be unique and will act as an opportunity to share memories and traditions with their fans, while also showcasing today’s talent in the league.

Each team will provide further details on their retro nights in the weeks leading up to the events.

Thanks to the BCHL for the info.

The post BCHL News first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

All of which have been for the better in a manner in which to grow not just the game, but also develop players, coaches as well as some officials who have advanced to the pro level of the game.

Years back the league had a team called the Northwest Americans who were coached by Don Chipka who ran a remarkable program that saw the league under the guidance of Tom Shaw.

Since then the league has undergone various changes all working under exceptional individuals, many of whom have since passed away.

All have left a legacy that has seen the league grow, develop and has also seen the league have a name change from the West Coast Junior Hockey League to the present day Pacific Junior Hockey League.

In the 71-72 season the WCJHL operated eight clubs, namely Chilliwack Jets, Coquitlam Comets, Maple Ridge Monarchs, Nor-Wes Caps, Surrey Stampeders, Vancouver Junior Canucks and the White Rock Rangers.

The early years saw the Nor-Wes Caps win four championship in the first seven seasons, but the 70ties saw some teams become members of the Junior A league called BCJHL

The first seven seasons in the 1980s saw North Shore Flames and the Northwest Americans win seven league titles between both clubs.

The Delta Ice Hawks won their first title in the 2000-01 season after defeating the Po Coq Buckaroos in the five game series but lost to the Abbotsford Pilots in four games.

The only year that Abby failed to make the final saw the Aldergrove Kodiaks win their first title defeating the Delta Ice Hawks. 

The Richmond Sockeyes won their second title in three years in 2012-13 defeating Aldergrove in four games but the following season saw the Kodiaks defeat the Sockeyes claiming their second overall title, in seven games.

As championship seasons continue to grow we are pleased to mention that the Delta Ice Hawks will be hosting the 2022 Cyclone Taylor Cup at the Ladner Leisure Centre April 7-10, 2022 that has the clubs compete in a six game round-robin series.

Depending on final stats up to Saturday evening, Sunday has two final games, with the first being the Bronze game followed by the Gold Medal final.

The tournament consists of four teams, three from the other Junior B Leagues plus the host club Delta Ice Hawks in addition to the Kootenay Junior Hockey League (KJHL), Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) and the PJHL as the host league.

In a recent conversation with Eduard Epshtein Owner/President of the Delta Ice Hawks he mentioned “The Delta Ice Hawks are pleased to host the 2022 Cyclone Taylor Cup and welcome the teams, families and officials to the City of Delta.”

He continued “We look forward to making the provincial championship tournament a memory to last a lifetime for players and fans, while showcasing the great facilities, accommodations, and businesses that Delta has to offer.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delta Ice Hawks were selected to host the 2021 Cyclone Taylor Cup.

Once the event was cancelled, the team immediately indicated their interest in hosting the event in the future. After consultation with BC Hockey and the three leagues involved in the tournament, the 2022 Cyclone Taylor Cup was again awarded to the Ice Hawks.

PJHL Commissioner Trevor Alto mentioned “Hockey everywhere was affected by the pandemic and we had two seasons cut short and lost two Cyclone Taylor Cups. It was disappointing for everyone, but particularly for the Ice Hawks. However, this did not deter their organization or their desire to host this tournament. They were unwavering in their willingness to pick up where they left off and to host a first-class event in our new environment.” 

Delta Mayor George Harvie mentioned “We are extremely pleased to see the Delta Ice Hawks selected to host the 2022 Cyclone Taylor Cup at the Ladner Leisure Centre.” 

He continued “This is a great opportunity to showcase the Ice Hawks, our local hockey community, and this vibrant city. We look forward to welcoming visitors, players, coaches, and officials to Delta – I’ll be cheering for the Ice Hawks from the stands!”

This championship was last held in 2019 played at the Rod Brind’amour Arena in Campbell River hosted by the Campbell River Storm.

Make plans and book your tickets early so as not to be disappointed for an event you won’t want to miss.

We’ll keep you posted on the date when they will go on sale.

The post ICE HAWKS HOST 2022CYCLONE TAYLOR CUP first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

Gaming is a growing pastime in Canada, thanks to the plurality of the people who enjoy it.

The advent of online gaming has also aided the surge in the popularity of gambling in the country.

Casinos in Canada are also popular tourist attractions, with visitors coming from worldwide to try their luck.

The internet has also shown a fantastic platform for Canadians and non-Canadians to play at online casinos.

Various countries, on the other hand, have different gaming laws. Before you go to a casino in Canada, there are a few things you should know.

Online Gaming: Is It Legal?

One of the most commonly asked questions before playing in any online casino in a country is if online gambling is allowed. For Canada, the answer is a resounding YES. All of Canada’s provinces have legalized online gambling.

Nevertheless, precautions should be taken because each province has its series of rules that vary from others’.

When you consult specialists in the field, finding the best Canadian casino is simple. Numerous Canadians are in love with the online casinos in Canada at ABC so that they can enjoy their money.

Each Province Has Its Own Set Of Rules

There were simple regulations that applied to all Canadian provinces back when the internet wasn’t available in all of them. As the internet became more widely available, several states began to enact their restrictions.

Nova Scotia, for example, does not have a registered online casino but enables residents of the province to access offshore casinos and sportsbooks.

There are no gambling rules in Prince Edward. This means that no higher body has jurisdiction over any of the province’s casinos, implying that you, the player, have no protection against internet casinos.

Land-based casinos are also prohibited in other provinces. Saskatchewan, Labrador, and Newfoundland are all part of this.

Offshore casinos and betting sites, on the other hand, are open to residents of these jurisdictions. The Atlantic Lottery Corp, which specializes in bingo and online lottery tickets, oversees all gaming activity on the East Coast.

The East Coast province does not offer poker, blackjack, or online slots. Lottery tickets, sports betting, and poker are all available in British Columbia. Since 2010, online gaming has been available.

Transactional Modes

Most Canadian online gambling websites are based outside of the country’s boundaries and are not based in Canada. This can present issues for gamers when it comes to making deposits.

This is because not all Canadian casinos accept all credit cards. Some Canadian online casinos will need you to make a payment through a third-party website.

Several Canadian online casinos also prefer that users transmit their funds to them directly. Here are some of the most popular and reliable payment methods for making deposits in Canadian online casinos.

Also, please don’t overlook the need for focus while playing; it’s a crucial component of success.

Visa

Image Source

Visa is one of the most widely accepted payment methods around the world. It is one of the most popular payment options among players around the globe.

Having a Visa Credit Card ensures that you can deposit in all of Canada’s main online casinos.

 MasterCard

MasterCard, like Visa, is proven to be a secure and widely accepted payment method around the world. MasterCard has grown in popularity in the gaming sector, with most players in Canada using it.

The only significant difference between MasterCard and Visa is that MasterCard does not allow withdrawals in the event of a win. When using Visa, however, this is permitted.

 Citadel

Citadel is another payment option that is gaining traction. Citadel is a legalized payment method accepted by all major Canadian online casinos.

The payment method is safe and secure, and you may use it in any Canadian online casino at any time.

 Final Thoughts

When playing in an online casino, everyone’s goal is to have a good time while making some money. As a result, you must become acquainted with the topics presented.

This ensures that you enjoy a pleasant gaming experience at any Canadian online casino.

The post Online Gaming – Is It Legal? first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The facility which is new and state of the art came at a price tag of $1.15 billion, but strange as it seems they play under what was the KeyArena and being the original Seattle Center Coliseum.

The facility’s inaugural hockey game was an exhibition match up in the former pro Western Hockey League between the Seattle Totems and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

While we know that the Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, they were the three-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Toronto Maple Leafs September 30th, 1964.

Interestingly enough the Seattle Totems dropped their first exhibition game by a 7-1 margin to the Leafs that saw NHL stars such as Bob Baun, Johnny Bower, George Armstrong, Dave Keon, Andy Bathgate, Frank Mahovlich and Terry Sawchuk suit up.

Dave Eskenazi, a Pacific Northwest sports aficionado and memorabilia collector, attended the Coliseum when he was young, enjoying every minute of the game while taking in the atmosphere.

The area known as Seattle Center sits on 74 acres which for the most part was built for the 1962 World’s Fair , while the world famous Space Needle is a tower that stands 605 feet high, which is easily recognizable from some distance.

I’m told that the Totems hosted three additional exhibition games at the same complex, managing to defeat the Black Hawks (in those days the name had two words)  by a narrow margin of 5-4 (October 5/67 and the Leafs October 2nd, 1968.

They dropped a game 12-4 to the LA Kings October 5th, 1969in the three games came to the LA Kings in addition to hosting the Soviet Union in an exhibition match-up January 5th, 1975.

Unknown to the hockey world at that time was Russian Superstar “tender” Vladislav Tretiak which was something new for the hockey world to witness, even prior to the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

In a move as if to compete with their newest rival league the World Hockey Association (WHA) the City or Seattle was awarded an expansion club which was slated to begin play in the 76-77 season.

The former Totems were given two seasons to begin to prepare for the NHL, but the only thing missing was a league to play in as strange as it sounds which forced them (NHL) to stop any expansion in Seattle.

A league not known to many was the Western Canada Hockey League that had the Kamloops Chiefs relocate  to Seattle in 77 and promptly changed their name to the Seattle Breakers.

The following season the WCHL changed their name to the Western Hockey League that also saw a name change for the Breakers to become the Thunderbirds in 1985.

Thus hockey continues to grow and the groundbreaking was made official December 5th, 2018 which has the 44-million pound roof standing on pillars while removing 680,000 cubic yards.

The newly build 740,000 came close to doubling the size of the old roof that allows the facility to have a capacity of 17,100 fans.

So for fans either in the lower mainland or in Seattle and the surrounding area, this is more than just exciting – it’s simply stupendous!!!!

Photo Credit on home page Kraken/NHL

The post Ready For Excitement – Get Kraken! first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.

The Vancouver Giants held their first press conference dating back to  July 2019 and in conversation with those in attendance it was an event that was long overdue and welcomed by everyone in attendance.

The event was held at Tsawwassen Springs for them to show their ongoing support with their sponsors as well as their community partners while also promoting their upcoming 2021-2021 promotions and events full schedule.

In attendance were invited media members, Dale Saip, Peter Toigo, Lewis Bublé, Head Coach Michael Dyck, Bill Wilms as well as various players who arrived after their morning practice in Ladner.

The event began with Dan O’Connor, media relations and play by play person who welcomed everyone indicating the event’s outline of the day.

In a manner of welcoming everyone back to the LEC the Giants are pulling out all stops offering various events for those attending games while being entertained with a celebration of interaction as  well as prizes.

Giants Sr. VP Dale Saip mentioned “We’re very grateful to our sponsors and community partners for how patient and how willing they have been to work with us to create both traditional and new promotions for the 2021-2022 WHL season.”

With Halloween around the corner they will offer up a “Trick or Treat” night where fans are asked to dress up for the start of the Halloween weekend.

The Giants are also offering up support of their “Community Hero’s” nights where they will show their support to front line workers such as the ones who kept stores open, teachers, mechanics and others who continued to work during the strangest times.

On all six nights the Giants will be wearing the commemorative jerseys that are dedicated to the community heroes.

Country night will be November 13th, while White Spot Legends Night will take place November 20th followed up by the one that draws a huge crowd, namely the Teddy Bear Toss December 10th.

December 18^th, the Giants and C&D Logistics are teaming up for a Holiday Food Drive while December 19^th marks the first Save-On-Foods Family Sunday, where fans will be encouraged to stay for a post-game skate.

Moving to the new year will see them host a Matinee “Family Day” game February 21st with the face-off set for 2 pm followed by an “Outdoors Night” on March 18th while the regular season wraps up April 3rd for their Chevrolet Fan Appreciation Night. 

Once all the business was concluded they introduced their 2021-2022 leadership group. 

Giants captain Justin Sourdif led the event along with alternate captains Tanner Brown and Zack Ostapchuk.

Other Giant players attending were fellow veterans Payton Mount, Cade McNelly, Adam Hall, Connor Horning and Ty Thorpe who were open for media scrums from various media persons.

On a somber note the Giants mentioned that they will be wearing a commemorative patch with the initials EJ in honour the matriarch of the Toigo family and the Giants family. Mrs. Toigo recently passed. 

On an interesting note the patch with the writing is in her own handwriting.

Players in the photo (l to r)

#8, Ty Thorpe, #4, Cade McNelly, #10, Zack Ostapchuk, #42, Justin Sourdif,

#29, Tanner Brown, #19, Payton Mount, #30, Jesper Vikman, #12, Adam Hall,

#11, Fabian Lysell, #22, Connor Horning

The post Giants Leadership Group first appeared on SportsWave Broadcasting.