The Vancouver Giants put the boots to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes with an impressive 10–0 Friday night win on home ice. Payton Lee’s first shutout of the season was lost next to the offensive explosion at the other end of the ice — the Giants dominated, holding a huge edge in puck possession and putting 40 shots on the poor bastards between the Hurricanes pipes.
More, including highlights, after the jump.
You’re just a few shopping days away from the big Noël, and you’ve still got a few unchecked boxes on the naughty and nice list. Maybe one or two of those stockings belong to sports fans. Here’s just one idea for how to fill that bit of footwear that hangs on the mantle.
Great Northwest Showcase
January 3–4 at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby
SFU, UBC, U of North Dakota, Princeton
Tickets start at $10
The SFU hockey program has made some serious steps forward over the past few seasons. One of the biggest strides was the two-day Great Northwest Showcase, which brought NCAA teams — specifically, the Oklahoma Sooners and Arizona State Sun Devils — to Burnaby. This year, January 3–4 will see teams from the University of North Dakota and Princeton University ice teams at Bill Copeland against SFU and the UBC Thunderbirds. That’s right, frickin’ Princeton. Ivy League, baby.
For the uninitiated, UND (formerly called the Fighting Sioux) is only a seven-time NCAA Div 1 champion. This year, no fewer than twelve roster spots are filled by NHL draftees, including Adam Tambellini (son of ex-Canuck Steve, and a member of last year’s Surrey Eagles team that went to the national Junior A championships). Alumni include NHLers like Jonathan “Captain Serious” Toews, Ed “I’ll Pay You a Billion Dollars” Belfour, Zach “Like Sunday Pa-Mornin'” Parise and Mike “Good Gravy I’m a Hairy, Hairy Man” Commodore. The tournament’s finale features another alumnusin the puck drop ceremony: Garry “Ex-Canuck Turned Analyst” Valk.
More, including bobbleheads and video links, after the jump.
Continue reading Hockey for the Holidays: tickets to see NCAA puck
Cory Schneider was exhausted yesterday morning. He came off the ice at UBC’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena, leaned against the wall, and said so. “Wow,” he exhaled, “I’m exhausted.”
He didn’t look tired at all. He looked pretty fresh, actually, considering his commute to practice was upwards of 20 hours long. With a tentative agreement between the NHL and NHLPA still fresh news, Schneider had ended his brief stint in the Swiss Elite League, spent a calendar day in airports and commercial jets, hopped to the gym for a workout, then participated in a practice in full goalie gear with his Canucks teammates. Hell, I’m winded after writing that paragraph.
But as tired as he professed to be, Schneider looked good. And he gamely answered questions for reporters — some of those questions several times — for nearly 30 minutes before they allowed him to hit the showers. There were the obligatory queries about the Roberto Luongo saga. He was asked about the lockout, the potential end to it, and his thoughts on fan revolt. And he took questions on the Swiss League, European travel and Italian food.
One TV reporter asked him if he’ll soon be taking over the @strombone1 Twitter account.
Some of those answers, and a few more pictures after the jump.
I didn’t get a chance to post pictures from the final game of the Great Northwest Showcase, a 5-3 win for the Arizona State Sun Devils over the host SFU Clan. The Sun Devils found their legs between the previous day’s misadventures against the UBC Thunderbirds — and chatter by players during pre-game stretches suggested the Americans aren’t used to the aggressive forechecks thrown at them by the T-birds on Friday.
More after the jump.
Continue reading Great Northwest Showcase Finale – SFU Clan vs ASU Sun Devils
Okay, I already feel bad about the title. Sure, the visiting teams in the inaugural Great Northwest Showcase are American. And yes, there are national politics and cultural question marks that make them the Darths and Emperors of the world next to our farmboy-cum-Jedi status up here. But goldang it if each and every one of the team members and staff that I met this weekend weren’t incredibly nice, wonderfully passionate people who revolve their lives around the great game of hockey. (I’m lookin’ at you, Oklahoma University men’s hockey Assistant GM Chris Kelly… Not naming any names…)
But hey, the title is what the title is. In the immortal words of Billy Crystal, “It’s already out there.” And after day one of this exhibition tournament, which saw the Canadian teams trounce their American visitors by a combined score of 12-2, the empire really did strike back. They had to, just to make the plane ride back to the south bearable.
More after the jump.
Continue reading Great Northwest Showcase Day 2 – The Empire Strikes Back
Day one of the inaugural Great Northwest Showcase is in the books, and it was a good day for the boys eating home cooking. Both the UBC Thunderbirds and SFU Clansmen iced winning sides against American collegiate sides — UBC thumped the NCAA’s number-one ranked Arizona State Sun Devils 8-2, while SFU shut out the number-six Oklahoma Sooners 4-0.
More after the jump, including a photo gallery for your visual pleasure.
Continue reading Great Northwest Showcase Day 1: Home Cookin’
The Simon Fraser University Clansmen are hosting familiar crosstown rivals and distant strangers alike this weekend, as the Great Northwest Showcase goes down on December 28-29 at the Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby, BC.
Featured in the inaugural running of the GNS tournament are SFU, the UBC Thunderbirds, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Tickets are $15 ($10 for students and children). Check out the schedule here — and of course, there is a Facebook event page as well.
It’s a great opportunity to check out some quality hockey in a very intimate setting — the Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby screams small-town puck despite being in the middle of the Lower Mainland — and there are some interesting players to watch for as well.
More after the jump.
Continue reading Great Northwest Showcase: SFU Clan, UBC T-birds, ASU Sun Devils, OU Sooners