Author Archives: Lorena Sagastizado

Abbotsford Canucks Start AHL Playoffs

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Everyone get your Abbotsford Canucks car flags and towels out!! The Baby Canucks are in the playoffs!!

In their inaugural season in Abbotsford, The Baby Canucks are set to embark on their playoff journey with their first test being against The Bakersfield Condors, The Baby Oilers, in a best of three series starting tonight at 7pm. All the games are going to be played in Bakersfield as Bakersfield finished higher in the standings than Abbotsford in the Pacific Division. The Canucks had a chance to host this series here in Abbotsford, but lost their final game of the season, 6-0, to Manitoba, and The Condors were able to jump over them in the standings when they won their final game of the season, 3-1 against Stockton.

Abbotsford fans are hopeful that with the injection of some of the young Canuck regulars, this will give them the necessary edge to move past Bakersfield. These players include young Russian sensation Vasily Podkolzin, Delta native Nic Petan, Abbotsford team MVP Sheldon Dries, and speedy forward Will Lockwood. Top prospect goaltenders Spencer Martin and Arturs Silovs were also assigned to Abbotsford.

All eyes will be on young stalwart defenseman Jack Rathbone and Russian Vasily Podkolzin to lead this Abbotsford team all the way to the Calder Cup Finals. Boston native, Jack Rathbone, had an amazing season for a defenseman putting up ten goals and thirty assists for a total of forty points in thirty nine games played! He also went a plus four on the season! Vasily Podkolzin spent all season with The Canucks in the NHL putting up fourteen goals and twelve assists for twenty six points in seventy nine games, going plus seven also.

Abbotsford met eight times during the regular season, going 4-3-1 in the season series against The Condors.

You can watch The Baby Canucks by signing up for AHL TV at watchtheahl.com or listen on the radio at comedy800.iheart.com

If you miss game one tonight, game two is tomorrow, May 4 at 7pm. Go Abbotsford Canucks Go!!

BC Lions goes International for 2022 CFL Global Draft

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Calling all Latvian and German football fans! The BC Lions went international with three picks in this year’s Global Draft.

With the third overall pick, The Lions selected Latvian DL, Karlis Brauns, a 6’4 270 pound defensive linesman. Brauns was making a positive impression on scouts at the College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth, Texas and enjoyed an All Star season with the ELF Wroclaw Panthers. Brauns also seems to have a lively personality that should make him an excellent fit here in this multicultural city as he loves to change his hair colour on a consistent basis as his hair was hot pink, a rare colour you see any professional footballer strut, but was changed to platinum blonde on the day of the draft.

With the sixteenth overall pick in the second round, The Lions selected German DB, Marcel Dabo. Marcel is considered by many scouts as one of the most explosive and athletic players available in this international draft class. He spent 2021 with the ELF Stuttgart Surge, where he was named an All Star and defensive rookie of the year. He recently signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Here’s hoping he decides that Vancouver is a much prettier city to live and play professional sports in than Indianapolis! I know I would definitely choose Vancouver!

With the twenty first pick in the third round, The Lions went back to Germany again and selected FB John Levi-Krause, who spent 2021 in the ELF with the Hamburg Sea Devils. He has also played in the German Football League2 and National Team back in 2017.

The Lions also announced the free agent signing of global DL Tibo Debaillie, from Gistal Belgium.

The Lions went against the grain as it was mainly Australian punters taken in the first round. Here’s hoping that these selections can come into an environment with The Lions that will foster them and allow them to reach their full potential as players on and off the field over time.