Author Archives: Emile Tracy

A Night of Mexican Wresting takes over Downtown Vancouver

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The Commodore Ballroom will be hosting some unusual guests on May 5th, 2022. The historic venue that usually hosts concerts featuring talented musicians in the heart of Downtown Vancouver will now be transformed into an arena with a ring as they host Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling to celebrate this year’s Cinco de Mayo.

Rob Fai, who is the president of the Vancouver-based Nation Extreme Wrestling (NEW), suggests that the Lucha Libre wrestling will be a superb, and entertaining way to celebrate the yearly Mexican tradition.

Rob also had this to say on how they are honouring the Mexican community this Cinco de Mayo. “Lucha Libre emphasizes the traditions of Mexican-styled grappling, which is all about bold colours and incredible, high-flying wrestling. Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexico’s victory over Napoleon and France back in 1862. We will battle in the ring to honour this event and special day within the Mexican community.”

To keep Mexican tradition, this adrenalin-packed event will feature masked luchadores, some of which have just completed first-hand training in Mexico City. It will be the first time the wrestlers have performed in front of the Commodore crowd, which will give them a chance to showcase what they have learned from some of the best luchadores on this planet.

The party doesn’t just stop in the ring, as this event is celebrating more than just the luchadores. This Cinco de Mayo festivity wouldn’t be complete without a performance from the Mariachi Los Dorados, whose music never fails to make people want to get up and dance. Mariachi music always brings people together, no matter what, and to top it off, this event will feature 3$ taco specials, which will be a fan favorite.

Doors open at 7 pm, and the show will get underway at 8 pm on Thursday, May 5th, 2022, at the Commodore Ballroom. Be sure to buy your tickets soon because this isn’t an event you want to miss.

Abbotsford Canucks are on the Hunt for the Calder Cup

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Even though the Vancouver Canucks are not a part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Abbotsford Canucks are playing their first-ever playoff game on Tuesday, May 3rd, against the Bakersfield Condors. The first round of the Calder Cup playoffs is a best of three series, so there are no games to take off as the first team to win two will move onto the next round in a best of five series in the Divisional Semi-Finals.

Abbotsford and Bakersfield played very similar seasons, both tallying 84 points on the season. The Condors sit in fourth place, as the Canucks sit one spot behind at the fifth spot in the Pacific Division. The season series between the two teams was very close all year, but the Canucks had the edge as they went 4-3-1 over the Condors in their eight meetings during the regular season.

As we know, the Vancouver Canucks haven’t made the postseason, but this allows the team to reassign players to Abbotsford to play some meaningful games, get some more playing time, and help Abbotsford make a run for the Calder Cup.

The Vancouver Canucks have reassigned Sheldon Dries, who was named Abbotsford’s team MVP this season with 62 points in 54 games played, and Nic Petan, who are both key pieces to the team’s offense, being two of the top three scorers for the team. Other notable Abbotsford Canucks have returned to the team, such as goaltenders Spencer Martin and Arthur Silovs and speedy forward Will Lockwood. But one Vancouver Canuck rookie and 2019 first round has been reassigned to Abbotsford to try and build up his game going into next season, and that would be 20-year-old Vasily Podkolzin.

The Russian power forward will look to gain more experience and build up his confidence going into next season after being an impactful player for Vancouver in the last part of the season.

Unfortunately, Abbotsford will not have the chance to play any home games in this series as Bakersfield finished a higher seed, but the team will look to win their first playoff game at the Mechanic Banks Arena in Bakersfield at 7:00 pm Tuesday.

Vancouver Giants make History against Everett Silvertips

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Some Western Hockey League history has been made after Monday night’s game between the Vancouver Giants and the Everett Silvertips. After barely skimming into the playoffs, the Giants have become the first eighth-seeded team in WHL history to beat the first-place team in the postseason and move on to the second round with a 6-3 victory over the Silvertips. Vancouver secured a position in the top eight at home in front of over 3300 people at the Langley Events Centre.

 

The Giants came back in this series after being down 2-1. The team was able to click and found their scoring touch as they scored 20 goals in the final three games of the series and went on to win three straight against the top team in the Western Conference.

But Vancouver does have their work cut out for them, as their next matchup will be against the Kamloops Blazers, who finished one point back of the Everett Silvertips this regular season.

The Blazers finished the season with 48 wins, the most wins in the Western Conference. They have also been nothing short of dominant in the first round of the playoffs, sweeping the Spokane Chiefs in the first round, winning all four games in a row while outscoring their opponent 23 to 3 over those four games and shutting them out twice during their series.

If the Giants want to continue to have success against the top teams in the West, they will have to continue to work hard as a team, but most importantly, their top guys will have to continue to produce like they have been this postseason. Vancouver’s captain, Zack Ostapchuk, who is the reigning Player of the Week in the WHL, will have to keep producing for the team after having 16 points in six games, with five of those 16 points coming in the close-out game against Everett.

As well as production from players like Fabian Lysell and Alex Cotton, who have scored four goals each in the playoffs.

The first game between the Giants and Blazers will be played at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops on May 6th, 2022, at 7:00 pm.

Vancouver Canadians back at the Nat for series against Everett

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The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club begins a six-game series against the Everett AquaSox on Tuesday, May 3rd at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Canadians are back at home after a tough series against the Hillsboro Hops in Oregon, only winning the first and last game of the series while losing the other four games at the

Ron Tonkin Field. Three of their four losses were also lost in walk-off, heartbreaking fashion, only losing by one run, while Hillsboro also handed the Canadians their first shutout loss of the year, winning five to nothing. But there were some good things to take away from their series, as they shut out Hillsboro in both of their victories, outscoring the opponent 13 to nothing.

So, Vancouver showed some character on the road, but they also showed some great pitching to close out the series. Trent Palmer pitched six perfect innings on Sunday against the Hops, while striking out eight batters. The right-handed Canadians pitcher was named the Northwest League Pitcher of The Week for April 25th to May 1st. This is the first pitcher on the Canadians to receive this honour since Chad Dallas, who was recognized in the first week of the season.

Trent Palmer had this to say after closing out the series with a win on Sunday. “Being able to land the slider and changeup were huge and the defense behind me was amazing. The early offense makes you a little bit more comfortable to attack hitters more, limit walks, and keep the defense entertained.”

Palmer will take the ball in their series against Everett on Sunday, May 8th at 1:05 pm at home.

The Canadians are currently tied for second with the Eugene Emeralds in the Northwest Standings, as they look to improve on their 10-9 record at home and push for first place. The action against Everett, who sit last in the Northwest, will get going at 7:05 pm from the Nat Bailey Stadium on BCLC PlayNow Tuesday.

Why Vancouver Canucks Brock Boeser is Much More Than Just a Hockey Player

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On Sunday, May 1st, 2022, the players for the Vancouver Canucks answered questions at their end of the season media availability where fans and the public can get an inside look at how the players thought the season went, and what they look forward to in the upcoming season.

But one player stood out from the rest, as forward and Minnesota native Brock Boeser opened up about his struggles this season. Boeser had 46 points, consisting of 23 goals and 23 assists in 71 games played this year with the team.

In five years in the league, this was the lowest point-per-game average Brock has had to date, saying this to the media on Sunday. “It was a tough year. I felt that could have been better for the team.”

But what the stats won’t show is that Brock’s father, Duke, has been struggling with Parkinson’s since 2020 when Boeser shared the news, but he and his family have been open about sharing the story of his health and the challenges that come with it. These challenges don’t necessarily stay off the ice, and the emotions don’t stop when you lace up the skates. We are all battling something. We are all human.

Boeser was asked about his father’s condition by the media on Sunday. Holding back tears, Brock opened up about his father’s onset of dementia and how difficult it’s been on him and his family during the season, with him not being able to be there with his dad.

Professional athletes train hard, earn lots of money, and seem to be living a lavish lifestyle in front of the fans, but we truly never know and understand what’s happening behind the scenes. Brock Boeser was able to continue to battle on the ice, but off the ice, he was battling something else that was the toughest thing he had to deal with all year long.

Brock Boeser is an unrestricted free agent this summer. As much as the Canucks want him back next season, it will ultimately be up to him to decide what is best for him this off-season going into the 2022-23 season. Regardless of who he plays for, we hope the best for Brock next year.

Celebrate Eid and Easter at Queen Elizabeth Park

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On Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022, the University of British Columbia’s Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, Egyptian Student Association, and Simon Fraser Universities Arab Student Association will be collaborating for an event to celebrate the end of Ramadan, as well as Easter.

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This event will be open for anyone to join, especially students from other universities and colleges who are up for an evening of outdoor games, great music, and of course, some delicious food, snacks, and drinks at the Queen Elizabeth Park from 5-8 pm.

This event is free for members and will only cost 5$ if you are not a member, which is a bargain for an incredible evening of meeting new people, hearing some great stories, and eating some outstanding food in celebration of breaking fast. Tickets are limited, so get yours before they sell out.

The beginning of Ramadan this year in Canada was on the evening of Friday, April 1st, and ended on Sunday, May 1st. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, and all other natural urges during the hours of daylight and must wait until the sun sets to fill their needs. Ramadan is seen as a month where Muslims show kindness and patience to strengthen their relationship with God.

Once Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate with a Festival of Breaking Fast, which is called Eid al-Fitr. This festivity is met by a huge feast on the last day and a party with friends and family.

Canada being one of the most multicultural countries in the world is incredible because it allows so many different people from different backgrounds to share traditions that are unique to our country. And these traditions bring us that much closer. So, what’re you waiting for then? The festival is open to anyone looking to enjoy some delightful food while meeting some new people and just having fun, all hosted by UBC SPHR, UBC ESA, and SFU ASA.

Vancouver Giants Look to Make History Against Everett Silvertips

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The Vancouver Giants are looking to close out their series against the Everett Silvertips tonight to become the first 8th seed team in Western Hockey League history to win a playoff series against the number 1 team.

 

As Vancouver finished the season 47 points back of their first-round matchup with a 24-39-5-0 record, Giants coach Michael Dyck had this to say before going into Game 6. “I think the key for us, very simply, is understanding that we’re going to have to play our best game of the series to close this out. The fourth win is always the hardest. And Everett is a very good team.”

And by a very good team, Everett had 100 points in the regular season that won them the U.S Divisional Title, along with the Western Conference banner. The Silvertips also finished the season with an unbelievable 45-12-5-5 record.

The Giants have not had the best run this year after high expectations coming into the 2021-22 season, with four NHL draft picks in their lineup at the start of the season. The team also ended the season poorly, only winning one of their last 12 games.

But after being down 2-1 in the series, the Giants have shown they can play with the best of the best as they’ve come back to win two in a row, outscoring their opponent 14 to 6 over the past two games.

This all wouldn’t mean anything without the help of 20-year-old Swede, Jesper Vikman in the net, stopping all 50 shots faced last game in Everett to shut out the home team to give Vancouver the series lead.

Game 6 will be held at the Langley Events Centre and the puck will drop at 7 pm on Monday, May 2nd as the Vancouver Giants will look to move on to the second round of the playoffs.