Get ready, the CONCACAF is coming! The Whitecaps will move into the drawing phase, finding out their dance partner for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.  For the Whitecaps, this tournament isn’t just another competition, it’s one of the biggest continental stages they’ll play on,and a deep run can change how the club is seen internationally. The Whitecaps are at 6th in the CONCACAF club standings, situated in a very interesting spot going into the tournament. It’s the kind of ranking that doesn’t guarantee comfort, but it demands respect. Vancouver is no longer the underdog club; they’re one of the clubs that the rest are quietly hoping to avoid.

This coming tournament is stacked with clubs: Club América and CF Monterrey from Mexico; Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami; reigning champions Cruz Azul; LA Galaxy, fresh off their MLS Cup victory. These are the names which make this tournament matter-the clubs that defined excellence and competitiveness across the region. The format is straightforward: five knockout rounds. Win or go home, with no room for error.

The draw procedures use a pot system based on club rankings, where nineteen teams will be distributed into two pots, and then randomly matched with the available bracket positions. In this regard, the Whitecaps will start in round one in February, without knowing who they will face. As a result of their ranking system, the three highest ranking teams would be pre-seeded into protective bracket positions. Because of that, the randomness within the structure of the tournament makes the draw compelling. One pick can put the Whitecaps to the tough schedule to go up against the defending champion in the quarterfinals or might open up a bracket to see how they navigate throughout the competition. Every draw determines the outcome on all teams.

Until, that is, December 9th, when Whitecaps fans will have to tune into CONCACAF’s YouTube channel and watch, one by one, the draft to calculate the potential matchup. That’s the chance for Vancouver to prove they belong against the elites of the continent, to prove Canada can compete when it matters most.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

The 2025 World Supercross Championship (WSX) feels like the sport is finally making good on a promise that supercross is not just a regional show anymore, it is an annual event, it is a global sport. Supercross is a motorcycle racing event on dirt tracks that are built inside stadiums featuring jumps, obstacles and tight turns. The supercross championship consists of 10 international teams and 40 riders across two classifications WSX (450cc motorcycles) and SX2 (250cc motorcycles).

Right in Vancouver, the global championship starts its round two setup, watching whether the riders are capable of tackling a whole new environment? The defending champion, Eli Tomac, was making hist debut with his new team, Red Bull KTM, and everyone knew that meant making a statement. However, Justin Cooper edges Tomac by a slither of a second, just a few seconds can separate leads between the athletes.

But this was far from over. Ken Roczen, Tomac’s longtime rival, sped against Tomac for the win. Roczen had swept all three races in Buenos Aires at round 1 just one week earlier. The battle between the two leaders had fans cheer on for the show of the lifetime. Tomac in the end claimed the overall victory by winning two out of three races, while Roczen’s consistent 3-1-2 performance earned him second overall and extended his championship lead, while Jason Anderson’s impressive pace secured him as third overall. In the SX2 class, Max Anstie dominated the competition. He had swept every gate drop at round two, executing perfectly despite feeling sick, he is now the clear favourite to win the SX2 championship with two perfect rounds.

What made this stop in Vancouver special was not just the racing, it was the atmosphere. Fireworks exploded between races; BC place stadium was the perfect arena to be part of the championship and to allow the sport to be known amongst the locals and Canadians. The championship now heads to Australia for round 3, with the title almost at the grasp. Roczen holds the points lead, but Tomac’s debut statement proved he’s ready to defend his title. The rumble may have faded in Vancouver but stay tuned for the competition as it takes another level of world class athletes pushing their bodies and motorcycles to the limit.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

Other than the CPL this week, we also have the Northern Super League (NSL) final. This marks as one of the historic games in the Vancouver Rise FC history, capturing the first-ever Northern Super League Title. Watching championship title games always feels different. In our home turf especially, makes this championship everlasting for Vancouver.

In the beginning of the game, Toronto struck first, where Kaylee Turner scored the only goal for them. Even though the game was still early at that time, it felt as if the AFC Toronto had all the momentum by their side. But the Rise FC aren’t backing down without a fight either.

Things started to shift after the half; Nikki Stanton rose up on a corner in the 54^th minute of the game to tie up the game 1-1. The tone of the entire match changed instantly, the crowd noise was loud, it was getting wilder and more hopeful for their team. Rise FC started getting the momentum back them, every possession had weight, every pass had to be exact. Then, Holly Ward cuts into the box and shoots the go-ahead goal in the 68^th minute, leading the game 2-1 for Vancouver.

From that point on, the game became much more intense, both teams are not backing down from a fight, AFC Toronto tried desperately for another goal, while Vancouver’s goalkeeper, Morgan McAslan was holding the fort down, not letting any single opportunity to go pass her. Save after save, eventually the whistle blew, the confetti flying everywhere in the stadium. The game was over; Vancouver Rise FC lifted the trophy and finally was rewarded their first championship title in franchise history.

Knowing that this was the first-ever NSL final made it better, Vancouver Rise FC made a statement where it is more than a game, it led for others to witness the rise of professional women’s soccer in Canada, giving more opportunities for young women athletes to try to aim towards their dreams and making them a reality.  For the team, it gives them opportunity to build on this success to continue to strengthen their game and to hold down their title. It is just a beginning for the team, and I am looking forward to see what this team will continue to do in the future.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

The Canucks were on the road against the Hurricanes; However, this team continues to prove themselves that they are not ready for a playoff push at all. A disappointing showcase on what was expected during the offseason.

This game started out exciting for Canucks fans, where Max Sasson started the game with a first period opening goal for the team, even though the goal was not a highlight reel, it was supposed to set the tone for the rest of the team. The Hurricanes answered back quickly, give back 2 goals in less than a minute in the game, Andrei Svechnikov, was everywhere, seeming to find spaces that the Canucks couldn’t see, it felt like the pace at that point of the game was too fast for anyone but him to takeover.

Luckily, to end off the period, Elias Pettersson jumped onto a loose puck during the penalty kill and hit a goal quickly. That goal seemed to wake everyone up but as the game lingers on, we noticed the issue of our defense that would crumble down faster than anyone who would think watching this game at that point. Conor Garland scored another goal on the power play thanks to the assist from Brock Boeser, a clean play that sparked the momentum back for the Canucks.

But the Hurricanes weren’t done, Taylor Hall managed to tie it later in the third, shifting all the energy back to their side. It was a tied game, in overtime, both teams were neck in neck throughout, Sebastian Aho for the Hurricanes struck out, with 31 seconds left in overtime scores the winning goal, giving another tough loss in the season for the Canucks.

What stings the most is that the Canucks prove that our offense can compete against the better teams, we always see flashes every game. But these flashes don’t win seasons, our defense needs to step up to the plate. Games like this just shows that how far the team still has to go before anyone can seriously talk about playoffs again. The Canucks will play another road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, we’ll see how effective the games will be and what adjustment will the team have for the next game.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

The Raptors are facing an old friend, Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers, what seems to be a friend rivalry between the two teams. This game marks as the final road game of the raptors 5-game road trip, where they have 3-1 going into this game. But with the outcome, the raptors are climbing up in the eastern conference standings and are noticeably getting better as a team and communicating more both on offense and defense.

R.J. Barrett, the home grown Canadian, has led the way for the raptors to stretch the point differential with smooth jumper after jumper, catching and shooting three pointers being effective throughout the game compared to his past few games on this road trip. The highlight of this game for the raptors however is Jakob Poeltl, where he had 22 points and 9 rebounds, just quietly finishing the game and help the raptors create finishes inside the paint.

For the Pacers however, missing their star, Tyrese Haliburton remains to be the biggest weakness for this team. The offensive creation is lacking throughout, if not for Pascal Siakam, who was one of the main contributors of this game, the Pacers would not be able to come close in the game earlier. With Siakam, leading the charge for this Pacers team, it is evident that the Pacers need some help either from their bench or the medical staff with all the injuries that a lot of players on the Pacers are facing.

What made this game fun to watch however, was Scottie Barnes, even though his contributions on the stat sheet says otherwise, through the lens of the fans, he would find spots that would benefit himself to get the easy bucket. While former all-star, Brandon Ingram, would do the same for himself, from the mid-range pull-up to the fadeaway that is smooth throughout.

Indiana made a couple of pushes late, but the Raptors never looked rattled at all. This game was entirely in control for Toronto and the final score of 129-111 says it all. The raptors are now 8-5 in this season, getting up to fourth place in the eastern conference. As they’re taking on the Charolette Hornets next back in Scotiabank Arena, we will see if they could keep this win streak going and prove to the rest of the league that they are becoming a threat in east?

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

The 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) final, Atlético Ottawa and Cavalry FC, a spectacular match, one of the most memorable matches in CPL history. From the beginning of the match, the weather was the talking point of the town. The entire broadcast of the game looked like someone pointed a camera inside a snow globe.

The CPL didn’t cancel the game because of a combination of conflict of schedules. Postponing the final would require a new venue, but the renovations at TD Place takes place the day after the game, making it unavailable. Additionally, there is an international break approaching for the players and teams, meaning that there was no clear later date available to play. The game must go on.

The snow was rough in Ottawa, where players on both sides were seen squinting through it all, audience members, commentators everyone was shocked and laughing at the same time at the ridiculousness of the field. At one point, Ottawa’s goalkeeper, Nathan Ingham, started to help the crew shovel the snow too. The interesting fact for this game is that.

Cavalry FC started the first goal of the game with a penalty shot from Fraser Aird, where he somehow bypasses the interference from the snow into the net. Commentators and fans were left shocked with the skills of the player and felt that the weather, which was the emphasis throughout the entire game, was giving the teams are harder time while giving a show of the lifetime for fans.

Not long after at the 39’ mark, David Rodríguez fires back with the most difficult of shots, the bicycle kick, but not only that, he had to do it in the snow, which led to the vital moment of the game. Everyone in the crowd was stunned by the shot, fans cheering, commentators yelling, and social media began to talk about the shot and commenting both the effort and difficulty of this kick, and then naming it the ‘Icicle kick’, getting inspiration from both the bicycle kick and the weather situations at the time.

By the end of the game, both teams were tied, as if the game wasn’t exciting enough, extra time was added to the game. Once the snowplows came back onto the field to get rid of the pile of snow, the field is back to its even state, both teams just needed one more to finish off the other. But then, David Rodríguez once again pulled through, a tidy chip to take the ball over the goalkeeper to take the lead.

At the point, all momentum was on Atlético Ottawa’s side, everyone in the crowd was already celebrating. Just when the final whistle blew, the game was theirs. Atlético Ottawa had finally secured their first CPL title, and they did it through the difficult conditions that would make most leagues cancel the match entirely. The 2025 CPL Final wasn’t pretty, but it was unforgettable, every moment showed exactly what makes Canadian soccer worth following.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

Here’s What Happened in One of Vancouver’s Wildest Art Events

There’s a new event called Dustcovery- Yesterday’s Tomorrow at the PNE Forum. This event brings a unique art culture to the doorsteps. From the air hums with anticipation to the installations of neon lights, the Vancouver Burning Man Community transforms this space into an unexpected visual surprise to the naked eye.

This year’s theme focused on ‘Yesterday’s Tomorrow’, shows different artworks, some mixes old-fashioned ideas with futuristic imagination. Seeing someone in a traditional Victorian outfit with glowing wings in the back to help kids make paper rockets. While a DJ might play retro electronic music while old sci-fi films are projected onto the walls. At the invention station, people would gather around to build strange creations together, this theme is not just a show, it encourages everyone to explore the creativity between past and future.

At the Time Traveler’s Lounge, people can write time capsules for their future selves, to write down what we hope to be in the future. While on the other hand, we can burn old letters from ourselves to let go of the past. At the Retro Arcade Camp, giant screens that show classic games like Pac Man are available for everyone to enjoy.

Dustcovery is built on the ten principles of the Burning Man which consists of creativity, community, gifting, participation and more. People came here to gather to experience these activities for the first time, expanding their ideas and opening doors to think outside the norm. Everyone wears costumes that stands out from the norm to appreciate the ideas from past and future combined.

Performance in the event brings different kinds of music to blend together, fire dancers wearing steampunk clothing, spinning flaming staffs while mixing with LED lights, changing perception and creating an exceptional visual display. As the night winds down and the last bit of light starts to fade.

Dustcovery ends but with a twist, waiting for the next storytellers. Because everything in this event is more than just a piece of artwork, performance or display. It combines the creativity and meaning to tell a story, to combine ideas from stories that were once told and the stories that are yet to be told. Whoever you are, this event has showed me that anybody can be anything with just the exploration and breaking away from the norm, you can build, explore and connect yourself to the yesterday’s ideas and tomorrow’s dream in the same room, to bring your own spark into the mix.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

After getting a win from Brooklyn, the Raptors have got another win against one of the stronger teams in the eastern conference rival, the Cleveland cavaliers. So far in this 5-game road trip, the raptors have looked healthy and have won 4 of the 5 games.

From the opening tip, it is clear that the raptors are confident in this game, leading in the second quarter with a 38-24 run, turning the game into their favour. By halftime, the raptors led by 67-54. It’s important to note, that the cavaliers in the past season have beaten the raptors 4-0 in their four meetings with each other. This has turn out into a favourable matchup for the raptors.

One of the key players that stepped up was Scottie Barnes, putting up 28 points, 10 rebounds and dished 8 assists and 5 blocks. An all-round stat sheet to say the least. His performance led to the team finding rhythm, while Immanuel Quickley also contributed with 25 points, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell had 31 points but wasn’t enough with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen aren’t able to contribute much, along with the injury to their other all-star guard, Darius Garland, it seemed the team ran out of gas when facing the raptors.

Ultimately, the raptors finished the game with 126-113, on the road against a team that beat them completely last season. In this game, we can see some improvements that carried from the last game against the Brooklyn Nets, where the team seems to be more in sync with each other, and addition to Barnes and Quickley, the rest of the starters and the bench have done well to keep their game up float.

Even though the team is playing well, the record of 7-5 to start the season still remains shaky, as teams around the league are improving within the team and have a clearcut leader amongst them. Hopefully we’re looking towards Scottie Barnes as the player to step up for the raptors and make a greater impact on the eastern conference this year.

As the Raptors walk away from Cleveland with another win under their belt, the team is expected to face the Indiana Pacers, who is without their all-star guard Tyrese Haliburton, hopefully they can finish off this 5-game road trip with a positive record and to continue to build their momentum.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca

Lacrosse, a sport that is well-known amongst Canadians, where the sport originated from Canada itself. The sport of Lacrosse brings a different element to sports with its unique skills and accessories, not to mention different rules outside of the popular sports such as soccer, hockey or basketball. Speaking of Lacrosse, here in Vancouver, our very own Vancouver Warriors are about to start their National Lacrosse League (NLL)season at the Rogers Arena on November 29.

The Warriors are looking to continue their momentum coming in this season, where they have clinched their first postseason appearance in franchise history. With the record of 11-7 last season, the Warriors have emerged as a strong contender for the league and making the Rogers Arena one of the toughest venues to play in.

With expectations rising from the fans, the Warriors are looking to extend their momentum with their head coach and general manager, Curt Malawsky, thinks that the next step for the team is to try to bring Vancouver a championship. As the team now has playoff experience and understands what it takes to compete at that level, fans could expect big moments from the games.

With players such as Owen Grant and Ryan Dilks, who both were named to 1^st all NLL team, we could expect to see the Warriors bring back one of the league’s best defensive units. Their presence alone transforms games, shutting down lanes, delivering hits, controlling the tempo, and giving Vancouver a backbone opponents fear. Adding on with emerging young stars and a core that has tasted playoff lacrosse for the first time, this team suddenly is one of the formidable competitors in the league.

As fans are getting ready to head into Rogers Arena with black and gold jerseys, this season begins a new chapter. The warriors are stepping onto the turf not as underdogs, but a force with the city behind them.

Ben Chan kchan467@my.bcit.ca