Author Archives: Niko Liapis

Whitecaps vs Sounders Ends In a Stalemate

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The Whitecaps end the game against the Sounders with a 2-2 draw as the Whitecaps have now tied their past 2 games, but hey, at least their 8 game unbeaten streak is still intact. Who were the goal scorers and what happened in the game? Lets get into it!

Game Breakdown

The first half of the game was relatively uneventful. The Sounders held the ball for most of the half and created a few partial opportunities but in the end didn’t really amount to anything. Fast forward to the second half the game started picking up, and in the 50th minute Thomas Muller got the ball off an interception and threads a pass through to Brian White who calmly  slots it home to get his second goal in two games, and puts the Caps up 1-0. But, not even two minutes later the Sounders build the play through the middle and get the ball to the corner and get their cross blocked which earns them a corner kick. Rusnak whips the ball in and finds the head of Ragen, who just sneaks it past Takaoka to make it a 1-1 game. But wait, it gets worse.

Not even two minutes later the Sounders take the ball from their end and start pressing forward, they get the ball out wide, Rothrock gets through a few players and slips the ball through to Ferreira, he cuts it to the back post and Rusnak is there to smash it home. 2-1 Sounders. 14 minutes later the Whitecaps win a corner kick. Set piece specialist Sebastian Berhalter steps over the ball, raises his hand and beautifully places the ball right on Labordas head as he glances it home to tie the game at 2-2. The Whitecaps once again take advantage of this red hot set piece that they have clearly been working on in training.

Supporters Shield Hope For The Caps?

There is still hope for the Whitecaps to win the supporters shield as they currently still have the second best record in the MLS below San Diego FC. Vancouver has 3 games left in the regular season before the playoffs so they definitely could still earn their ticket to that number one spot. With games against San Jose, Orlando, and FC Dallas, if they can win all 3 of them they could very well earn their first ever supporters shield in the clubs history.

Do you think the Whitecaps will end up finishing first in the league?

Top 4 Best Draft Picks In Canucks History

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The Canucks have drafted a lot of amazing players in their history, but who have been the best? Im gonna give you my top 4 Canucks draft picks of all time, Lets get into it.

4. Quinn Hughes

At number 4 I have Quinn Hughes. the Canucks drafted Hughes 7th overall in the 2018 NHL draft and his time here has been nothing short a pure joy for Canucks fans. After the Canucks traded Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders, Quinn Hughes was named the 15th Captain for the organization and the first defenceman to be named captain since the 90’s. Although very early in Quinns career he has made an immense impact in his first 8 years with the team and is currently among the very best players in the league today.

3. Daniel and Henrik Sedin

Yes I know they are two separate players, but I couldn’t put one before the other so they are together at number 3. The twins were drafted 2nd and 3rd overall in 1999 and have made a lasting impact on the organization that will never be forgotten. Daniel was the assistant captain and Henrik was the captain and they were talked about around the league for having incredible chemistry between the two of them for the entirety of their careers. They hold on to many, many records and have both their jersey numbers 22 and 33 hung up in the rafters of Rogers arena so their memory lives on forever.

1. Pavel Bure

Pavel Bure or the “Russian Rocket” has to be the best bargain of a draft pick the Canucks ever made. Drafted 113th overall in the 6th round. Bure was an absolute steal and one of the best players in Canucks history. He was a point machine with an eye for scoring goals and creating plays. The Canucks retired his famous number 10 jersey, and in 2012 he was inducted into the hockey hall of fame.

What did you think of my picks? Who have been your top 4?

Will Vancouver Ever Get An NBA Team Again

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Its been 24 years since Vancouver last had an NBA team, yes I know very depressing. Is there potential for the city to get a team again, and what is the timeline? Lets get into it!

The Vancouver Grizzlies

Vancouver did at one point have an NBA team called the Vancouver Grizzlies. They were around from 1995-2001. The organization lasted a whopping 6 years due to there not being a very big interest for a basketball market in the city and the team being pretty bad for the majority of their short history. Although the Grizzlies were not very good there were some promising aspects of the team. They had pretty decent players such as Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who were all standout players during their time in Vancouver. After the 6 years were up in Vancouver it was decided that the team would relocate to Memphis Tennessee, Where they would now be the Memphis Grizzlies.

Basketball Culture in Vancouver

Fast forward now to 2025, the city now has a fantastic basketball culture with thriving programs for youth academies and university level athletes. UBC is one of the best university basketball programs in the country and have produced multiple high level professional players throughout the years. Vancouver is also home to the Vancouver Bandits, a professional basketball team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League or the CEBL. The Bandits have done a great job of increasing interest of basketball in Vancouver and even had some success with the franchise making it to the championship games in both 2020 and 2024 seasons. The team also welcomed Social Media Basketball Influencer Tristan Jazz as a new player to their roster in May, which has further gathered interest for the Bandits and the sport of basketball.

Will We See An NBA Franchise Return To Vancouver?

Vancouver is among the next top 3 potential destinations for an NBA franchise. According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Las Vegas and Seattle are the priority destinations for NBA teams but has hinted at the idea of a team in Vancouver or Montreal. The real question is, how would the franchise do this time around? I believe the culture in our city is much more diverse and has changed immensely since the last time we had a team. Basketball as a sport has grown globally and become much more popular in Canada over the past 10 years. In the next 10 years I believe the Vancouver will once again have an NBA team and we can join Toronto as the only other city in Canada with a team.

Since the name “Grizzlies” has been taken, what would you name our future NBA team in Vancouver?

Canucks Get Their Revenge On The Kraken With a 4-2 Win

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The Canucks completed a great comeback in a 4-2 win over the Kraken. Although in my prediction I did say it would be 4-3, but hey cant get everything right. How did the game go and what worked better for the Canucks tonight? Lets get into the breakdown!

Period One

The Kraken start strong and capitalize on a deflected shot from the blue line that was turned in by Jani Nyman. The Kraken controlled most of the first period as they had a lot more shots on target and more offensive zone time which resulted in more chances for the visitors.

Period Two

The Kraken kept their foot on that gas as they came out with some early shots on goal, but the Canucks also started playing better as Hronek had a close call hitting the post early in the second period. Shortly after Evander Kane centred a puck from behind the net to Elias Pettersson who had a point blank opportunity in front of the net but was absolutely robbed by the left pad of Murray. Then on the other side a play was made behind the net to set up Tyson Jugnauth who scored the Krakens second goal of the game. Less than two minutes later Jonathon Lekkerimaki throws one towards the net and our rookie Braeden Cootes was in the right place at the right time to tip it in to make it 2-1.

Period Three

The Canucks wasted absolutely not time in the third and scored less than a minute into the period with a big slap shot by Hronek. In the final 10 minutes of the period the ice started to tilt and the Canucks began to takeover. As they had control of the puck in the Kraken zone Quinn Hughes took at shot at the top of the zone, it deflected off of Brock Boesers stick onto Jake Debrusk and somehow into the back of the net. Just Jake Debrusk scoring a Jake Debrusk type of goal right in his office. At the very end of the period as an act of desperation the Kraken pulled the goalie to try and take the game to overtime, but instead Evander Kane capitalized on the empty net opportunity and scored his first ever Canucks goal to seal the deal for Vancouver.

A great performance by the Vancouver Canucks and a good confidence booster for the new players in the lineup who showed a lot of grit and that they are ready for the new season.

What did you think of the Canucks overall play tonight?

Evander Kane On The Brink the 2025/26 With His Hometown Team

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Evander Kane has been one of the most controversial players in the NHL in the past few years. As much as he has been in the spotlight, there is no denying he is a great hockey player when he is committed to the game. As he is now a Vancouver Canuck its only right to take a look at his career and see how he has now come full circle to the place he grew up. Lets get into it!

Early Beginnings

Growing up, Evander lived in East Vancouver and attended John Oliver secondary school. he played a variety of sports growing up such as soccer, basketball, baseball, and of course hockey. By the age of 14 Evander already began making a name for himself being one of the stand out players for the North Shore Winter Club, and later on joined the Greater Vancouver Canadians in the BC Hockey Major Midget League. In 2009 Kane was drafted 4th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers which in 2011 the team moved to Winnipeg to bring back the Jets organization.

NHL Career

After the Thrashers became the Jets Evander spent 7 years with the organization and was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015. 3 bad years saw him to be traded once again this time to the San Jose Sharks in 2018. Kane was the Sharks franchise player and was playing the best hockey in his career and even earned himself a new contract in May of 2018 worth $49 million over 7 years. But due a Covid-19 violation in 2021 and Kane was suspended. The Sharks then decided to send Kane to waivers with immediate effect. Then on January of 2022 news broke that the Edmonton Oilers would sign Kane to a one year deal. Kane spent the next 3 years with the organization helping them to back to back Stanley cup finals in 2024 and 2025 unfortunately to no avail. Fast forward after the Oiler Stanley cup hopes were crushed, a week later on June 25th, the Canucks announced that Evander Kane was now Canuck.

This is a big year for Evander Kane, not only to earn himself a new contract with the organization, but to prove to his hometown city that he is here to win and to do everything in his power to help bring a winning culture back to his childhood team. Kane was brought in to be one of the top 6 forward for Vancouver and as they are hopeful he can bring some experience and leadership to the forward lines.

What do you think of Kane’s homecoming?

Whitecaps Vs Timbers; Battle of the Pacific Northwest

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The Whitecaps hosted the Timbers on Wednesday in a classic Cascadia rivalry. The game ended in a 1-1 draw as the Whitecaps scored in the 88th minute to pull themselves from the jaws of defeat. What was the overall tale of the game and who were the top performers? Lets get into it!

Game Breakdown

The first half was taken control mostly by the Timbers. They offensively had more chances and were breaking past the Whitecaps defence with ease. All the pressure amounted in a failed clearing attempt by the Whitecaps that landed on the feet of Portland centre back Kamal Miller who rifled a half volley from way outside the box to put it up and over Vancouver goalkeeper Takaoka to give them the 1-0 lead. The rest of the first half remained the same and the Whitecaps were off to a subpar first 45 minutes. The second half started off better for the Caps. They began advancing the play more and creating chance after chance but seemingly unable to find the back of the net. After a beautiful save from Portland goalkeeper James Pantemis, the Whitecaps had one more chance to capitalize off a late corner kick. Sebastian Berhalter stepped over the ball, raised his hand, and whipped it into the box, Laborda flicks it on the near post and who other than Brian White is there to tap it in on the 6 yard box.

Which Whitecaps Stood Out

Although the Whitecaps did have a better second half, it was more of a hard fought team effort for them to be able to get the point. That being said, two players that had stand out games and have been consistent all year were Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White. Berhalter was making beautiful passes and creating chances all game and assisted the Whitecaps goal which was the cherry on top. And for Brian White, his goal scoring ability continued as he added yet another to his tally to keep the Caps unbeaten streak alive and has been pivotal in the Whitecaps success this season.

Vancouver vs Seattle

Tomorrow the Whitecaps play the Sounders in Seattle. The Sounders have always been a huge rival for Vancouver so it would definitely be a good 3 points to get especially on the road. Thomas Muller was not in the lineup against Portland on Wednesday but seemingly will make the start when they face off at Lumen field tomorrow night.

Do you think Muller being back in the lineup will secure the victory for Vancouver tomorrow?

Canucks Beat The Flames 3-1; Inside Look On The New Additions

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Last night the Canucks defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 in their second preseason game of the new season. What did the Canucks do well and who stood out? Lets get into it!

Game Breakdown

The Canucks jumped out early in this game with Nils Hoglander getting on the score sheet after being in the right place at the right time on the top of the crease to tap home the first goal for the Canucks. Victor Mancini continued showing his offensive abilities all game. he was taking guys on and making plays, and scored yet another great goal as he cut to the net to put away the centring pass by Linus Karlsson and put the Canucks up 2-0. The last goal came from last years acquisition from the J.T. Miller Trade, Filip Chytl. Who suffered a concussion on March 15th and was out for the remainder of last season. A fantastic way to get the confidence back before the new season. Not to mention Thatcher Demko was back in net and looking like his vintage self making one acrobatic save after another.

Which Canuck Had Something To Prove?

All in all it was a great team performance by the Canucks, but there was one player that really stood out. Victor Mancini has been an absolute bargain ever since he arrived in Vancouver. At only 23 years old Mancini already has the potential to be a fantastic defenceman in the NHL and was one of the key players for the Abbotsford Canucks Calder Cup run last season. Although it is still early to say, I think Victor Mancini will be a key player that is brought up to the first team this season and could be a full time player on the Canuck’s by next year based on how quickly he develops.

Rematch Against The Kraken

Tomorrow the Canucks get their rematch against the Kraken at Rogers Arena. With Demko set to start again and the Canucks looking like they have found their stride last night, tomorrows game could look very different. On Sundays game the Canucks were finding themselves very open and caught up in plays which allowed the Kraken to counter them in the neutral zone which they capitalized on a few times. They also lacked structure and organization when facing off in their defensive zone which the Kraken created many chances off of and capitalized on it with the fifth goal. I believe they will be more defensively responsible and generate offence through the forecheck which worked very well last night against Calgary. My prediction, 4-3 Canucks.

How do you think the Canucks will do in tomorrows duel with the Kraken?

 

The Rise Of Mixed Martial Arts in Vancouver

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As the sport of mixed martial has grown globally, average people training in the sport of martial has also become a lot more popular. As someone who trains martial arts i’ve seen how big its become in Vancouver and how its become one of the fastest growing sports in the city

MMA Culture in Vancouver

The landscape of MMA has been on the rise across the country. Vancouver specifically has been one of the hubs for martial arts due to its well known regional promotion “Battlefield Fight League”. The promotion has been around since 2010 and has been recognized as the best regional promotion in the country. The purpose the BFL serves is to promote fighters, build their pro records, and give them a platform to join bigger promotions like the UFC, PFL, or One Championship. Many fighters fight in this promotion have ended up fighting in the UFC and making a name for themselves as top prospects in the company.

Some of the most notable gyms in Vancouver that have been the main the driving point to the rise of martial arts in the city are Lions MMA, Diaz Combat Sports, and Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. All of these gym have athletes that compete at the top of the of the sport when it comes to the regional scene and in competitions, and have many more athletes on the rise.

Why Train Martial Arts?

Martial arts is a great way of being active and getting yourself out there. Conventional exercise can be boring at times and result to having a lack of motivation. Training martial arts keeps you engaged, you get a great workout, and there is always something new to learn. Martial arts is also great for self confidence and self defence. Knowing and having the confidence to be able to defend yourself is a very reassuring feeling that will give you a new sense of confidence you’ve never felt before. And lastly its a new challenge. Its a big step that most of us are fearful to take. But I can speak from personal experience, it is one of the most rewarding things you will try. You learn so much about yourself and how hard your body can truly push. Not to mention the great people you will meet in the MMA community.

What do you think of the martial arts scene in Vancouver?

 

 

 

The Lasting Impact of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games

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The 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver were one of the most memorable winter olympics in recent memory. From Nikki Yanofsky’s famous song “I Believe”, to Sideny Crosbys golden goal in overtime to win the gold medal for team Canada. There were endless memories made that still live with Vancouverites until today. But how did the Olympics change Vancouver? Lets get into it!

Tourism The Olympics Brought

Post 2010, Vancouver was put on the map globally for our winter sports paradise “Whistler”. Vancouver was now recognized as being one of the best skiing and snowboarding destinations in the world which still attracts tourism for across the world to visit our world renowned “Whistler Blackcomb”. Not to mention the summer activities Whistler has to offer, from mountain biking to hiking in the trails, the list of outdoor activities are endless.

Environmental Impacts and City Developments

When Vancouver was planning to host the Olympics they had a goal in mind wanting to make it “the greenest” Olympic games. One of the ways they displayed their efforts was with the construction of the “Canada Line”. The upgrade to the cities transit system allowed for less busses to be on the streets and to have a quicker and easier method of getting anywhere between Richmond to downtown. The city of Vancouver also invested in placing upgrades on B.C. Place stadium, and building of the Richmond oval, which is a world class facility that hosted the speed skating events in 2010 and now used as a multi purpose sporting facility open to the public. And lastly the famous athlete village know today as Olympic village. These developments were made for athletes to stay in during the olympics but are now being sold as luxury condos in the heart of false creek.

Cultural and Social Impact

The city of Vancouver got to see a lot of changes during the winter games in 2010. The most significant changes were the different cultures that were able to collide with one another. Fans and athletes from across the world got the opportunity to come represent their countries, cheer on their athletes, and compete in a once in a lifetime opportunity. The opening and closing ceremonies demonstrated how special these events truly are. Not only was this an opportunity for Vancouver to host a huge global event but it was a massive opportunity for the city to showcase our multicultural and inclusive identity.

Where would you rank the 2010 winter games alongside other notable years of the Olympics?

 

 

The Running Craze in Vancouver: How the City Became a Runner’s Paradise

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If you have lived in Vancouver long enough you will have noticed everyone loves to run. What exactly has happened to make running a trend that hasn’t slowed down since it grew in great popularity just a few years ago. Let’s get into it!

How Did This All Start?

Running has always been a popular form of exercise but not to this extent. This years Sun Run saw a record turnout with over 50,000 participants, making it one of the biggest 10k races in North America. But why?  Post pandemic a lot of people began working from home full time. Being at home all day can really take at toll on someone especially without any exercise to break up the day. Another thing that was lost due to new ways of working, was everyday human interaction. If you wanted to see people it was now up to you in order to get out their and make the effort to see someone instead of having those everyday interactions at work. That can make someone feel pretty lonely. When life slowly began to feel normal again, the resurgence of group physical activity was back and thriving more than ever. Whether it was organized sports like, softball, soccer, basketball, and Run clubs everyone was eager to join something to feel a sense of belonging.

What Makes Running So Popular?

Before Strava, Fitbits, and Apple watches made running trendy, most runners were doing it competitively without having any stats on their phones and watches. Running has now become popular because it is obviously a healthy form of physical activity but also for the relationships and community it builds with fellow runners in run clubs. Apps like Strava, which is an app that allows you to track your runs and share your times and pace with your friends, has added an entirely new social element that has made this trend even bigger. Not only is it just for fitness but now you can meet others on an app who share common interests. I have even heard stories of people who have used Strava almost like a dating app to meet new people and set up running dates.

Not to mention the city we live in is absolutely beautiful, and when the weather is nice there nothing better than going outside to do some physical activity. Having such scenic views and beautiful trails makes becoming a runner much easier. What do you think of this running craze? is it something you would ever get into?