Author Archives: Ryan Plessl

Local Hockey Team Shows Support For Black History Month!

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Friday night the Coquitlam Express faced off against the Langley Rivermen in a close back and forth game. You can read all about the game right here:

Coquitlam Express VS Langley Rivermen Was Intense!

This was a home game for the Express and the team dedicated the night to Black History Month. The team is very supportive of multiple initiative’s that deserve a platform in the community. Just last month the team hosted Pride Night. The team showed support for Black History Month in multiple different ways throughout the night.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co5RHofhyCj/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

The team announced that they would be using a unique Black History Month logo for the night. The logo was designed by @seveneyedesigns and had a special aim of breaking down barriers. The team released a statement on their Instagram sharing the thought process behind the logo:

“The design was imagined in hopes of creating a space that will one day be filled more fully with faces of all backgrounds. We aim to break down the race barriers in sports and the world. We believe this design could be a calling to those who haven’t felt represented, who don’t feel that they have a place here, we aspire to call to the dreamer in you and open a door that was once closed.”

The team used this logo on t-shirts that lots of the staff wore for the night.

The team also had out Phebe Trotman to drop the first puck. Phebe is a member of the Coquitlam Sports Hall Of Fame and well known in the community for her tremendous soccer skills.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEfbCAuehs/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

It’s important for local events to support initiatives like Black History Month to show that everyone has a place in our community. The Coquitlam Express does a great job of showing we all belong here.

Vancouver Born MMA Fighter Will Fight For Major Title Text!

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Vancouver born fighter Jeremy Kennedy dominated Pedro Carvalho yesterday to earn a featherweight title shot against Patrício Pitbull.

Jeremy started his fighting journey with local MMA coach Shawn Albrecht at the young age of 13.

Jeremy quickly soared through the MMA ranks with a impressive 8-0 record in BFL to start his career.

Jeremy was then signed to the UFC and went 3-0 before facing off against now pound for pound #1 fighter in the world Alexander Volkanovski. Volkanovski ended Kennedys 11-0 win streak and Kennedy left the UFC to pressure other opportunities.

Kennedy bounced around promotions for a little bit, picking up a few wins before landing in Bellator MMA. Jeremy won his first few fights in Bellator and was matched up against rising star Aaron Pico. Not many people expected Kennedy to win this fight, but Jeremy got the job done by doctor stoppage after the first round.

After his win over Aaron Pico, Jeremy was given a co main event fight against Pedro Carvalho. Pedro was ranked #3 at featherweight coming into this fight and Jeremy was ranked #5. It made sense that whoever won this fight would get a title fight against Pitbull.

Jeremy dominated the fight using his far superior wrestling skills and abilities. However, Jeremy wasn’t able to get the finish even after controlling the fight for three full rounds. He eventually got the 30-27 unanimous decision win. Fans weren’t incredibly happy with Jeremy’s win as some thought it was boring but Jeremy didn’t seem to care. After the fight he got on the microphone and through the boo’s called out Pitbull for his next fight.

Let’s hope Jeremy Kennedy VS Patrício Pitbull is the next fight for the Bellator featherweight title.

B.C Wrestling Provincials Was Incredible!

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B.C Wrestling hosted their Provincial Championship event this Friday and Saturday afternoon.

The event was held at the Pacific Coliseum and was packed. Half the arena was closed off  to viewers and spectators but the seating areas that were available filled up almost entirely for both days. The event was also streamed online and a consistent amount of viewers were watching both days.

https://www.youtube.com/live/035pYHjZZa0?feature=share

The first day was to narrow each bracket down to just the top six competitors. Some brackets were huge with thirty two participants while others started out with the top six competitors basically selected from the start. The second day was to determine how the podium would play out and and who would win the Provincial Championship for each weight category.

The wrestling showcased at this event was very high level. Competitors showed incredible technique, poise, and drive throughout both days. It was clear that every wrestler there wanted to win this tournament for themselves and their team.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpHUlPLOBwO/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Coast Wrestling was the team that came out on top of the battle though. They had a great showing finishing the event with eight gold medals, two silver medals, four bronze medals and the awards for most outstanding female and male wrestler. Marley Jackson won the award for the females and Nolan Stewart won the award for the males.

Overall the event was well run and showcased some of the best up and coming wrestlers British Columbia has to offer. This event puts a close on the 2022-23 high school season.

Snowfall In B.C- What’s Affected And What’s Not?

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A humongous snowfall in British Columbia (B.C) has been teased by weather reporters and news personalities for the past week. Last night the snow finally hit and it was as advertised. Here’s how the snow has affected local B.C events so far!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIjrcVpwX7/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

BCIT Recreation (Rec) has closed its doors for the day. BCIT Rec is a gym open for free to all BCIT student, faculty, and staff. Paid entry is available to visitors and other non BCIT members. Today though BCIT Rec released a official statement declaring that they will be closed for the day due to the extreme weather conditions. The snow is forecasted to continue tonight so it will be interesting to see what BCIT Rec will do tomorrow with plenty of students potentially returning to campus.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpIjLrNBb0Q/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

BCHL team The Coquitlam Express will be playing their scheduled game this afternoon against the Nanimo Clippers even with the snowfall. The team put out a Instagram post saying that the City of Coquitlam has done a great job of clearing the roads and thanked them for their hard work. The team said; “it’s a great day for a game!”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpIlpKMJEWv/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

BC Lung Foundation continued with their plans for firefighters all across B.C to climb up the Vancouver Wall Centre. The event is to raise awareness and money for kids with asthma. Firefighters are tasked with climbing 48 flights of stairs in gear to help the cause. So far the event has raised $130,878 and the firefighters were not letting the snow get in the way of them raising even more money.

The snow isn’t ideal but events do seem to be continuing without a hitch. If you’re going out drive safe, and you should be fine to continue your normal activities!

Coquitlam Express VS Langley Rivermen Was Intense!

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The Coquitlam Express and Langley Rivermen had a fantastic back and forth game Friday night.

The game saw plenty of goals, fights, and penalties which led to a fast paced, engaging hockey game.

The Express got the scoring started fast as Coco Armstrong scored just one minute into the first period. However, the Rivermen fought back as Walker Gelbard put one in to tie the game. Mirko Buttazzoni regained the lead for the Express but the Rivermen would not quit as they scored again shortly after. Mateo Dixon scored late in the period though to give the Express the lead heading into the second period.

The Express kicked off the period strong increasing their lead by two. The Rivermen closed the gap fast though as Andrej Kovacevic and Nikolas Hoogendoorn both scored to tie the game headed into the third.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEwdFxO8kK/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Gavin Giesbrecht seemed to make the difference for the Express in the third. He scored two goals adding to his two assists that he had already gotten earlier in the night. Mirko Buttazzoni also scored for the express increasing the lead. The Rivermen scored twice throughout the period but it wasn’t enough to catch the Express.

The third was littered with penalties and fights throughout the period. Players from both teams were ejected from the game and sent back to the locker room early after massive brawls took place on the ice. The high drama shouldn’t take away from the amazing game that was played by these two teams though. The Express clinched it with a final score of 7-6.

The Coquitlam Express return tomorrow afternoon when they face off against the Nanimo Clippers.

The Canucks Battle Back- For What?

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The Canucks faced off against the Nashville Predators Tuesday night in a close back and forth game.

Cole Smith got the scoring started for the Predators after his third rebounded puck finally went in. Rick Tocchet challenged the goal but the referees stood by their decision and called it a goal for the Predators. The rest of the period saw little to no action making the score 1-0 headed into the second.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co8tfcquxlY/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Philip Tomasino carried the Predators momentum into the second period as he got the scoring started. The Canucks battled back though as Andrey Kuzmenko scored to extend his scoring streak to three straight games. Sheldon Dries scored shortly after to tie the game for the Canucks. It looked as though the score would remain 2-2 heading into the third. The Predators finished the period strong though as Riley Stillman put one in with just ten seconds of play left.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co805-FPyiw/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

The third period saw the Predators increase their lead as Mikael Granlund tipped the puck in to give the Predators the two goal lead. Conor Garland was able to bring the Canucks back into the fight after he tipped one in and Andrey Kuzmenko scored with fifteen seconds left in the third period to tie the game!

The game then went to overtime and eventually into a shootout where the Canucks goalie situation once again let them down. Final score was 5-4 for the Nashville Predators.

The Canucks road trip will continue tonight when they face off against the Blues.

All VS All Grappling Changes To A Two Day Event!

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The All vs All (AVA) tournament on March 4th has now been moved to a two day event due to increased popularity.

AVA is a submission only grappling tournament that has taken British Columbia by storm these past few years. The event is popular due to its ruleset and submission only structure. Competitors are also put into a round robin bracket which means maximizing matches for competitors.

The AVA was set to return on March 4th for a one day massive event. AVA has grown so popular though that the organizers have decided to change their event to a two day tournament.

AVA released an email and Instagram post informing its competitors and coaches of the change:

“Due to an overwhelming response to our upcoming tournament, with more signups than we anticipated, we have decided to make a change to our schedule.

 To ensure that all participants can enjoy a seamless tournament experience, we have made the decision to move the Youths/Kids event to Sunday, March 5th.”

The AVA believes that doing this will help the tournament run way smoother and all competitors will have a better experience:

“We believe that moving the Youths/Kids event to Sunday will enable us to run a smoother and more successful tournament, and we hope that this change will ultimately benefit all of our participants.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co8F4hbycoy/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

It’s a great sign for local grappling that numbers are so high two days are needed for local tournaments. Evolution 107.9 will be covering the AVA on March 4th and 5th so be sure to stay tuned to see how the two day massive grappling event goes!

Rick Tocchet’s Interesting Workout Techniques

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Rick Tocchet wants the Canucks to “reach a new level of fitness.” His methods of achieving his goals sure are interesting though.

Rick Tocchet is a veteran of the game and recently was announced to be the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. Before joining the Canucks team Tocchet coached the Arizona Coyotes, leading them to the playoffs in 2020 for the first time in eight years.

Fans were very hesitant and sceptical of bringing in Tocchet at first as they had an emotional attachment to old head coach Bruce Boudreau. They flooded the teams social media pages with the hashtags #brucethereitis and #selltheteam.

However, fans have started to warm up to Rick and theirs no question that the team has started to improve over the past few weeks.

This is partially due to Rick Tocchet’s interesting workout techniques he does with the team.

A video surfaced recently of the Canucks team all planking and waddling their way down the ice using their sticks.

The team seemed to really struggle with this activity but it sure was funny for fans to watch. Let’s hope more activities like these can help the Canucks reach a new level on the ice and win some more games next season!

The Canucks play the Nashville Predators tonight on the road.

Booker T Shares His Thoughts On Canadian Superstar Kenny Omega!

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Kenny Omega is widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers in the entire world. This is a rare title to be given out to someone who has never fought for the biggest wrestling promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Now the time has come though that Kenny may finally be joining forces with WWE.

Omegas contract with AEW is coming to a close and wrestling insider Dave Meltzer reports that the WWE is interested in signing him. You can read more about Kenny’s contract and potential WWE career here:

Is Kenny Omega Going To WWE?

Popular WWE superstar Booker T has now shared his input on Kenny Omega joining forces with WWE. He stated on the recent instalment of the Hall Of Fame podcast https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1205911/booker-t-comments-on-the-possibility-of-kenny-omega-leaving-aew-for-wwe/ that it would be a massive loss for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) if this happened:

“Losing someone like Kenny Omega, that would be a big loss. That would be huge, that really, would. Just because he was one of those guys who put that thing all together. He was one of the brains behind AEW.”

As stated in the article linked above my personal belief is that Kenny would hugely benefit from going to the WWE. Booker T seemed to share this opinion:

“I don’t know how many years Kenny Omega has left in the ring. WWE would make Kenny Omega’s star shine brighter than any other place he ever could be in. If Omega was to sign with WWE, he would likely be presented as one of their biggest stars and potentially work at WrestleMania. If you don’t work at WrestleMania, you know throughout your career, you missed out on something. I can understand why Kenny Omega would want to mix it up with AJ Styles, two of the best at what they do, at WrestleMania.”

Kenny will have a lot to consider while making his decision. Time will tell if the star will continue to build his brand in AEW or if the star will finally join forces with the WWE.

Edge Looks For One More Title Run- Balor Has Other Plans

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Canadian WWE superstar Edge challenged Austin Theory for his United States Championship last night.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co3BALtpqtn/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Edge announced that he would be accepting Austin Theory’s challenge on Saturday night after the Elimination Chamber event.

Edge was looking to move on from his chapter against the Judgement Day. The feud has been a long one with Edge being the one who formed Judgement Day. The faction eventually turned on Edge and injured him. Edge returned at the Royal Rumble event to exact his revenge leading to his match with the team at Elimination Chamber that Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix won against the team of Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley.

Facing Austin Theory for the United States Championship seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Edge to move on from this feud and work towards one more title run in his career.

Edge was on fire during his match with Theory. Austin Theory had some good moments but Edge was large and in charge for the majority of the match.

However, Finn Balor was not looking to move on from his feud with Edge just yet. He interfered in the match costing Edge the title. He then proceeded to beat Edge down and went backstage to tell the camera crew “Edge thought this was over? Are you kidding? This is just the beginning!”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co6Uu-_OFLz/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

Fans and Wrestling Experts both agree that this feud is leading to a eventual Wrestlemania match between the two men. Balor will most likely come out on top which will give him the push he needs for another potential title run.

While Edge may have missed his shot at one last title last night Canadian fans are hoping he can get just one more title run before he eventually retires.