The Vancouver Canucks home game on December 17 against the Edmonton Oilers just became the toughest ticket in town.

Take a deep breath. Now hold it. Keep holding it. Longer. Longer still. In fact, hold it while you read this entire column twice. Oh, and do it underwater. That’ll start to give you an idea of what freediving is all about.

Gone but certainly not forgotten. The life of Luc Bourdon, the young Vancouver Canucks defenceman who was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 29, will be celebrated prior to the club’s regular season opener on October 9.

Had he taken the fast track to the business world, he would have been expected to work long hours and wear a suit and tie. So far, the Vancouver Canadians pitcher prefers wearing a ball cap and spikes and staring down hitters.

Carol Huynh should be an easy choice to be Canada’s flag bearer in Sunday’s closing ceremonies. The diminutive wrestler from Hazelton, B.C., guaranteed this country its first medal of the Games when she won her semi-final last Friday and went on to strike gold in the 48-kilo class later that night.

The trickle of second-week medals in Beijing may have allowed us to regain some sense of national pride, but many questions remain about the way Canada approaches the Summer Games.

The Hockey Night in Canada 2008-09 broadcast schedule has been released, and it features 15 Vancouver Canucks games for the upcoming season––14 of those on Saturday nights.

Be on the lookout for Lions on the prowl in the concrete jungle this weekend when the B.C. Lions bring their annual community practice to the heart of Yaletown.

It’s been an agonizing process for the lineman to be apart from his wife and three kids, but the 31-year-old Buffalo, New York, native has made the decision to return to his other family, the B.C. Lions.

It’s as close as you can get to being part of the Vancouver Canucks for the upcoming season without actually being on the team. The Canucks are giving fans a chance to design the mask that goalie Curtis Sanford will wear throughout the 2008-09 season.

With the Summer Olympics now upon us, watching the world’s best do their thing is a two-week feast.

The Victoria triathlete is at or very near the top of his game and hopes to become the first Canadian to claim gold in non-consecutive Summer Games in one of sport's truest tests of endurance.

The summer of upheaval continues in the Vancouver Canucks front office with today’s departure of assistant general manager Steve Tambellini, who bolted to take the GM’s job with the Edmonton Oilers.

Unable to land another coaching gig after being fired by the Los Angeles Kings last month, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Marc Crawford has found work, but it's not behind a bench.

There’s no denying that MLS teams have bigger names and bigger payrolls, but will the level of play be so much better that the ’Caps will be able to attract 20,000 fans instead of the 5,000 loyal fans they have for USL home games at Swangard Stadium?

Two B.C. Lions have been recognized by the Canadian Football League for their performances in last Friday’s 36-34 comeback win over the Montreal Alouettes.

It's obviously a big day for local soccer with Steve Nash bringing his star power and his chequebook to the Whitecaps ownership group. Having Nash on board certainly strengthens the 'Caps push for a Major League Soccer franchise when the next round of expansion occurs in 2011, something that seems certain after yesterday's announcement by MLS that it wants to add two more teams for the 2011 season.

If the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open gets much bigger, the quality of players taking part will undoubtedly rise too. But at the same time, the chances of young Canadians even being included in the field will surely decrease

That Hockey Night in Canada theme song flap a month ago must have been a big deal to British Columbians. How else do you explain B.C. musicians submitting nearly 20 percent of the original compositions received by the CBC since it announced a nationwide search for the new theme for Hockey Night?

It’s Bob Ackles Day in Vancouver–Mayor Sam Sullivan proclaimed it so yesterday.

For the best part of the past eight years, Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, and Trevor Linden were the heart, soul, and backbone of the club, and now they've gone some other players must step up and do the talking.

It took a little longer than most Canuck fans wanted, but new general manager Mike Gillis has finally landed a notable free agent by signing winger Pavol Demitra to a contract this morning.

There will be much discussion about permanent and memorials to the president of the football club. But there could be no better tribute to the man who gave his life to the B.C. Lions than filling the dome for the team’s next home game on July 18.

There will be a delicious irony at Nat Bailey Stadium tomorrow night when the Vancouver Canadians play host to the Spokane Indians. The Canadians’ special celebrity guest––the second in a four-part promotion this season––will be none other than Canadian wrestling legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart, who will be out at the ballpark shaking hands and signing autographs.

The B.C. Lions and the city of Vancouver have lost a legend. Lions president Bob Ackles passed away Sunday morning at his weekend home on Bowen Island, aged 69. The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack.

The B.C. Lions and the city of Vancouver have lost a legend. Lions president Bob Ackles passed away Sunday morning at his weekend home on Bowen Island, aged 69. The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack.

I’ve been holding off from posting, waiting for the Canucks to announce something substantial in the dizzying NHL free-agent market. But since it looks like the hockey club and its fans could be waiting a while longer, now seems like as good a time as any to start pounding away at the keyboard.

As a country, we suck at sports right now. Forget “O Canada”. Lately, it’s been “Woe Canada”. It won’t always be this way, but if you can find something—anything—to get excited about, please let the rest of us know.

For this experienced group of players, which has finished on top of the Western Division in each of the past four years, the first two months of the new CFL season are little more than a necessary evil.

Vancouver’s tennis scene got a big boost today with the announcement that Odlum Brown has committed to three more years as the title sponsor of the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, the top professional annual tennis event in Western Canada.

Tom Archibald may be chasing the dream of one day making it to the major leagues, but this season he is content to be caring for the sacred ryegrass turf at the “prettiest little ballpark in the world”.

Hard bodies, skimpy swimwear, sweat, and sand are always at Kits Beach, but July's Corona Open will bring people with game—and plenty of it.

It's a good thing the golf world got a chance to see more of Tiger Woods than usual this past week when he was forced to play an extra 19 holes on Monday to win the US Open, because no one is going to see Woods play golf again this year.

It’s a natural hat-trick of sorts. Ryan Walter, who played for the Vancouver Canucks and was later an analyst on the team’s television broadcasts, has rejoined the hockey club, this time as an assistant coach.

The greatest career in Canucks history is now over, but Trevor Linden will surely continue to make his mark off-ice.

On Wednesday, June 11, longtime vabncouver Canuck Trevor Linden will announce his retirement from the National Hockey League.

So CTV felt the need to ride to the rescue of the Hockey Theme? I was quite prepared to move on with my life, but I guess I won’t get that chance. I kind of thought CTV might have better uses for its money––like a long-overdue going away party for Lloyd Robertson, but I digress.

She’s done almost everything for the Vancouver Whitecaps organization and as a reflection of that, long-time player, captain, and playing assistant coach Andrea Neil will have her #5 jersey retired by the soccer club. A ceremony will follow Saturday night’s women’s Whitecaps match against the Seattle Sounders.

The Detroit Red Wings are Stanley Cup champions—again. Congrats to them. And although their 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh in Game 6 of the final marked the official end to a very long hockey season, the best part of the hockey season for many is only now about get underway.

The North Vancouver–born forward is the biggest, toughest, meanest, and highest-rated British Columbian in the upcoming draft, but there are question marks over his health, discipline, and attitude.

Luc Bourdon is dead. I heard the news this morning, but it’s taking some time to sink in.

The 36-year-old defensive back plans to work harder than ever this season shutting down speedy receivers as he tackles his hardest assignment: staying ahead of Father Time.

I have to admit that I’ve never actually seen roller derby live and in person, but if the sport/event is half as entertaining as the names of the teams involved, Saturday’s big showdown in Richmond might be worth taking in.

Fourteen years after leading the Canucks to within one victory of National Hockey League glory, Trevor Linden is going back to the Stanley Cup final, after being named today a cowinner of the NHL Foundation Player Award For Outstanding Community Service.

The Vancouver Canucks have decided to keep their current coach. Today, the Canucks announced a one-year contract extension for Alain Vigneault who failed to get his team into the playoffs this past season, but who was named the NHL’s coach of the year a year ago.

The Red Wings may be the gold standard of the National Hockey League, and the Vancouver Canucks would be wise to study every move that Detroit makes.

British Columbia’s aboriginal community has had much to celebrate in its individual and team sporting accomplishments over the past 100 years, and is now getting a gallery to showcase those many achievements.

New Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis continues to round up the staff that will help him shape the hockey club. Today, Gillis announced the hiring of 20-year National Hockey League veteran Scott Mellanby as a consultant in the hockey operations department.

You may not be aware, but last week Mayor Sam Sullivan declared May to be BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum month in Vancouver.

So you think you know your sports? Here's your chance to see how you stack up against the rest of the country—and Alan Thicke.