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Outdoor games continue to soar for the NHL

By David Hollinshead

s popularity for outdoor hockey As continues to rise, the

Heritage Classic is definitely a cornerstone of the NHL’s idea for a big event. The Winter Classic also took on the fourth biggest audience in the U.S. and had huge viewership on CBC and RDS, and its merchandiser sales were the third largest in history for an NHL event

“The Heritage Classic was a

tremendous triumph for the NHL and it was gratifying to see our fans and the business community embrace the event so enthusiastically,” said NHL COO John Collins. “Our big event strategy

. is activating our fan base like never

before, while helping the league achieve five straight years of revenue growth.

Delivering our third successful major

event in just 51 days is a great way to lead

into the stretch run of the season and our

ultimate event, the Stanley Cup Playoffs.” Right after the success of the

Winter Classic came the success of

the Heritage Classic, which saw all

sponsorship opportunities sold out and

a 22 percent increase in viewership for

the U.S. broadcast on NBC. The recent

NHL All-Star Game was also a huge

success for the league, earning significant

increases in viewership in Canada and

the United States, a 42 percent increase

in sponsorship revenue over the last All-

‘Star Game in the U.S., an all-time record

for video starts on NHL.com and the best retail performance for a U.S.-based All- Star Game in seven years.

Here’s your Royals update

By Josh Martin, Sports Editor

Women’s basketball — Last week they finished their season against the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles. They unfortunately came just short in both matches losing 53-48 in the first game and then again the following night 60-44. They ended the year in ninth spot with a 2-16 record and four points.

Men’s basketball — They beat the Kwantlen Eagles 97-92 in their first of back-to-back games and then came out with a W the following night by a score of 94-83. The Royals clinched fifth spot in the standings to squeeze right into the playoffs. They will be facing the UBCO Heat in the first round which will be a tough series for the Royals who have lost both matches to them in the regular season series. Both teams will face off in the quarterfinals on Thursday night, March

3 in Abbotsford where Colombia Bible College will host the BCCAA Provincial Championships. The game starts at 8 pm.

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Royals Badminton - An honourable mention to the Douglas College Badminton team who are off to the National Championships in New Brunswick from March 3-5. They reign as the B.C. Provincial team champions for the sixth consecutive year.

Men’s Volleyball - The men’s volleyball team went onto the Provincial Championships in Kelowna, hosted by

- UBCO. They clinched second position in

the regular season standings with a 9-5 record and 18 points. The UBCO Heat finished in first place with a 13-1 record and a league leading 26 points. Last Friday the Royals season came to an end with a semi-final loss to the Columbia Bible College Bearcats. The Bearcats beat the Royals in straight sets.

Women’s Volleyball — The women’s volleyball team unfortunately didn’t make the playoffs this year and finished off the season in seventh position with a 3-11 record and six points. Bummer.

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