issue 09 / volume 41

A look at the Canucks’ 2014

» Recapping faults and successes of the past year

Michael Sopow Sports Reporter

B’ the conclusion of the

2013/14 season, anumber of :

drastic changes had occurred for the Canucks. With new head coach Willie Desjardins taking over and former iconic player Trevor Linden becoming

president of Hockey Operations : ; Luongo back to the Florida

: Panthers.

and alternative governor, the Canucks were able to begin the next season with more positive

progression.

Former general manager Mike Gillis was fired from the team after a series of poor trades throughout the season. One such notable trade was the heavily criticized trade

ue

Nick Bonino

of Vancouver goalie Roberto

Despite trading and losing

: other players like defenceman : Jason Garrison or left-wing

: David Booth, the Canucks did : not leave the table without

: potential benefits to their

: now-redefined team. Former

: Buffalo and United States

: National Team star goaltender

Ryan Miller was acquired from : free agency along with former : Phoenix right-winger Radim

Vrbata.

The beginning of the

: 2014/15 season saw pressure in : the public eye on Desjardins to : perform well as the team’s new

: head coach.

In a June 23 statement,

: general manager Jim Benning

: said, “Willie Desjardins has won : : at every level and we believe : he'll be an excellent fit as we : strive to return to the playoffs : and build with youth for long-

: term success.”

Vancouver started the

2014/15 season with three

: straight victories, which

: provided early confidence for

: newly acquired players Miller

: and Vrbata. Vrbata managed to : score the winning goal of the

: November 19 game against the

Edmonton Oilers.

Thus far this season,

: Vancouver talents such as

: Henrik and Daniel Sedin have : delivered on the stats sheet.

: Some more surprising additions : : are Vrbata with 26 points in

news // 5

33 games, and Bonino with 21

points in 35 games.

As of December 31, the

Canucks are currently in 10th

: place in the NHL, with 46

: points after a couple of big wins : against the first place Anaheim

Ducks and the San Jose Sharks.

While the 2014/15 season

: continues on, Canucks fans

: have already witnessed 19-year- : old Bo Horvat’s first NHL goal, > Henrik Sedin’s 1,o00th game, and a team that has preformed

: respectably in the standings.

This week’s Canucks games

: will see the team playing

: against the New York Islanders : on January 6, the Florida

: Panthers on January 8, and the : Calgary Flames on January 10.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 coming to Canada

» What to expect from the summer games

Michael Sopow Sports Reporter

Angela Espinoza News Editor

Caner will be hosting the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup from June 6 to July 5. The games will take place across six provinces, with the finals being

held at BC Place in Vancouver.

Additional venues include the 20,o00-capacity Moncton Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick; the historic Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec; TD Place Stadium in Ottawa; the Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Edmonton, Alberta’s Commonwealth Stadium.

The draw for which respective country would host the games was held on December 6. As a result of Canada winning, 24 teams will be playing over four weeks, including Germany, Brazil, France, Japan, and the United

States.

Ina press release from FIFA. : : Ontario suit, told the Canadian : Press in December, “FIFA’s

: effort to evade the jurisdiction

: of the Ontario Human Rights

: Tribunal has failed,” referring to : the company’s ongoing public

com, chairman of the National Organizing Committee for the FIFA Women’s World CUP Victor Montagliani said, “We take special interest in the growth of the women’s game around the world, noting that more than 125 nations will participate in this competition through more than a year-and- a-half of FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 qualifiers.” 52 matches will take place over the course of the

: tournament, with semi-finals : being held in Montreal and

Edmonton.

The winners of each group

: play against each other as the

: teams progress. Teams that have : lost will play each other as well

: fora chance to keepa higher

: ranking until the next World

Cup, to be held in 2019.

CBC reported in September

: that organizers have planned

: to sell 1.5 million tickets for

: the Women’s World Cup, with sales thus far offering a positive : outlook for the games to come. : Reportedly over 150,000 tickets for the games were sold within

: the first 48 hours of release.

Preceding this year’s

: tournament, however, is

: controversy over the use

: of artificial turf in certain

: stadiums, including BC Place.

: Several dozen FIFA Women’s

: players have since protested

: against use of the fields.

: Currently a lawsuit has been

: put forward over discrimination : based on the sex of the players. : Hampton Dellinger, the lawyer

representing the players in their

: denial of sexism.

The last FIFA Women’s

: World Cup was held in 2011

: and hosted by Germany, where : 16 teams played with Japan

: coming out on top; Canada at

: the time was ranked last.

F

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

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