Canadian Knowledge Test 101 – The Stanley Cup

Many of you have either seen an Ice Hockey Game before or it’s on your bucket list, rightly so considering it’s Canadas National sport. But how much do you really know about the sport and its greatest competition to win the famous Stanley Cup?

The fight for the trophy is happening right at this moment and watching at least one of the games is definitely a point that you want to cross off your list. Unfortunately, there’ll be no live Ice Hockey events in Vancouver any time soon but there’s lots of sports bars streaming the games in a ‘stadium like’ atmosphere so you can get a taste of the passionate cheering for one of the teams and feel part of the Canadian sports culture.

Before you dive into this experience I’m here to give you a run down of the most important information when it comes to the Stanley Cup so you’ll understand better why this competition is so important for many sports fanatics.

The Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America.
Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of Earl of Derby purchased the trophy in 1892 for $50 at the time to be presented to ‘the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada’. In 1893 the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association was the first team ever awarded with the Stanley Cup.

The trophy has been altered over time, e.g. rings and bands were added to the bottom of the bowl. Every time a team wins their names are going to be inscribed on the bands of the cup. Since it’s the only professional sports trophy where names are displayed like that, bands get changed to make room for new champions. Currently the trophy is about 35 ¼ inches high and weighs 34 ½ pounds.

Ever since the National Hockey Association (NHL) took possession of the Stanley Cup in 1910 it has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. From 1926 onward only NHL teams have competed for the trophy.

Can you guess which team has won most Stanley Cups?
It was The Montreal Canadians with 23 times since the formation of the NHL!

When a team wins they celebrate it by passing the trophy around between each of the players and staff members of the team. Everyone gets to enjoy it for 24 hours, a tradition like in no other sport. What would you do if you had the cup for a day?

Now that you have a finer insight of why this competition is so important, let’s move on to understand the structure of it a little better, so you know what everyone is talking about.

Over the entire year teams try to collect points in order to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the end there’ll be 16 teams that have made it. The contest is divided into a West and East conference and each conference is then divided into two divisions. Once again: There’s 8 teams per conference, 4 per division = 16 teams total.
So far so good right?

The best team in each conference plays against the worst team in each conference and the second best plays against the second worst with the goal to win 4 out of 7 games against each other. The same applies for the 4 remaining teams that play against each other within their division. Makes sense? That means the two ‘mediocre’ teams of one division play against each other. I know, there’s a lot going on and I don’t want to make it more complicated or confuse you, so all I’ll say is that in the end the best team of the West conference will play against the best team of the East conference and that’s the big final. On the way there’s A LOT of matches to be played which tests the players resilience since hockey can be a brutal sport. One thing’s for sure it barely gets boring to watch.

There’s only 3 Canadian teams left in the Playoffs right now – the Edmonton Oilers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets – so better be fast and cheer on your favourite to help them win! Pick your sports bar and immerse yourself into this Canadian sport experience. Next Pub night we’ll try to go see one game together but until then a lot can change!

If you don’t have weekend plans yet, I recommend you put this on your list. If you have any questions, ask Tim. 😉

I hope this post helps you as it helped me to understand this sport and its culture a little better. You’ll see, you’ll leave Canada as a real Hockey expert. I could probably write for many more hours, but I think I’d rather chat more with you about the Stanley Cup at tonight’s Pub Night, so see you there!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

Happy Easter Weekend everybody! Are you excited to have some time to explore and relax? I sure am. 🙂 There’s a few things you could do this weekend.

My first recommendation is going on a hike with INTERNeX! We are going to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove which is a great viewpoint to look over the water, forest and houses along the North Shore (awesome for social media pics). The trail is pretty easy without getting boring, so if you’re a beginner you can definitely do it, and if you’re advanced you’ll still enjoy the walk. It leads past multiple streams, provides ups and downs through the beautiful rainforest of BC with its calming green colour all around you. I think it’s an awesome little hike and an amazing way to spend the day.

If the hiking doesn’t intrigue you then I have another catch for you. At Deep Cove there’s one of Vancouver’s most famous Doughnut Shops with usually still warm, fluffy buns in different flavours such as coconut cinnamon, chocolate, or Canadian maple. They also serve coffee, so after your hike you could warm up and reward yourself. How does that sound to you? And don’t worry you won’t miss it, there’s only a few shops and cafes around and I guarantee you in front of this one you’ll see a line. 😉

I hope the weather doesn’t stop you from joining the trip, it can be very unpredictable, but if you wouldn’t explore just because of a little rain, then you’d live a boring life in Raincouver. I encourage you to go despite the weather like a real Canadian adventurer. Make sure you check the forecast and dress accordingly, it’s always good to bring a rain jacket, trust me, I’ve been there and I’ve learned.

Another thing you could do is watch a sports game, there’s Ice Hockey, Soccer and Baseball going on this weekend, all of which offer unique stadium experiences! Grab a footlong hotdog, peanuts and sushi at the Baseball Game with multiple game highlights. Watch one of the last Ice Hockey Games live in Vancouver for this season with lots of action on the ice and fun entertainment during the breaks, or cheer on a soccer team with fans around you chanting, drumming and passionately following their team through the 90 minutes of action. Each sports event has their similarities but in the end is quite unique and definitely worth checking out!

Since it’s the Easter weekend, how about a little bunny hunt? Not literally of course, I’m talking about just watching them hanging out by the beach, enjoying their company from a distance. You might wonder where to look for them, and I can tell you: Jericho Beach Park. There’s lots of wild bunnies hopping around the grass and sand. Seems like the perfect Easter spot! Count for me how many bunnies you see. 😉

BUT: Please respect their environment and do NOT touch or feed them. This is very important because it can cause possible health threats for the fluff balls and the public, plus it has negative knock on effects to the environment. If you touch them they are in distress and might bite or scratch you which can transmit deadly diseases to humans. Feeding the bunnies can end up in a $500 fine and it’s not only unhealthy for the rabbits, but they can also become more vulnerable to predators and spreading disease. The food can also attract other rodents which might lead to infestations and further opportunities for spreading disease.

Of course the beach offers not just the experience to watch cute animals, but it also shows off with nice views over the mountains and the city skyline. There’s trails in the park and you can go on a long beach walk basically all the way to UBC! If you’re looking for a nice Sunday walk, this is it. 🙂 Maybe you want to explore the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, or check out some local cafes close in the area as well?

Whatever you decide to do this weekend I hope you enjoy it!

We’ll see you again next Wednesday at Pub Night and then you can tell me all about it. 🙂

Cheers,

Laura

How was the weekend?

As you might have noticed, there were a lot of people in costumes around Downtown this weekend and you wonder, why? Simple, the Canada Sevens (Rugby) took place in Vancouver this weekend. A game lasts two halves of 7 minutes and each team has 7 players on the field (hence the name). It’s very fast, intense and a lot of fun to watch with many entertainment sections in-between the games. INTERNeX went to check it out and although we weren’t experts in the sport we had a lot of fun. One reason might’ve been the drinks we had beforehand. 😀 Some of the girls also enjoyed watching the sidelines where the players warmed up more than the actual game, if you know what I’m talking about. 😉 I really liked dressing up, having the stadium experience and feel connected with the rest of the audience when we were cheering for the Canadians in the last game of the night. Have you ever been to a Rugby game? Would you go?

Saturday some of the girls met up for a movie night! Can you guess what movie? 😉 We went to see Magic Mike – The Last Dance and from what I could see we all enjoyed it. ;D Before the movie started we equipped ourselves with some fresh, warm, buttered popcorn and drinks from Starbucks. I was surprised to see one in the movie theatre but I gotta say I love it! Call me weird, but I think it’s a genius combination – having a hot coffee at the movies with your popcorn, especially because popcorn here is salty, so the sweet drink balances the flavours out perfectly. What do you think? Team sweet or salty popcorn? Coffee at the movies, hell yeah, or hell no? Let me know in the comments.

Another exciting event I attended this weekend was the BC Bike Show that – to my surprise – also had lots of booths about travel and adventure activities all over the globe, but mainly in BC, or the West of North America. It gave me some cool inspirations for some INTERNeX events in the future so stay tuned. 😉 Not only professionally, but also personally it was an awesome event with lots of discounts, for example for a diving course, and chances to win great prizes, big and small. My favourite was a bear bell that I won by spinning a wheel. It makes it safer to go on hikes in the summer warning bears that humans are around, so they keep their distance. 🙂 I also tried out sitting in a paraglider. They almost got me to attend a class even though I’m afraid of heights and you can only operate it by yourself, so you need a lot of trust. 😀 The thought of gliding in the air is very tempting though, plus it would be a great challenge to overcome a fear! How about you, would you do it?

I hope your weekend was eventful and fun! I want to hear all about it at Pub Night on Wednesday!

See you then!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend?

Even though I’m not the biggest sports fan I’m quite excited for this event! INTERNeX is going to watch the Canada Sevens today! For all of those who don’t know, I’m talking about Rugby. It’s a major sports event but more than that it’s also a big party where people dress up and celebrate all day long. That’s really the part I’m looking forward to. 😉 Friday the tickets are much cheaper than the rest of the weekend which makes it the perfect day to go for a broke international student. If you can’t go with us on Friday, or are more interested in the big final on Sunday there’s still a chance for you to order tickets online. If you need a costume, just let us know and we’ll find something for you. 😉 Either way don’t be surprised if you see weirdly dressed people on the Skytrain or around Downtown this weekend. 😀

If you’re looking for something more cultural to do, I have the perfect event for you: The 16th Annual Coastal Dance Festival in New Westminster. Use the day to go for a walk, explore this area of Metro Vancouver and finish at the festival. Honour and learn about Indigenous stories, song, and dance from the Northwest Coast of Canada and around the World. The CDF ‘provides an opportunity for Indigenous artists to share and support one another in a celebration of song and dance, bringing recognition to their unique and diverse cultures and showcasing their artistic strength. Audiences are invited to witness these practices to see that Indigenous arts are thriving and vibrant.’ To me, this is a great way to immerse yourself into another culture. Here are some more information for you:
https://damelahamid.ca/coastal-dance-festival/

Want to travel around Canada, but have no money? No problem! Why don’t you try ‘FlyOver Canada’? With advanced technology to showcase thrilling captures and authentic footage of real locations, you’ll experience those places as they truly are. On top of that special effects like wind, mist and scents make it seem even more realistic. There’s flight motion seats, the floor will disappear underneath you, so your feet are hanging in the air and the wraparound screen gives you amazing views wherever you look. I did it once and thought it was absolutely crazy! I enjoyed it a lot despite the weird feeling it gave me for like 30 seconds because I’m very sensitive to motion sickness. 😀 The ride is relatively short but definitely a cool experience and a great way to explore Canada without actually leaving Vancouver. 😉 The cost is affordable with about $35. At the moment they also offer ‘Hawaii from above’, in case you’re sick of this rainy weather and would like to escape for just a moment. 🙂

As always I’m excited to hear about your weekend at our next Pub Night.

See you then,

Laura 🙂

What to do on the weekend – Sunny Edition

We’ve all been waiting for it and finally it’s here: Summer. At least this weekend the weather is expected to be spectacular in Vancouver! Here are some ideas on how to enjoy the sunny days.

I) BC Bubble Ball with INTERNeX Join us for Bubble Ball this Sunday, 1pm at Charleston Park! We are going to play a bunch of fun games encased in transparent big bubbles. It’s recommended to everyone who is comfortable playing sports, falling over and laughing until their abs hurt. 🙂

II) The VIMFF in North Vancouver Also on Sunday, from 3pm-9pm there’ll be the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism with a free outdoor event at the Shipyards, right at the Londsdale Quay in North Vancouver. We’ll head over there after our Bubble Ball match, so if you’d like please join us! There’ll be award-winning mountain films, live music, giveaways, fun activities, like an outdoor climbing wall, a beer garden, snacks and more! A perfect way to end a sunny weekend.

III) Beach day Of course the sun screams for a beach day! Vancouver has a lot of them! Take a buddy and tan, play volleyball, or go swim in the ocean. For a more relaxed beach atmosphere with a little more space I recommend to go to Spanish Banks. The beach is wider and the water clearer than at the other beaches, plus you have a great view of the mountains and the city skyline. If you want to stay close to bars, restaurants and other shops I recommend Kitsilano beach. It’s such a hip area! A lot of younger people go here to play some beach games and enjoy the sun. At night you can sometimes find street artists playing their music and people just start dancing to it. To me, that really feels like summer.

IV) Lake day If you’re not into salty water, there’s also a few lakes around. You’d have to go a little further, but you could make a whole day event out of your trip. My recommendation is Cultus Lake in Chilliwack! Nearby there’s also the Cultus Lake Water Park, Castle Fun Park in Abbotsford and more. It’s a nice little getaway from the city and popular amongst many locals. A good way to explore the Canadian country side a little more. If you’re hungry on your way back stop by at Brodeur’s Bistro in Abbotsford for the best Chicken Waffles you’ll ever have (trust me on this one). The only downside: you’d probably need a car, since the public transit is not too good outside of the city.

V) Get some ice cream! Vancouver has a bunch of (n)ice cream shops. Here are my top 3 must-tries this summer:
1.) While you are in Kits, get some Rain or Shine ice cream before, or after you go to the beach and thank me later. 😉 They have some really good vegan options as well and all cones are made in house! You can smell it when you get close to the shop.
2.) Earnest Ice Cream is one of Vancouver’s favourites when it comes to the frozen dessert. They have rotating flavours that make you return all summer (and winter) long.
3.) If you are looking for a place with many many different flavours, you should check out La Casa de Gelato, with it’s 238 varieties of ice cream! This place actually won a world record.

Which ice cream are you going to try first? Are you Team Beach or Team Lake? Are you excited for summer, or are you more of a winter person?

I’m definitely excited!

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Laura 🙂