Sports

Abbotsford’s JP Siou is set to take on the Spartan Death Race, which begins in Vermont later this month. (Submitted)

Atypical Abbotsford athlete taking on Spartan Death Race challenge

Local trainer JP Siou received a last-minute invite to daring event in Vermont, hopes to survive

Athletes have until Thursday (June 15) to register for the Abbotsford 2023 55-Plus Games. (Betty Johnston photo)

Abbotsford 55-Plus BC Games athlete registration closing next week

Interested participants can register for one of 28 sports until June 15, Games run Aug. 22 to 26

B.C. Lions wide receiver Dominique Rhymes, left, runs the ball as Calgary Stampeders defensive linemen Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund chases him during first half CFL football action in Calgary, Thursday, June 8, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Adams Jr., Rhymes in sync in B.C. Lions’ 25-15 win over Calgary Stampeders

Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 176 yards in a pair of touchdown drives

The U19 BCPFA flag football provincial championships are happening this weekend, June 9-11, at South Surrey Athletic Park, bringing more than 180 teams and approximately 2,000 people to the Semiahmoo Peninsula. (White Rock South Surrey Titans Minor Football photo)

BCPFA U19 flag football championships held June 9-11

Tournament brings more than 180 teams, 2,000 people together

The U19 BCPFA flag football provincial championships are happening this weekend, June 9-11, at South Surrey Athletic Park, bringing more than 180 teams and approximately 2,000 people to the Semiahmoo Peninsula. (White Rock South Surrey Titans Minor Football photo)
Ridge Meadows Burrards will be hosting a female lacrosse tournament called Reign Storm from June 8 to 11. (Ridge Meadows Burrards/Special to The News)

700 female lacrosse players travel to Lower Mainland for province-wide tournament

Reign Storm tournament takes place in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows from June 8 to 11

Ridge Meadows Burrards will be hosting a female lacrosse tournament called Reign Storm from June 8 to 11. (Ridge Meadows Burrards/Special to The News)
Vancouver Whitecaps players celebrate Ryan Gauld’s penalty kick goal against CF Montreal during the second half of the Canadian Championship soccer final, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Gauld nets winner as Whitecaps beat CF Montreal to claim Canadian Championship

The Whitecaps opened the scoring 57 minutes in

Vancouver Whitecaps players celebrate Ryan Gauld’s penalty kick goal against CF Montreal during the second half of the Canadian Championship soccer final, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
FILE - The Iron Sheik arrives at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 15, 2009. The Iron Sheik, born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at age 81. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

The Iron Sheik, charismatic former pro wrestling villain and Twitter personality, dies at 81

The Iron Sheik, a former pro wrestler who relished playing a burly,…

FILE - The Iron Sheik arrives at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 15, 2009. The Iron Sheik, born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, died Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at age 81. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
PSG’s Lionel Messi grimaces during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Clermont at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, Saturday, June 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Lionel Messi picks MLS’s Inter Miami in a move that stuns soccer after exit from Paris Saint-Germain

It was widely believed that Messi eventually would choose to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia

PSG’s Lionel Messi grimaces during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Clermont at the Parc des Princes in Paris, France, Saturday, June 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo speaks to Hamilton Tiger-Cats reporters in a video posted to ticats.ca on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

‘Disconnect’: B.C.-raised Kongbo didn’t last long with BC Lions, who quickly traded him

‘We signed him, we wanted him and it wasn’t going to work out,’ Lions coach Campbell says

Defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo speaks to Hamilton Tiger-Cats reporters in a video posted to ticats.ca on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
Abbotsford’s Jake Virtanen has signed with the DEL’s Fischtown Pinguins. (Foto von Jan-Philipp Burmann/City-Press GmbH)

Abbotsford’s Jake Virtanen signs with DEL’s Fischtown Pinguins

Virtanen initially signed with German-based team in February

Abbotsford’s Jake Virtanen has signed with the DEL’s Fischtown Pinguins. (Foto von Jan-Philipp Burmann/City-Press GmbH)
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini stands on the sidelines during second half MLS soccer action against Nashville FC in Vancouver on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Sartini says his team needs to respect its opponent and understand that Montreal is a better team than when the two sides first faced off. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Whitecaps wary of CF Montreal ahead of Canadian Championship final

Vancouver beat Canadian Premier League teams York FC and Pacific FC to make this year’s final

Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini stands on the sidelines during second half MLS soccer action against Nashville FC in Vancouver on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Sartini says his team needs to respect its opponent and understand that Montreal is a better team than when the two sides first faced off. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Vegas Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) celebrates a after a goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden Knights take 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Final with 7-2 win over Panthers

The Knights were dominant early, taking a 2-0 lead in the 1st period

Vegas Golden Knights left wing William Carrier (28) celebrates a after a goal against the Florida Panthers during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Players from Newtown Pride FC celebrate on Sunday June 4, 2023 after defeating Canada’s SLC FC 2-0 in the final of The Soccer Tournament in Cary, North Carolina, a seven-versus-seven soccer tournament with a winner take-all-prize of US$1 million. (Creative X TST photo)

Canadian entry finishes runner-up at US$1-million 7vs7 soccer tournament

The four-day tournament featured 32 teams from eight countries competing in a World Cup-like group stage

Players from Newtown Pride FC celebrate on Sunday June 4, 2023 after defeating Canada’s SLC FC 2-0 in the final of The Soccer Tournament in Cary, North Carolina, a seven-versus-seven soccer tournament with a winner take-all-prize of US$1 million. (Creative X TST photo)
Regina Pats centre Connor Bedard poses for photographs with the trophies he received at the Canadian Hockey League awards ceremony, in Kamloops, B.C., on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Bedard, the presumed No. 1 pick of this year’s NHL draft won the CHL Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards. It’s the first time since the Top Scorer award was introduced in 1994 that a player has won all three in a single season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Regina Pats phenom Connor Bedard makes history at CHL Awards

The presumed No. 1 pick of this year’s NHL entry draft won the CHL Top Prospect, among others

Regina Pats centre Connor Bedard poses for photographs with the trophies he received at the Canadian Hockey League awards ceremony, in Kamloops, B.C., on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Bedard, the presumed No. 1 pick of this year’s NHL draft won the CHL Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards. It’s the first time since the Top Scorer award was introduced in 1994 that a player has won all three in a single season. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Water is sprayed on the artificial turf before Switzerland and Ecuador play a FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer match at B.C. Place stadium in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday June 12, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vancouver Whitecaps make pitch towards families as inflation, expenses hit fans

The Vancouver Whitecaps have the fourth lowest attendance in Major League Soccer

Water is sprayed on the artificial turf before Switzerland and Ecuador play a FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer match at B.C. Place stadium in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday June 12, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu returns the ball to Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko during their third round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus

Canada’s Andreescu loses to Ukraine’s Tsurenko in third round at Roland Garros

She was eliminated from the French Open

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu returns the ball to Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko during their third round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, June 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Thibault Camus
Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (19) looks on from the sidelines against the Toronto Argonauts during first half CFL pre-season football action in Hamilton on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Mitchell tops the changing quarterback landscape in the CFL this season.The veteran quarterback enters his ninth season as a league starter but first with Hamilton.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power

Ticats one of many CFL teams that will have different starter in 2023

The Ticats haven’t won a Grey Cup title since 1999, the longest championship drought in the CFL

Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (19) looks on from the sidelines against the Toronto Argonauts during first half CFL pre-season football action in Hamilton on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Mitchell tops the changing quarterback landscape in the CFL this season.The veteran quarterback enters his ninth season as a league starter but first with Hamilton.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
Abbotsford’s Jett Woo checks Laval’s Anthony Richard during AHL action on Wednesday (Nov. 16). (Abbotsford Canucks photo)

Vancouver Canucks sign defenceman Jett Woo to 1-year contract

Woo, 22, has spent the last 3 seasons playing for Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate

Abbotsford’s Jett Woo checks Laval’s Anthony Richard during AHL action on Wednesday (Nov. 16). (Abbotsford Canucks photo)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Pedro Vite, right, battles with Houston Dynamo FC’s Micael battle for the ball during first half MLS soccer action in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, May 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

Brian White scores record goal as Vancouver Whitecaps dismantle Houston Dynamo 6-2

The goal was the fastest goal from the start of a half in Vancouver’s MLS history

Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Pedro Vite, right, battles with Houston Dynamo FC’s Micael battle for the ball during first half MLS soccer action in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, May 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly (90) protects the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman (77) during second period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, April 27, 2023. O’Reilly is one of the names poised to hit the free agency market. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

NHL free-agent frenzy: Some of the players poised to hit the open market July 1

League’s signing period returns to July 1 after three years of pandemic impacts

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly (90) protects the puck from Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman (77) during second period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, April 27, 2023. O’Reilly is one of the names poised to hit the free agency market. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette