John Tortorella formally introduced as Canucks’ new head coach

The rumours have been flying for weeks in Vancouver, but the Vancouver Canucks have finally named their new man behind the bench. In a press conference today, Canucks GM Mike Gillis introduced John Tortorella as the franchise’s 17th head coach. It’s a coaching swap between two franchises, with Tortorella taking over from the fired Alain Vigneault, who is taking over Torts’ old job as the head coach of the New York Rangers.

[Watch the Canucks’ press conference and read the TSN article]

Tortorella’s resume includes 24 years in coaching, a Stanley Cup and Jack Adams Awards as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, and a silver medal as an assistant coach at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. After 3 seasons as head coach for the New York Rangers, he was fired after the Rangers were ousted in the second round of the playoffs this year. It should be interesting days ahead for the Vancouver sports media, as Tortorella has become every bit as famous (or infamous) for his often terse relationship with reporters as he is for his brash, fiery coaching style.

Local sports bloggers and Tweeters have wasted no time having a field day with predictions on how Torts will handle the spotlight in the hockey-mad Vancouver market. Last week, The Province’s Wyatt Arndt (also known by his Twitter handle @TheStanchion) responded to the rumours of Tortorella’s hiring by illustrating more than a few possible scenarios for the new bench boss. Love him or hate him, Torts alone should make for some interesting storylines going into next season. On the hockey side of things – you know, the side that we should probably all be concerned about – it’s a wake-up call for a Canucks team that has come close to winning it all, but has often been accused of pulling a disappearing act in the postseason in 2012 and 2013.

What do you think of the hiring of John Totorella? Do you like it or dislike it?

BC Lions kick off 2013 home schedule with exhibition match vs Eskimos

BC LionsWith NHL and NBA action down to their final stages of the season, the start of the CFL preseason comes as perfect timing for Vancouver sports fans looking for their home-team fix. The BC Lions will continue their 2013 campaign with an exhibition match Friday night at BC Place against the Edmonton Eskimos. You can get tickets for that game and all other BC Lions games with ShowTimeTickets.com.
Oddsmakers have made the Lions the favourites to win the 101st Grey Cup game (tickets) in Regina this year. The Leos will be boasting a new-look roster this year, with the loss of Khalif Mitchell, Arland Bruce and most notably Geroy Simon. However, they have star linebacker Solomon Elimimian and receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux back in the fold this year.

The 2013 home schedule for the BC Lions is as follows:

Preseason #2 – Friday, June 21 – Edmonton at BC
Week 2, Friday July 4 – Toronto at BC
Week 4, Saturday July 20 – Edmonton at BC
Week 6, Monday August 5 – Winnipeg at BC
Week 8, Saturday August 17 – Calgary at BC
Week 10, Friday August 30 – Hamilton at BC
Week 12, Sunday September 15 – Montreal at BC
Week 15, Friday October 4 – Saskatchewan at BC
Week 18, Friday October 25 – Edmonton at BC
Week 19, Friday November 1 – Calgary at BC
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101st Grey Cup Tickets to go on lottery

If you don’t already have your tickets for the 101st Grey Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan, the remaining 5,000 unallocated tickets are set to go on lottery. The championship game will take place November 24th, 2013 at Mosaic Stadium in front of an estimated 45,000 fans in Rider Nation.
According to Neil Donnelly – executive director of the Grey Cup Festival – approximately 95% of season ticket holders opted to purchase Grey Cup tickets.
Donnelly was also quoted from the Leader Post in Regina, SK:

“It shows the amount of support that we have in Saskatchewan for anything to do with the Riders. The season-ticket base is so high here and you have obligations with other teams and the league and sponsors, it just left such little inventory for us to sell to the general public that we felt we wanted to take what we had and do it in the most fair way we could.”

Details for the 101st Grey Cup festivities are starting to filter in, with Saskatoon-based band The Sheepdogs announced as a headline concert for Grey Cup week.
Don’t miss Canada’s largest sporting event of the year hosted by the most diehard city in the Canadian Football League! You can get your 101st Grey Cup tickets with ShowTimeTickets.com – as Canada’s leading private ticket broker since 1985, We Are Never Sold Out!
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Would You Like a Tour? Drake announces 41-city North American tour

Hot on the heels of an upcoming album, Grammy Award-winning rapper Drake announced a 41-city North American arena tour that begins September 25 in Portland, Oregon. Drake’s latest album Nothing was the Same is set for release later this year, and the 26-year old Toronto native has released three new singles – “Started from the Bottom”, “Girls Love Beyonce” and “5AM in Toronto”.

The tour – dubbed “Would you Like a Tour?” – includes seven stops in Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Ottawa. General onsales begin this Friday.

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Full list of tour dates (via Rolling Stone): Read More

Nine Inch Nails announce 2013 Tension North American tour

Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails are back with a new album in the works and announced dates today for a new concert tour. It’s the first time the band has hit the road since 2009’s Wave Goodbye tour, and the first time Trent Reznor and co. have stepped into the spotlight since going on a three-year hiatus after that tour.

The new fall dates begin with a September 28th gig in St. Paul, Minnesota. In total, the Tension tour will visit 30 North American arenas, including five in Canadian cities (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton). Public onsales for some dates begin next week.

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Fall 2013 “Tension” Tour Dates (via Pollstar): Read More