Canucks Wear Memorial T-Shirts and Show Jumbotron Tribute

Vancouver Canucks players and coaching staff wore specialized memorial T-shirts depicting John “Cheech” Garrett’s iconic moustache and broadcast headset prior to Tuesday night’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Arena. The Oct. 20 pre-game ceremony featured a video highlighting Garrett’s hockey and broadcasting career on the arena jumbotron before the national anthems.

“John Garrett greeted every day with an optimistic smile, always had time for an autograph, a selfie, and a story to share with his thousands of fans and friends across the hockey world,” announced Al Murdoch, the in-arena voice of the Canucks. In addition to the pre-game video, in-game activities featured trivia focused on Garrett as well as a “hot dog drop.”

A Storied Career On and Off the Ice

Garrett, who resided in the Boundary Park neighbourhood of Surrey, passed away suddenly last April at age 74. Known for his technical hockey insights, signature sense of humour, and enthusiasm for ketchup-topped food, he remained a prominent Sportsnet analyst until his death.

Born in Trenton, Ontario, on June 17, 1951, Garrett was selected 38th overall in the 1971 draft. He competed in the World Hockey Association from 1973 until 1979 before spending 1979 to 1985 in the NHL as a goaltender for several franchises, including the Canucks and the Hartford Whalers. Over his 207 NHL games, he earned a spot in the 1983 All-Star Game and notably recorded the secondary assist on Gordie Howe’s final career NHL goal. Following his playing career, he transitioned directly into broadcasting at Rogers Arena.

Game Outcome

The visiting Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions who formerly played as the Hartford Whalers, secured a 6-3 victory over Vancouver following the tributes.

Lions Prepare to Bench Starters in Regular Season Finale

Rookie quarterback Kaidon Salter is set to start for the B.C. Lions this Friday night as the team hosts the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place. Head coach Buck Pierce announced the starting change for the 7 p.m. kickoff, with quarterback Chris Oladokun expected to log playing time as well. Quarterback Nathan Rourke will be dressed as the third-string option but is not slated to play.

With a 10-7 record, the Lions enter the final weekend of the regular season locked into second place. The situation mirrors last week’s game in Calgary, where B.C. substituted heavily in the second half of a 32-13 loss to the Stampeders. Key offensive contributors including running back James Butler and receivers Keon Hatcher, Justin McInnis, and Stanley Berryhill are expected to sit out, alongside potential scratches on the defensive line in Casey Sayles and Mathieu Betts. Running back Emani Bailey and receivers Nate Demontagnac, Michael Fitzgerald, Jaden Williams, and Hergy Mayala are anticipated to see expanded roles.

Playoff Scenarios and Fan Events Set for Postseason

While B.C.’s playoff seed is settled, the 8-9 Blue Bombers require a victory to secure a postseason berth. Only two playoff spots remain open across the league: third place in the West Division and the fourth-place crossover spot to Toronto. A Lions win would eliminate Winnipeg from contention, placing Saskatchewan third if they beat Edmonton, and sending Calgary east as the crossover team. If Winnipeg wins, Saskatchewan must still beat Edmonton to secure third place; a Saskatchewan loss would create a rematch between Winnipeg and B.C., sending the Roughriders to Toronto.

Off the field, the organization confirmed it will host a pre-game tailgate party at the Plaza of Nations prior to the West Semifinal on Oct. 31. Following an earlier event on Sept. 12, the setup will feature food trucks, music, and family activities. Broadcast coverage for Friday’s regular season finale will be available on TSN, 730 CKNW, and Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600.

Narrow Polling Margin Points to Tight Provincial Contest

The Conservatives currently maintain a slight advantage over the governing NDP in B.C. polling averages compiled by 338Canada, holding 45 per cent support against the NDP’s 42 per cent. The B.C. Green Party registers at nine per cent, while support for two new right-leaning parties, CentreBC and OneBC, totals between two and seven per cent combined. A four per cent margin of error applies to the top two contenders in the aggregated data.

David Black, a political communications professor at Royal Roads University, explained that overall popular vote figures offer a limited picture of the final outcome. “We have 93 mini-elections that generate this complex outcome we call government,” he said. He added that the Conservatives maintain an edge, but noted the party’s recent internal instability under former leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay makes its long-term brand loyalty uncertain. “If this was a reliable, known, long-standing vehicle for the centre-right that was ideologically coherent and organizationally recognizable, then I would worry less about a vote-splitting,” Black observed.

Riding Dynamics and Strategic Voting Concerns

Small parties are not fielding slates in all 93 ridings across B.C., which impacts the precision of province-wide polling, noted Mario Canseco of Research Co. However, in ridings where candidates from CentreBC—headed by former Conservative Elenore Sturko—or OneBC—led by former Conservative Dallas Brodie—are present, vote-splitting could alter the results. Canseco noted that such dynamics could allow the NDP to secure seats with as little as 37 or 38 per cent of the vote, particularly across key toss-up ridings in Surrey.

Individual candidate races may also reshape local outcomes. In Vancouver-Quilchena, OneBC Leader Brodie is competing against Conservative Carson Binda of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and NDP candidate Callista Ryan. Canseco calculated that if Brodie captures 10 to 12 per cent of the vote and Ryan replicates her 2024 performance of 38.91 per cent, the NDP could potentially win the traditional right-wing seat.

Party Leaders Respond as Election Nears

With five parties running incumbent candidates, NDP Leader David Eby warned that vote-splitting among left-leaning voters could inadvertently assist the Conservatives. He urged Green supporters to coordinate with his party to prevent a Conservative government. In response, B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan rejected the call. “We look at the numbers; we know that the BC Greens grow the vote; we don’t split the vote,” she said.

Black emphasized that the NDP’s clearest route to victory relies on Green supporters, and to a lesser extent CentreBC voters, casting strategic ballots. Polling data from Research Co. shows that Green supporters express lower commitment to their choice compared to voters backing other parties. Eby acknowledged the likelihood of a tight finish, stating, “I think that what the polls do illustrate for me, and what I hope they illustrate for British Columbia, is that this election is going to be very close.”