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Sports Briefs

Stanley Cup making stop in Whistler

While you have to be a Stanley Cup champion to eat cornflakes out of hockey's iconic trophy, tens of thousands of people come out to parades every year just to see it in all its silver glory.

On March 4, the Stanley Cup will be stopping in Whistler as part of Scotiabank's "Celebration of Hockey Tour." Hockey fans can get their picture taken with the cup, and check out other hockey artifacts that are travelling coast to coast to celebrate the sport of hockey.

The cup will be at the Scotiabank on Franz's Trail in Creekside from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome.

 

Sigge's P'ayakentsut sold out

All 500 spots for the first annual Segge's P'ayakentsut Nordic skiing festival have been snapped up, with several days remaining before the Feb. 24 deadline. It's a promising sign for an event that is billing itself as the biggest race in the Callaghan and Whistler Olympic Park since the 2010 Winter Games - and is living up to that billing in every way.

The event takes place on Saturday, Feb. 26, with a variety of race categories for the main event, plus a number of fun side events for all ages.

The main race includes distances of 5 km, 15 km, 30 km and 50 km. As well, there is a cross-country ski cross race for kids 12 to 14, mad dash sprints, team relays and other fun events staged for kids aged 5 to 11. The main race gets underway 9:30 a.m.

Callaghan Valley Cross Country Ski Club is organizing it with the support of the Squamish Nation, cross-country clubs from Vancouver and Sea to Sky and other sponsors.

The word "P'ayakentsut" is taken from the Squamish Nation and means "A place to train oneself physically." Historically, the rugged Callaghan Valley was a place where Squamish warriors went to train.

For more information on the race, visit www.payak.ca.

 

Ski and Snowboard Cross this weekend

A special Whistler Blackcomb Ski and Snowboard Cross event, presented by Powerade, takes place this weekend, but it's limited to skiers aged 10 and under.

The price is $44.80 if you register in advance at Guest Relations, or $50 on Saturday morning in the Rendezvous until 9:45 a.m.

The cross is a two-day event. Saturday is for training and qualification, and Sunday is for training and the race brackets.

All participants in this event will need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Helmets are mandatory, mouthguards are recommended and other braces and padding - and even full-face helmets - are a good idea.

The course won't have any airtime and will be built for the age group.

More information is at www.whistlerblackcomb.com under Things To Do.

The third cross race of the season, open to all ages, is set for the Mar. 5-6 weekend.

 

Whistler Nordics host Poker Run

The Feb. 24 running of the Whistler Nordics Toonie Race is a Poker Run at Lost Lake, where participants will get cards along the course and attempt to put together a winning poker hand. There's a lot of chance involved and speed isn't everything. Headlamps will once again be mandatory, as the course goes off the lit trails.

The Scandinave Spa and Ryders Eyewear sponsor the race, with the Whistler Nordics Devo team providing food and refreshments by donation.

The cost is $2 for Whistler Nordics members, and a try-a-toonie rate of $5 is available for non-members.

 

Nordic racers top B.C. Championships

The Whistler Nordics team returned from the B.C. Championships in Kamloops with five medals and one overall title in the B.C. Cup series.

Michael Murdoch placed second in PeeWee Boys, followed by teammates Fraser Doak, Sam Johnston and Ian Davidson. Murdoch also won the overall PeeWee title.

Elle Johnston was the top girl in her Atom race, and seventh out of 40 racers.

In PeeWee Girls, Benita Peiffer was second in her race and sixth out of 27 racers.

Lauren Doak and Jenya Nordin were third and fourth in their heat, and seventh and ninth overall.

Nicki Murdoch was sixth and eighth respectively in Junior Girls and Brent Murdoch fourth and fourth in Master Men.

 

Wolfpack go out with a goal

The Squamish Wolfpack played their last two games of the season last week, losing 8-2 to the league-leading Richmond Sockeyes on Thursday and 6-3 to the Granview Steelers at home on Saturday night.

It's been a tough season for the team, with just six wins and 16 points in 46 games. The next team in their division, the North Delta Devils, finished with 53 points.

In fact, the Wolfpack were the only team in the Tom Shaw Conference of the Junior B PIJHL to finish with a losing record. By comparison, three teams in the rival Harold Brittain Conference finished below 500.

The Grandview game was a tough one. The Wolfpack were down 1-0 after the first period, then let in five unanswered goals. The team rallied at the end of the second period and scored the last goals of the game to end on something of a high note. Goal scorers were Dean Wilson, Jaret Babych and Tyler Whitmell.

The playoffs get underway this weekend, as the Squamish Wolfpack - three seasons into the league - go back to the drawing board. This season was the worst in the team's history, and the second worst finish in PIJHL history.