What a season! Kicking things off with a 5-game losing streak, only to turn it all around and clinch the cup with a final 34-23 win over Winnipeg’s Blue Bombers at BC Place last night!

I know there’s many of you out there who want to adorn your iPhone screens with a little orange and black, so I’ve thrown together a couple of wallpapers for you to grab at your leisure! You can grab them by clicking on the previews below.

Congratulations to the BC Lions and my “home away from home”, Vancouver!

While I can no longer drive a couple of hours in any direction to find these crazy mountain adventurers, it appears that I will, once again, be able to indulge in a cinematic feast featuring all things extreme sports, thanks to a selection of creative film-making geniuses brought together by “The Banff Centre”.

In a couple of short weeks time, the 2011 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour “Radical Reels” will be rolling into Brisbane on the 24th & 25th of November at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in the Valley, bringing with them a selection of the best sport films from the 35th annual Banff Mountain Film Festival.

This years reels include breathtaking action from the worlds of bouldering, snow skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, base jumping, downhill longboarding and white water kayaking! I was blown away by how good the last festival was that I saw in North Vancouver last December, so I’m REALLY excited about getting the chance to see it again here in Australia.

Just check out the trailer below and tell me it doesn’t get you interested?!?!

Tickets are just $30 and are available, along with all the details on other stops throughout Australia on the official website at:

http://banffaustralia.com.au/

For my friends in Vancouver, the World Tour is headed your way on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of December. Check out the “Alpine Club of Canada” website for ticketing information.

On Saturday night my mate Bec and I, along with about 52,498 other fans will descend upon “The Cauldron” to watch the Queensland Reds go head-to-head with New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders in the 2011 SuperRugby Grand Final. The Reds, who have had a fantastic year finishing top of the competition ladder and therefore securing the home final, will have their work cut out for them after having only pipped the Crusaders by 1 point (17-16) when the two teams last met at Suncorp back in Round 15.

Personally, after only just scraping in with picking up tickets on Wednesday morning, I can’t wait for the clash. I think Reds games are some of the best valued and entertaining games you can get along to in Queensland sport.

To start showing your support before the weekend, however, why not grab one of the following iPhone Wallpapers I put together and paint your phone screens RED! Share this page with your friends and fellow Reds supporters, and I’ll see you all on Saturday night!

WE ARE RED!!

Before I get into the troubles, however, I firstly want to congratulate the Boston Bruins on an incredible come-from-behind effort in winning the Stanley Cup by taking out this evening’s 7th game of the final series. With goalie Tim Thomas leading the way by proving to be an impenetrable pillar of strength in goal, the Conn Smythe trophy winner made it near impossible for the Canucks to score and generate any kind of winning momentum throughout much of the series, and the Bruins ultimately proved they were the better team this season.

To the Canucks I say THANK YOU. Thank you for showing the grit and determination to fight it out to the very last hurdle of the season. TRUE FANS of the club and the game of ice hockey salute you on a job well done. We have every confidence in you taking it to ALL opposition again in season 2011/12. Keep your heads up, you have a lot to be proud of.

The Riots

As for the ugly side of tonight’s events, I am so saddened and embarrassed by what has happened tonight. Since moving back to Australia about six weeks ago, I have been singing the praises of just how amazing the city and the people of Vancouver are, and just how awesome it had been calling Vancouver my home for the past 6 years.

In one foul swoop this evening, however, the actions of a SMALL group of people (including this despicable individual) have made me look like a liar and have tarnished the incredible job we all did in showcasing the city to the world during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

I stress it’s a SMALL group of people to blame here. Not for one moment would I ever dream to paint all Vancouverites with the same brush. Responsible, Canuck-loving, hockey-loving fans dealt with the loss in their own private ways and no doubt looked on with as much shock and disappointment as me – from behind closed doors.

Hooligans from last night didn’t riot because of a hockey game. They used the hockey game as an excuse to riot. ~ @canuckshockey

What can you do to help?

As I type this, Vancouver’s sizable and active social media community is rallying together and setting up two noteworthy projects. The first is a “name and shame” Facebook page and group where people can upload their photos of the rioters and looters so that they may be tagged to help out the authorities.

• Vancouver Riot Pics
• Tag the Vancouver Rioters Group

The second is a “Post Riot Clean Up” Facebook Event page where people are committing to meeting in Vancouver’s down town tomorrow to help clean up after the mess tonight. So far there are over 8,000 people attending this clean up which, if they are true to their word, will be an amazing effort.

If you can help out in any way with either of these initiatives, please do so. The Vancouver Police and Fire Departments have done an amazing job tonight, but you can certainly make their jobs a lot easier with your assistance. I sincerely hope that at least some of the individuals responsible for these events tonight are brought to justice over the coming days. Vancouver’s good name and reputation needs to be protected from the actions of these low-life bottom feeders. Plain and simple.

Sure, tonight’s loss was gut-wrenching and tough to take, but it pales in comparison to the disappointment we’ve all felt from the events which followed…

The two designs below are super hi-res to make those iPhone 4 retina screens dazzle, so pick your favourite, upload it to your phone and away you go!

QUEENSLANDER!!!!!!!

Make no mistake, this was probably one of the biggest games in the club’s 40 year history, with home game victories so far proving to be absolutely vital in the outcome of this final series. A loss tonight would have given the Bruins a distinct advantage putting them on the brink of cup victory heading back to Boston for Game 6.

Home games for the Canucks this series have so far been close, physical affairs and tonight’s clash was no exception with intense, punishing play from both teams not able to generate any movement in the scoreline heading into the change rooms at the end of the second period.

After being pulled by Coach AV in Game 4, the Canuck’s superstar goalie was looking to silence jaded fans and the media alike with a big game in front of his home crowd and boy, he sure didn’t disappoint this time around with 31 big stops.

In the end it came down to a magic rebound goal off the end boards by the Bruins fans least favourite Canuck, Maxim Lapierre, with four and a half minutes left on the clock, to give Vancouver the lead and eventual victory.

As has become customary in this series, the 18,860 fans in Rogers Arena exploded into party mode, as did the reported 100,000+ fans who took to the streets in down town Vancouver just a few short blocks away from the stadium.

The win sets up an exciting clash on Monday (Tuesday, 10am Aussie time) with the opportunity for Vancouver to pick up their first win in Boston this series and in the process secure the coveted Stanley Cup which they’ll be able to bring home to Canada, the first time it has returned “home” in 16 years. I’ll be watching closely for sure!

GO CANUCKS, GO!

Three days ago it took a stellar effort from Burrows’ teammate and unlikely hero, Raffi Torres, a mere 18.5 seconds before the final siren to clinch the opening battle of the finals against the Boston Bruins. Tonight it took all of 11 seconds for Burrows to work his clutch time magic in overtime scoring a beautiful wrap around goal that Bruins’ goalie Tim Thomas, who, incidentally was fantastic yet again tonight, couldn’t get to in time.

The goal sealed the victory for the boys in blue and green, completed a home game sweep and simultaneously sparked mass celebration throughout Rogers Arena and Vancouver’s downtown core (Granville and Robson Streets etc).

Anyone would think we’d won the cup already with the magnitude of the partying in the streets, the likes of which Vancouver hasn’t seen since the 2010 Winter Olympics. What can we say, Canucks fans are passionate and they love to share the big victories together en mass.

I Told You So

Now, it’s not like me to brag when it comes to predicting the outcome of games almost to the minute detail (ok, maybe it is), but on this occasion I can’t help but throw out an “I told you so!”.

No more than 10 minutes into the 3rd period, I made the call that I thought Burrows would execute one of his customary “cheeky steal and score” maneuvers to win the game for the Canucks (as evidenced below). And we all now know what happened in the end…!

Lappy’s Bite Taunt

Back to the whole Burrows/Bergeron finger biting incident, however. For those of you not in-the-know, at the conclusion of the first period in Game 1, a small melee broke out during which Burrows scuffled with the Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron. Gloves were pushed at faces and somehow Bergeron’s fingers ended up in Burrows’ mouth which led to an accusation of biting.

I mean come on here, how is Burrows supposed to continue sledging with someone’s fingers in his mouth without at least wagging his jaws?? Storm in a teacup as far as I’m concerned.

Fast forward to tonight where, not being one to let the altercation go, the Canucks’ Maxim Lapierre, during another scuffle between the two teams, waved his digits in Bergeron’s face taunting him with what will go down as one of the cheekiest sledging efforts in this finals series so far. It was brilliant! When questioned about the incident in an after-game press conference, Lappy simply flashed a grin and refused to comment.

Cheekiness aside, it sounds and looks like Granville Street is still rocking and will no doubt continue to do so, just like after the Game 1 victory, into the wee hours of the morning.

I SO wish I was over in Vancouver with all my friends soaking in the energy and excitement. *sigh* Oh well, I guess we’ll all be parked in front of TVs as the Canucks take off to Boston for Game 3 this Monday night (Tuesday morning Aussie time).

I’ll be updating and adding to the collection of icons for your Twitter/Facebook/Other social meda accounts, and hi-res retina iPhone 4 wallpapers in the coming couple of weeks, so check back when you can and share this page with all your fellow Canucks fans using the buttons over there on the right.

GO CANUCKS, GO!

Social Media Icons

International Icons

For those of us out there who want to support the best club hockey team in the world, from afar! A majority of the designs below were completed upon request from fans around the world.

iPhone 4 Wallpapers

Locked up 0-0 with both elite goal tenders, the best in the NHL, shutting down opportunities at both end of the ice, it looked like the game was headed to an all-too-familiar period of overtime.

However…

With 18.5 seconds left on the clock, the Vancouver Canucks’ Raffi Torres pounced onto the end of a pair of beautiful passes from team mates Ryan Kessler and Jannick Hansen. To the frenzied delight of the sold out Rogers’ Arena, Raffi made the most of it, putting the puck past Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, and into the back of the net.

It went a little something like this:

Seriously… it doesn’t get any better than this!

BRING ON GAME #2 ON SATURDAY (SUNDAY OZ TIME)!

Bonus Videos

A couple more Vids to get the goosebumps going!!!

The win, elevating the team to the final stage of the NHL competition for the first time since 1994, wasn’t without its nail-biting moments for Canucks fans, however. With only a minute to go in regulation time, Vancouver were facing a 2-1 loss after great goals by the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi. It came down to a 6-man push on San Jose’s goal and an eventual deflection goal by Kesler with a mere 13 seconds left on the clock, to force the game to extra time.

The Sharks, led by courageous captain Joe Thornton who, as it was revealed, played through game 5 with a separated shoulder suffered during game 4 of the playoff series, put up a hell of a fight in the extra periods, throwing everything they had at the Canucks. In the end, however, it took a Herculean effort from the Canucks goalie, Roberto Luongo, who amassed 54 saves for the night and allowed his team mates to battle on for the eventual win at the other end of the ice.

Image: www.canucks.com

Image: www.canucks.com

Image: www.canucks.com

As expected, thousands of jubilent fans spilled out of Rogers Arena and onto Granville Street in downtown Vancouver for the biggest street party experienced since the triumphant 2010 Winter Olympics campaign by Team Canada.

Image: Maurice Li

It’s after seeing the photos and video captured of the party, including the shot above taken by Maurice Li and this awesome 360 degree panorama, that I am now longing to be back in the Great White North… but I guess I’ll just have to do my best as a passionate supporter of the team from down here in Oz!

We’ve no idea at this point who the Canuck’s opponents will be in the Stanley Cup Finals (Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning), but to be honest it doesn’t really matter. There’s a belief in the team, the city and fans around the world that this is the year the cup will be heading to Vancouver! I personally can’t wait for the finals to begin!

GO CANUCKS, GO!