So, on days like today where there is just too much to write about, I’m just going to do a roundup/summary of all the interesting ones.

SNOW IN WHISTLER!

That’s right, it is ALREADY snowing at Whistler. In September. Sweet! I am told they’ve already got 6 cm of snow. The countdown on the Whistler Blackcomb site says 64 days until the lifts start running again and serving up fresh pow to the public. And on December 12th, the Peak to Peak Gondola will open up… it’s going to be incredible. Too bad it’s going to cost some $$$. If you are interested in checking in on the progress there, you can check out the Peak2Peak Construction Blog.

Photo Credit: WhistlerBlackcomb.com

I can’t wait. Let’s hope that Cypress and the other local mountains are getting some snow too. Speaking of Cypress… Early Bird ticket sales end in 7 days on Sept 30, so get your credit card out ASAP if you are planning on buying a form of a season’s pass this year at any of the local mountains.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is “officially” starting on September 25th this year, running till October 10th. Be sure to check it out. I found the online film guide super useful for checking out which films are playing this year. Going to the VIFF films are a great way to meet people and expand your horizon in terms of cinema.  Are you going to any films? If so, which ones?

Photo Credit: VIFF Media Images

MY VANCOUVER CANUCKS PRE-SEASON RAMBLINGS

So much to talk about in terms of the Canucks.. can you believe it’s only the pre-season so far?

The New Horn: Yes, the Canucks got a new sound system this year… and part of that was a new “goal horn”. If you guys remember the horn from previous years, it was actually pretty quiet. This year they replaced it. The good news — it’s much louder. The bad news — it sounds like a BC Ferries horn. LOL! What do you think of the new horn?

Photo Credit: Shaynesaw

The New NHL Rules: There are a couple new NHL rules… let’s get them out of the way now. Rule 76.2: The first face-off at the beginning of a power play will take place in the defending zone of the team that committed the foul. Awesome, I think it’s great and should make power plays more exciting. Rule 81.1: “Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck. Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player.” Meh. I suppose this just seems to push further in the direction of no-touch icing (which I’m not sure I like). It’s great for ending those brutal injuries in icing battles, but I really don’t want to see any less hussle to the puck than there already is. Rule 85.5: If a puck is shot off the goal frame, post, or crossbar, any subsequent face-off will remain in the end zone where the puck went out of play. Nothing big here. What I want to know is… when are they going to change that AWFUL delay of game penalty when a player accidentally shoots it out of the rink?

The First Two Pre-Season Games: So far so good! 2-0. It’s only the preseason, but there’s lots of be excited about. Personally, I’m trying to find a new favourite since my Linden is gone, but I think it’ll take a few games for that. How about Hodgson, Hansen, and Grabner? I’m pretty impressed so far! Also, Kesler had a great game last night. I was happy to see he was using his wheels. I also really liked how Hordichuk went to the net. Demitra… so far unimpressive, but hey… it’s only been two games.

Anything else going on in the West Coast I should know about?