It’s time to look under the tree to unwrap what the jolly old guy in red has brought to the sports community. The gifts aren’t always what the teams and organizations want but, more importantly, what they need:
VICTORIA ROYALS: For a team 10 points adrift of a Western Hockey League playoff berth, brightly coloured rally towels would be a thoughtful present.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Is Santa magical enough to provide this aimless franchise a sense of discernable direction?
BCHL COASTAL CONFERENCE: A nice ribbon wrapped around a Formula 1 Mercedes from Lewis Hamilton’s speedy collection would be nice. That’s what the rest of the teams will need to jump into to catch the leading Nanaimo Clippers, who look well on their way to racing to another sa国际传媒 Hockey League finals appearance.
sa国际传媒 LIONS: A return to the CFL of sudden star-is-born quarterback Nathan Rourke. Oak Bay-raised owner Amar Doman deserves at least that for the outstanding job he has done in turning the fortunes of the Leos on and off the field.
PACIFIC FC: Maybe Santa will be nice and land at Starlight Stadium tonight as part of his world tour to deliver a clever attacking midfielder to replace the reportedly departing star Marco Bustos.
CANADA SOCCER: More young, emerging players like Ismaël Koné and Alistair Johnston under the tree, please, every year from now to 2026.
MICAH ZANDEE-HART and CASSIE SHARPE: A can of polisher so the Island athletes can keep those medals from this year’s Winter Olympics sparkling.
BASKETBALL CANADA: A can of polisher to rebuff that so-far corroding Golden Generation as it heads into a big year of Olympic qualifying for Paris.
RUGBY CANADA: Langford-based sa国际传媒 will not play in the World Cup next year for the first time, so a road map to 2027 should be under the tree to be opened and studied intently. Too old-fashioned and hard to refold? OK, then a GPS pointing to 2027.
ROWING CANADA: Does Santa have the power to gift calm waters on Quamichan Lake as the national team prepares for the qualifiers next fall in the Czech Republic for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
HARBOURCATS and NIGHTOWLS: Does his Santa power and aura also extend to a gift card guaranteeing soft summer nights in 2023 where the beer and home runs flow at Royal Athletic Park and Serauxmen Stadium? That thought alone this bone-chilling, dreary December might be the best present of all.
SHAMROCKS and TIMBERMEN: Since gift cards are all the rage now, this one from old St. Nick can be cashed in come August with an all-Island Western Lacrosse Association final between Victoria and Nanaimo. The T-Men got there this year for the first time since 1968 and the Shamrocks, although falling short this year, are always good enough to get there.
UVIC VIKES HOOPS: Copies of coaching legend John Wooden’s basketball-and-life primer Pyramid of Success for the entire team to read as the talented UVic men’s team appears to have a young core group that could dominate sa国际传媒 West on Ken and Kathy Shields Court, and make noise nationally in U Sports, for the next four to five years.
ROYAL BEACH VICTORIA OPEN: In Santa’s bag to be delivered another winner in June at Uplands that goes on to play on the PGA Tour to add to an already starry alumni list for the venerable, four-decade Island pro golf tournament.
TC 10K and ROYAL VICTORIA MARATHON: Burgeoning lists of registrations under the tree as sport continues its re-emergence from the pandemic.
