Renfew Youth Open Gym Nights
Renfrew Youth Open Gym, which happens every Friday from 7:00 PM-10:00 PM* at Renfrew Community Centre (RCC), has just held its first annual Winter Hoops Basketball Tournament last month! RCC was very excited to host this competition, with players ranging in age from 12 to 22 years coming out every week for the past four weeks to play against each other. A big congratulations to the winning team, the “Tigers,” and to all those who participated!
Check out the “Renfrew Youth Council” Facebook page if you want to be kept up to date with RCC’s youth activities. You can also come by the Community Centre on Fridays after school to shoot some pool, play foosball, or join in on some fun sports activities!
The Liong Rant: Trevor Lima, the Next Windermere’s WHL Product
By Dickson Liong, Grade 10
Photo credit to vancouver-canadians.ca
Did you know that Windermere Secondary School has a 16-year-old teenager who has been drafted by the Vancouver Giants into the Western Hockey League (WHL)?
His name is Trevor Lima, and he is currently in grade 11.
Trevor is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound, right-handed defenseman. For a 16-year-old hockey player, he is in pretty good shape.
Lima was selected in the sixth round, 123rd overall, at the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft in Edmonton.
Many say Lima is one of the top defensemen to come out of British Columbia. One thing is for sure: (more…)
Get Ready for Another Season of the NHL!
By Chris Tam and Mike Chen, Grade 12
Hello Warriors! As we are all settling back into school, the NHL is preparing for another great season. We here at the Word have assembled our “Power Rankings” for the top 5 NHL teams as a season preview, with special coverage on our Vancouver Canucks.
NHL Power Rankings
- Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are determined to get back to the finals and win it all this season! They may have a rough start to the season as winger Mason Raymond and MVP Ryan Kesler are both expected to miss at least a month of action due to injuries (back and hip, respectively). But, the Canucks have proven in the past that they have enough depth to keep playing without missing a beat. Their defence core is still strong despite the loss of Christian Ehrhoff. At the net, Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider will share the crease, in the league’s top goaltending tandem. The team is a heavy favourite to return to the Cup Final.
- San Jose Sharks
Coming off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances with only one win out of nine games, the Sharks smelt blood. On draft day, the Sharks acquired defenseman Brent Burns, who can control the offensive tempo from the blue line. Up front, two-time fifty goal scorer Dany Heatly was dealt to the Wild for speedy winger Martin Havlat. Without a doubt, Captain Joe Thornton and the rest of the Sharks are hungry for the Stanley Cup.
- Los Angeles Kings
Being arguably the most improved team in the last season, the Kings took advantage of Philadelphia’s off-season hysteria by grabbing their captain, Mike Richards. They then signed sniper Simon Gagne, a former teammate of Richards in Philadelphia. The team’s concern is speed, but with two young puck-moving defensemen, Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, no concerns have been raised so far. In the crease, Jonathan Quick has quickly developed into a reliable starting goaltender. The Kings, being young and skilled, will be a threat in the West for years to come.
- Pittsburgh Penguins
Although Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal were plagued with injuries last season, the Penguins still claimed the 5th spot in the East, based on their team-first mentality. With Malkin and Staal ready to start the season and Crosby just about set to play, this team is Chris’s pick to win the East this season. Backed by Marc-Andre Fleury and coached by Dan Bylsma, the Penguins are stacked. There is no doubt that they will be in the mix come playoff time.
- Washington Capitals
The Capitals have been a contender for the President’s Trophy in the past four seasons and we expect the same from them this time. With a top line of Ovechkin–Backstrom–Semin, Washington has the firepower… Do they have the willpower, though? This past off-season, they added some size and grit with the likes of Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer. If somebody other than Alex Ovechkin can start taking a leadership role with the team, look for the Capitals to be a tough team to beat this coming season.
Canucks Preview
The Canucks had a relatively quiet off-season, when GM Mike Gillis went and refined an already stellar team. Power forward Marco Sturm was the biggest name to sign in Vancouver this off-season. Although he has undergone two knee surgeries in the past, he has put up points in the past, so he does add some desperately needed grit to the roster. On the blue line, the void left by Christian Ehrhoff will be filled by Keith Ballard, Sami Salo, and rookie Chris Tanev. The forwards are led by the Sedin twins, who have risen to elite-player status. Ideally, Cody Hodgson will step up to play the second line center role, with Higgins and Samuelson flanking him. When healthy, the Canucks have the most depth in their forward positions of any team, which was a key part of their success from last season. And Vancouver’s favourite whipping boy, Roberto Luongo, is still a top five goaltender in the league and the franchise player. He will definitely be looking to prove his critics wrong this season and shed his unwanted (and undeserved) “chocker” label.
Mike’s Prediction: I believe this team will make it to the Western Conference Final, but that’s as far as they will go. Their depth in all three positions as well as their experience and motivation will make them a legitimate threat in the league, but I am picking the San Jose Sharks to win it all this season.
Chris’s Prediction: Keith Ballard, Cody Hodgson, and Marco Sturm will step up and become the players they were expected to be. The Canucks will go marching back to the Stanley Cup Finals in June….and NO WAY is San Jose making it past the second round, Mike!
Predictions and Foresights in the World of Sports
By: Chris Tam, Grade 11
Since you already know what has happened in the world of sports last month, instead of just repeating it, I will attempt 
to predict what will happen in November and give insight into what might happen this month.
First off, the Canucks have gotten over their early October slump but still can’t finish off the easy games. However the second line has been contributing more as of late helping the team against their division rivals Minnesota and Colorado. Some games to look out for this month are Edmonton on November 2nd, Montreal on November 9th, Toronto on November 13th, Pittsburgh on November 17thand. of course, Chicago on November 20th. The road trip this month is quite stellar, facing all the Canadian teams in the East, the Canucks will have it tough against a Montreal team that went to the final four last Spring. As well, Pittsburgh versus the Canucks game is always excellent. Does anyone remember Luongo’s save off Crosby’s penalty shot in OT? Most likely the Canucks will do about a .500 game average on the road trip, going 2-2-1, but will hopefully have a blowout game against Toronto. However, for some reason, Toronto was not horrible last month going 4-0-0 in the first 2 weeks. Returning home, the Canucks will face Chicago in a must see game for any Canucks fan, which could be an early indicator of how far they might go this season.
In other news, the not-so-roaring Lions haven’t clinched a playoff birth and are waiting to select that first overall pick. After Printers choked and threw a rage quit inducing interception that would allow the Blue Bombers to win a game they never should have, Printers was then chopped off the team. Please don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Printers. If by some off-chance the Lions somehow get a playoff spot, Calgary or Saskatchewan will outplay them and they’ll be out once again.
Honestly, I don’t know much about MLB, but I predict Philadelphia to bounce back and play against Texas in the final, with Philadelphia squeezing out a win in game 6 to win it. If you are like me and rarely watch any baseball, try to catch the World Series at least; either way, the final series is always quite exciting. Also if Philadelphia makes it, you can watch history repeat if and when Roy Halladay throws a perfect game, which would only be the second time ever in a world series, the last being in 1956.
Read next month’s Windermere Word for the next edition of the predictions and foresights in the world sports!
Canucks Update
with the LA Kings was incredibly thrilling! It was full of overtime action, beautiful shots, exciting fights and heart-stopping moments. In the end, the Canucks came out on top. Of course it wasn’t a surprise that the Canucks had an amazing series with the LA Kings, eliminating them in 6 games, winning the first and last three games. Just as expected, the Sedin twins were amazing and so was the rest of the team. Each player gave it their best; Alex Edler belting out hard hits, Samuellson scoring continuously and Luongo making those spectacular saves at all the rightCanucks Update
By: Jasmin Gadey, Grade 8
The Canucks are just over the halfway mark of the 2009-2010 season, and have a record of 25-16-1. Their only overtime loss happened recently on their four game road trip where they picked up seven of eight possible points. Now that they have 51 points, they are extremely close to Calgary and Colorado in the Division standings. Also, the Canucks are now in the mix for a playoff spot, currently placing in and around the seventh spot. The Canucks have been getting quite a few wins lately; they actually went 10-4-1 in the month of December and picked up a win on their first game in 2010 as well. The Canucks are definitely on a hot streak with Henrik Sedin getting points almost every game, it’s no wonder he’s tied for first for having the most points in the NHL. It’s amazing; our team seems to be getting stronger every game we play. In addition, we have 9 home games to play this month, and hopefully we play well in those games and take advantage of being at home. If you’ve been watching some of our home games lately, then you’ve probably seen the “Green Guys” behind the opposing team’s penalty box, I hope we’ll see them in the upcoming home games as well!
Canucks Update
By: Jasmin Gadey, Grade 8
One month into the regular season, the Canucks have shown lots of 
inconsistency. Their current play has them wandering around the .500 mark. Plus, if you’ve been keeping up with the games, you’ve probably noticed that they have had an unpredictable pattern of wins and losses. In fact, they didn’t achieve their first win until their fourth game; beating the Montreal Canadiens with a 7-1 victory. Many think that the reason behind our recent mediocre play would be because of our team injuries. At the moment, six players complete the injury list; all of them critical to the success of the team. Some of the injured players include, Alexandre Bolduc, Jannik Hansen, Ryan Johnson, Daniel Sedin and the Canucks captain, Roberto Luongo. Although at first it seemed that with Daniel out, Henrik wouldn’t be able to contribute but Henrik has been doing surprisingly well without his brother.
Jenn and Chitha’s Top Ten Editing Screw Ups
10. Misspelled Mitchell’s last name and said Emily Chan was in Grade 9 – September Issue.
9. Said Emily Chan was in Grade 11 – October Issue
8. Repeated a paragraph in Mitchell’s article “Burn After Reading” – October Issue
7. No “Warrior of the Month” photo for Emily Chan and Brendan Chan – January Issue
6. Pope Gregory VIII not Pope Gregory – April Issue
Spring Sports
Windermere Sports Update
By Nathan Dinh, Grade 11
Hey Warriors! With basketball season coming to an end and spring just crawling around the corner, a new season of sports is coming! There are different variety of sports including full contact sports, team sports, individual sports, sports involving only your feet, sports involving only the arms, and sports involving both! All grades have opportunities to get out there and play the sports that interest them!
Windermere Winter Sports
By: Nathan Dinh, Grade 11
Hey Warriors, this is Nathan introducing you to the latest update on your own Windermere sports! Currently, we are in the middle of the winter season which includes basketball and… well, basketball.
Senior Boys (4-4)
You know these guys; they’ve been raising money selling pizza on Fridays for their teams – it’s the Senior Boys Basketball Team! They had quite a poor season, but their season is not over yet. They practice hard, but strive to practice even harder. Their games were like an up and down rollercoaster, winning some, losing some. They hope to end the season 7-3. Also, they are hoping for a high seed in the playoffs for a better chance at taking it home. Good luck at the rest of your season boys!
Canucks Update
by Gurjita Gadey
The Canucks are past the half-way point of their season, having played 44 games and with a current record of 22-17-5. They have 49 points and are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Northwest Division and 5th in the Western Conference. However, it is a close race with the teams behind them who are just down a few points and who also have some games in hand…
Windermere Fall Sports
By Nathan Dinh
Are you active and involved in a fall sport? Are you managing, refereeing, or scorekeeping for a fall sport? Do you watch and support our school during our fall sports season? Well it doesn’t matter if you follow along with a sport or not, you can read it all here in this article! Who took home a city championship trophy? Click the link below and read what happened to each team! Or for team photos, click “Photos” above.
He Shoots, He Scores!
by Gurjita Gadey
It’s that time again – hockey season is back! the 2008/2009 NHL season gets on its way on Thursday, October 9th, 2008. However, you can still catch some of the pre-season games on TV this year. Now on to the Canucks, they’re back this season with a totally new looking team; with players like Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, and Trevor Linden gone, it is truly the end of a great era but the start of an even better one with Roberto Luongo leading the way. With new additions like Pavol Demitra, Steve Bernier, Darcy Hordichuck, Ryan Jhonson, Kyle Welwood and more, this year should be very interesting. They’ve started the pre-season defeating the San Jose sharks, Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers twice thus giving them a 4-0 record. I know that the Canucks are predicted to finish near the bottom of this year’s season but just remember that anything is possible when one has heart and puts in the effort. They might be the underdogs but you should never write them off because everyone has an equal shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Who knows what this new season is going to bring us?
GO CANUCKS GO!
