There are a few things that people automatically associate with Canada. Some of Canada’s most recognizable features are snow, bears, mountains, and maple syrup, but the country’s other claim to fame is sports, which brings with it much more excitement, cheering, and friendly competition than any of those other features. Canada’s extreme climate and topography give it the ideal setting for some of the world’s most spectacular athletic events, from ice hockey to the skull bobsleigh.
Plan your next vacation to Canada with a rental vehicle so that you may attend some of the country’s most prestigious sports events. And if you want to take it a step further, you might even be able to place wagers on the matches you visit and watch using any of the various legal and regulated sports betting providers in Canada. Just make sure you check all their features to compare between competing bookies and find the one that suits you most (source: https://www.basketballinsiders.com/canada/).
Stanley Cup
Ice hockey is a crazy trip full of moments of fighting, wild cards, and more, whether you’re a novice to the game or a seasoned follower. Since 1893, Canada’s National Hockey Association (NHL) has organized the Stanley Cup, one of the country’s most prestigious and widely-attended annual athletic events. The Cup itself has taken a number of diversions over the years, including being used as a cereal bowl, being thrown into a swimming pool, and is missing on a trip from New Jersey to Vancouver.
Road Trips’ resident sports travel expert Duane Penner said: A trip to Canada wouldn’t be complete without taking in a hockey game, especially if you’re traveling from the UK. You’ll be surrounded by a mob of rabid admirers! Hockey, he mentioned, “is to us what soccer is to the British. We take great pride in our game and consider ourselves to be among the very world’s best. The polar bears of Manitoba and the Eskimo and Inuit of the Northwest Territories are must-sees, but no trip to Canada is completed without taking in a hockey game.
NBA
Although the United States is more often thought of when discussing basketball, Canada is also a strong contender in the traditional sport. The Vancouver Grizzlies left for Memphis in 2001, leaving only the Toronto Raptors to represent Canada in the NBA.
If you’re a sports enthusiast looking for some festive entertainment, a Canadian basketball game is a way to go. Games in Canada are fast-paced and full of impromptu dancing and music. If the Raptors do well this season, fortunate tourists visiting Toronto in the spring and early summer may even get to see an NBA game at the Scotiabank Arena.
Curling
Curling is a bit like boules on ice, and it’s a lot of fun to watch as a spectator sport. Curling is one of Canada’s many strengths; the country has won the most World Championships and the most Olympic gold medals in the sport’s history. The Tim Hortons Brier is an annual tournament where fifteen teams fight for the Brier Tankard. Explains Al Cameron of Curling Canada
The Tim Hortons Brier is a symbol of Canada. Fans travel from all around Canada to attend this event and see the top curling teams compete for the national title. Curling may be the main attraction, but the Brier is also a huge party. Always within walking distance of the arena, the Brier Patch is known for its lively atmosphere and excellent live music. The Tim Hortons Brier should be on everyone’s list of must-see Canadian events.
Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal
Every year, Québec City’s Grande Allée and Montreal’s Avenue du Parc host the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Quebec et de Montréal, or GPCQM for short. Since 2010, the GPCQM has hosted two grueling road events that have attracted the world’s best competitors. The streets of Québec and Montréal are alive with excitement as spectators flock to the viewing stands to have a front-row seat to this spectacular spectacle. The celebrations are augmented by the Fans’ Village, which hosts several events.
Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cups
With four gold medals in bobsleigh at the 2014 Winter Olympics and third place in the Olympic medal tables for the skeleton, Canada is a constant star performer on the international bobsleigh & skeleton scene. According to Whistler Sport Legacies, “every winter we host World Cups coming up to the Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Championships.” BMW IBSF World Cups as well as the Intercontinental Cup are two examples of such global competitions.
Ski Jumping Championships
Canada is well known as a premier skiing destination, and many visitors will want to try their hand at the sport while they’re there and marvel at the pros while they work. According to Whistler Sports Legacies, many skiing competitions are often held in British Columbia. They claim, “For the last several springs, Whistler Olympic Park has played home to the U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined National Championships.”
Bobsledding and skeleton racing are open to the public at the Whistler Sliding Centre, and baseboards are available at the Olympic Park. According to Whistler Sporting Legacies, “riders drop down the groomed 1,500 m course with banked turns and rollers, resembling a combination of the sport of skeleton and bodyboarding on snow.” You may also go skiing, shooting, riding a fat bike with electric assistance, snowshoeing, or sledding.
Bottom Line
If you prefer participating in sports rather than watching them from the sidelines, you’ll be happy to hear that Canada is home to a wide variety of options. Canada is a mecca for adventure sports, with everything from skiing in Alberta to kayaking across Vancouver Island.
“Prone to fits of apathy. Introvert. Award-winning internet evangelist. Extreme beer expert.”
