Vancouver (downtown) for sports fans

Last weekend, I went to Vancouver. Not to head to the mountains for winter sports, but to stay downtown and explorer. The focus of the weekend was the Vancouver Canucks game versus the Calgary Flames. These two rivals made for the perfect justification for a weekend in Vancouver. This trip would not include many of the other great areas in the city, but focus on Granville Street near the arena. Granville Street on Saturday afternoon had a steady stream of shoppers and tourists. Prior to the start of the Canucks game, I needed a place to watch some NCAA basketball. There are a multitude of small bars and Irish pubs along the street from which to choose. All of the locals that I spoke to during the day recommended two places for sports viewing: Forum and Wings. The great thing about this was they were across the street from each other on Granville. Looking in on both bars, Forum was the more traditional sports bar so I chose it. It had TVs on all the walls with multiple options available. The manager was willing to put my game on one of the 50 inch TVs and left it on, despite the start of the Montréal Canadians’ game which had drawn a large crowd. This was no issue as there was plenty of TVs. Forum’s food prices were a little high for a sports bar, but the portions were large enough for two and the traditional bar fare was good. This was offset by reasonable drink specials and good service.

The Canucks play at the Rogers Arena and sellout all of their games. Of course, that leads to a healthy ticket resale market. Walking down from Granville Street to Rogers Arena, I had several opportunities to purchase tickets. On the advice of several locals, I waited to see if the price would drop as game time approached. It did. Inside the arena and out, everyone is wearing their colors, so if you are considering a trip took next game, the purchase of a T-shirt or actual hockey sweater should be considered. The published prices of a ticket range from $65-$145. Resale prices varied dramatically, so good luck.  BTW- Canucks lost in shootout on a puck hidden in goalies' pads. Never saw that before.

Following the game, we went back to Granville Street. A club going crowd of the night had replaced the shoppers of the day. Most of the nightclubs had lines out in front and a quick check back into the forum was met with dance music and the TVs turned off of the sports. Granville Street had transitioned into a series of club options. From one night, it would be tough to pick a single winner. I would highlight Doolin’s Irish pub as a particular good time. It was packed with a good party crowd.

I did get to Wings on Sunday during the first NFL playoff game.  The locals were right about the food. These were very good wings with several flavor options.  It is not a traditional sports bar environment but the wings made a strong case for this bar to become a repeat visit when next in Vancouver.

As for hotels, there was a range of options around downtown from hostels to upscale. As my trip was very quick and low key, I chose the Holiday Inn on Howe Street. It was a block up from Granville and maybe a mile to the arena.  The hotel is a little older and showing some age but service was nice and rooms clean. The price was what got me in!