By: Kaja Antic, Sports Writer
February 1: Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes, joining Ferrari in 2025
Seven-time World Drivers’ Champion Lewis Hamilton will be joining the Scuderia Ferrari racing team in 2025. Hamilton will be taking over for Carlos Sainz, whose contract with Ferrari is up at the end of the 2024 season. Hamilton has won six of his seven titles (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) with Mercedes since joining the team in 2013.
February 1: BC Hockey League (BCHL) welcomes Alberta teams effective immediately
On January 20th, the BCHL announced mid-season that five teams from the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) would be joining the league for the 2024–25 season. In response, the AJHL cancelled the remaining games of the five defecting teams, prompting the BCHL to extend their membership to the AJHL teams earlier than expected. The five Alberta teams will continue to play each other for the remainder of the 2023–24 season, with a winner being crowned to take on the BC league champion in a “year-end competition.” Following the season, the BCHL will be restructured, and possibly renamed, to account for the cross-province addition.
February 4: Vancouver to host seven matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Vancouver will host seven of Canada’s 13 World Cup matches. This includes five group stage matches and the first two knockout rounds (round of 32 and round of 16). Team Canada will be playing in two of the five group stage matches taking place on June 18 and June 24. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted across cities in Canada, the US, and Mexico, making it the first time three nations have hosted the tournament simultaneously.
February 5: Surrey’s Arshdeep Bains named Most Valuable Player (MVP)
23-year-old Arshdeep Bains was named MVP at the American Hockey League’s (AHL) All-Star Challenge in San Jose. Bains — a member of the Vancouver Canucks’ development team, the Abbotsford Canucks — scored two goals and three assists in the tournament, including the game-winning goal with 12.9 seconds left in the final game. Bains currently has 39 points in 42 games for Abbotsford this season.
February 11: Canada women’s basketball team qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics
After losing 86–82 to Japan in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Canada’s advancement to the 2024 Paris Olympics was dependent on Spain defeating Hungary. In a dramatic comeback 73–72 win for Spain, Team Canada advanced to their fourth consecutive Olympic Games.
February 11: Canada wins Rivalry Series in reverse sweep against US
For the second year in a row, the Canadian women’s hockey team completed a reverse sweep against team USA. After losing the first three games in the seven-game series, the Canadians stormed back to win four straight and take the 2023–24 Rivalry Series title.
February 11: Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open
After his historic Canadian Open victory last year, Nick Taylor won his fourth Professional Golfers’ Association title at the Phoenix Open. Taylor forced a playoff round against American Charley Hoffman after scoring three birdies on the 18th hole. He scored two more birdies in the sudden-death two-hole playoff round to earn his title.
February 11: Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII
The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in 2004. This was Kansas City’s third title in five years, earning conversations about a first-ever Super Bowl three-peat for the modern-day dynasty. 28-year-old quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named MVP for the third time after throwing the game-winning touchdown in overtime to give the Chiefs a 25–22 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
