Sports bind communities. They also divide them. Both are useful.
The Current Landscape:
Hockey:
| Team | League | City |
| Vancouver Canucks | NHL | Vancouver |
| Seattle Kraken | NHL | Seattle |
| Portland Winterhawks | WHL | Portland |
| Everett Silvertips | WHL | Everett |
Hawaii: No hockey tradition (wrong climate, no ice)
Soccer:
| Team | League | City |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | MLS | Vancouver |
| Portland Timbers | MLS | Portland |
| Seattle Sounders | MLS | Seattle |
Hawaii: No MLS team
The Cascadia Cup already exists — a supporters' competition between Whitecaps, Timbers, and Sounders. It's intense. It's beautiful. It's everything sports should be.
The Washington Problem:
You'll notice Seattle teams in both lists.
If BC adopts Oregon, and Washington is left out:
- Cascadia Cup becomes awkward (two Canadian teams, one American)
- Seattle Kraken become the only US team in a Canadian rivalry
- Sounders matches get complicated (border crossing for supporters)
This is... not our problem? Washington had their chance.
But also: Sports might transcend political boundaries. The Cascadia Cup could continue regardless.
Hockey in Hawaii:
Hawaii doesn't have hockey. Wrong climate. No tradition.
But:
- BC has the Canucks
- Oregon has junior hockey (Winterhawks)
- What if Hawaii got... something?
Possibilities:
- Junior team in Honolulu — Indoor rink, development focus
- Canucks/Winterhawks affiliation — Hawaiian youth who want hockey have a pathway
- Annual exhibition games — NHL game in Hawaii (it's happened before)
Hockey doesn't have to be a mainland-only sport. With investment, Hawaii could develop a small but passionate hockey community.
(Also: Surfing is basically field hockey on water if you think about it. No? Okay, never mind.)
Sports Hawaii DOES Have:
- Surfing — Invented here, world's best waves
- Outrigger canoeing — Traditional Hawaiian sport, competitive globally
- Football — University of Hawaii, Pro Bowl was played there for decades
- Ironman Triathlon — Kona hosts the World Championship
These aren't minor. Surfing and outrigger canoeing are deeply Hawaiian.
Partnership opportunity:
- Surfing exchanges — Tofino surfers learn from Hawaiian masters
- Outrigger expansion — Introduce outrigger canoeing to BC/Oregon coastal communities
- Triathlon corridor — Multiple events across the region
The Expansion Question:
Does this partnership enable sports expansion?
- NHL team in Portland? — Long discussed, market exists
- NBA in Vancouver? — Grizzlies left, but maybe return?
- MLB in Portland? — Under consideration even now
A larger economic base (combined BC-Oregon-Hawaii) might support more major league teams.
Or maybe we focus on what we have and do it excellently.
Discussion Questions:
- Should the Cascadia Cup continue if BC adopts Oregon? (Yes.)
- How do we include Seattle sports fans without including Seattle politically?
- What's the path for hockey development in Hawaii?
- Should we prioritize major league expansion or strengthen existing teams/leagues?
- How do we honor Hawaiian traditional sports (surfing, outrigger) in a unified sports culture?