While the Vancouver Canucks sit dead last in the NHL standings, a pair of other local teams have been making waves in 2026.
And both have a realistic chance at winning a championship.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are the top team in the MLS Western Conference this season. They’re looking to get back to the MLS Cup Final, and hopefully win it this time. They came agonizingly close to knocking off Lionel Messi and Inter Miami one year ago.
Meanwhile, the BC Lions are just one win away from reaching the Grey Cup for the first time since 2011. They were one of the hottest teams in the CFL in the second half of the season and knocked off the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western Semi-Final last weekend.
The Whitecaps made it to the MLS Cup Final in 2025. (@whitecapsfc/X)
Needless to say, this city is starved for a title from one of its three most popular teams. We haven’t seen one since the Lions won the Grey Cup in 2011.
The Whitecaps won the NASL Soccer Bowl 47 years ago, but have never won a league championship in MLS. And the Canucks have never won a Stanley Cup in their 56-year history.
Is this the year Nathan Rourke leads the Lions to a championship? (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
The Lions will get the first shot at ending the drought. They play on the road against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PCT. The Grey Cup is scheduled for Nov. 15 in Calgary.
The Whitecaps will enter the MLS Cup Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, meaning they’ll get home-field advantage until the MLS Cup Final, should they make it that far. Their first playoff game will take place Nov. 22 at BC Place, with the opponent yet to be determined. The MLS Cup Final is scheduled for Dec. 18.