THE OFFICIAL HOME OF
THE CUTTING EDGES-
VANCOUVER'S LGBTQ+
HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
ABOUT US
Mission
Provide and promote a safe, friendly and fun environment for LGBTQ+ hockey players and any other hockey players wishing to participate.
Provide and promote positive exposure of the LGBTQ+ community within the wider society.
Provide and promote a sense of self-esteem and well-being among LGBTQ+ hockey players through fair play and skill development.
Our secondary purposes as a society are to:
Raise funds to assist in carrying out the above purposes by asking for financial assistance from corporations, businesses and individuals in order to organize business activities under the Society Act and permitted by a charitable organization under the Income Tax Act.
Contribute a portion of funds raised to other non-profit or charitable groups in the LGBTQ+ community. Organize social activities for members and supporters.
At the time, it seemed like a crazy idea: form a gay hockey team in Vancouver to compete in the 1994 Gay Games in New York. So how do you find gay hockey players?
Starting from scratch in late 1993/early 1994 meant putting up notices at the West End Community Centre and at Little Sisters' Bookstore. It meant phoning friends, and friends of friends, some of whom hadn't played in years, to persuade them to come out and play. It meant having to 'come out of the closet' twice: first, as a hockey player in the gay community and secondly, as a gay athlete among hockey players.
A sizable number of the former considered hockey to be such a bastion of heterosexism and homophobia that no self-respecting queer would be caught dead playing the sport. The latter were convinced that no homo could possibly play such a man's sport. At least, that's the way it seemed in 1994.
Despite the odds, we managed to pull together a team of eight players to participate in Unity '94: Gay Games IV and Cultural Festival. During a mid-June heat wave in New York City, The Cutting Edges boarded the subway and travelled south to play in a rink on Coney Island, about 100 metres away from the famous parachute drop. In five games, the vastly outnumbered Cutting Edges managed to tie once.
All four losses were by relatively close scores. Oh yeah: we also had a great time. So great that we knew we had to keep things going by playing in a regular league. After returning from New York, we signed up for the 1994-95 season at the University of British Columbia's rec league at Thunderbird Rink--then played every season there after that until the COVID-19 pandemic, returning briefly before moving to the Scotia Barn (Eight Rinks) in 2022-23.
The Cutting Edges became a registered society on March 10, 1998.
There is lots to learn about us.. just ask!
