It didn't take The Cutting Edges long to learn that relaunching its LGBTQ+ hockey tournament in Vancouver after an eight-year absence was the right move.
The organization sold out the 2026 Pacific Cup tournament within 22 hours, Cutting Edges president Kyle McCarthy said, and slots for goalies were gone in the first 10 minutes.
"We had a member who felt that there's an appetite out there," McCarthy said. "And sure enough, there was.
More than 128 players, some coming from as far as France and Nicaragua, will compete on eight teams in two divisions at the tournament, which runs July 31 and Aug. 1 at Scotia Barn in Burnaby, British Columbia, about eight miles from Vancouver.
It will be a weekend of hockey and partying with a purpose when the Pacific Cup coincides with the annual Vancouver Pride festivities highlighted by the Vancouver Pride Parade on Aug. 2.
"Our tournament games are on Friday and Saturday, and we've done that so we as an organization still participate in the parade on Sunday," McCarthy said. "We've invited tournament members to come and participate as well. We're encouraging them to wear their home jerseys because we think it's a really unique opportunity that can showcase kind of the queer hockey community around the world.
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McCarthy credits the growing interest in the Pacific Cup, formerly called the Vancouver Pride Cup, to the success of the 2026 NHL Unites Pride Cup that was held in Surrey, British Columbia, in February.
The two-day event provided a showcase for Cutting Edges and the Seattle Pride Hockey Association, the leading LGBTQ+ hockey associations in the Pacific Northwest. It featured an interactive fan zone that included a sign-making station, photo booth and temporary tattoos, and appearances on and off the ice from former NHL players including Andrew Ference, Bill Ranford, Corey Hirsch, Dave Tomlinson, Dave Babych and Jyrki Lumme.
"I mean, Pride Cup was a big spark for us," McCarthy said. Everybody who played there wanted more. Everybody who got to watch it wanted more.
And folks from around the queer hockey community all were reaching out wanting to be part of something in Vancouver.
McCarthy also gives stick taps the popularity of"Heated Rivalry," a hockey themed television series that features gay characters, for sparking interest in the tournament and The Cutting Edges.
"It's a pretty special time in the queer audience because'Heated Rivalry' obviously has had a big impact," he said. "If you look at our organization, we're going from three teams when I joined in 2023 to four teams the following year, and this coming season we're up to six teams. A lot of that comes from the awareness around queer hockey right now.
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The Cutting Edges was founded by Vancouver journalists Daniel Gawthrop and Kevin Griffin in 1994 ahead of the international Gay Games IV in New York City.
With too few openly gay players in the Vancouver area to form a league of their own, The Cutting Edges began playing straight teams, a tradition that continues today.
"We play against the everyday beer league team, which is a little bit different than some of the other queer (hockey) organizations do," McCarthy said. "One of the things I find that's powerful is the visibility that we get to have in the community. We get to have these pretty meaningful experiences.
We had a captain of a team that played and moved into our division, and after a game, he made a point of coming over to our dressing room to thank us for being out there, being visible and being ourselves. It meant a lot to him as a parent.
McCarthy said support and recognition for The Cutting Edges by the NHL means a lot. The organization and Seattle Pride Hockey Association each received a $25,000 donation during the NHL Unites Pride Cup in support of their continued community impact.
"Creating a stronger game starts with strengthening the communities that make hockey welcoming and accessible to everyone," NHL senior executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives and legislative affairs Kim Davis said. "The Vancouver Cutting Edges were instrumental in the success of the 2026 NHL Unites Pride Cup, and their passion for building community left a lasting impression on all of us.
We are honored to support their efforts to bring this tournament back and continue creating spaces where every player can feel they belong.