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. “That’s when we started hearing from some people asking, ‘When are you guys going host a tournament so we can all come and see Vancouver?’ 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.”