A decade in sport is an eternity in the real world. Using past events and acknowledging recurring trends, it is possible to make an estimated guess of what the future may yield. Trends influence the way fans predict sports, like the Presidents’ Trophy winner in the NHL rarely winning the Stanley Cup or the team LeBron James signs with becomes immediate championship contenders. Noticing obscure tendencies can help analyze and forecast the future of sport. We accumulated our best predictions, estimations and hopes for what will happen in a decade from now in The Eyeopener’s official 2033 Sports Almanac.
Jan. 29, 2033
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announces a Canadian expansion bringing a basketball team to Toronto. The team will begin its inaugural season in 2034-35. An expansion draft will take place in January of 2034, four months before the start of the season. Toronto has yet to announce a formal team name, however, WNBA hall-of-famer Candice Parker will serve as the first head coach in franchise history.
Feb. 13, 2033
Tom Brady wins his ninth Super Bowl and third in five years since unretiring in 2028. Brady’s San Francisco 49ers defeated the Buffalo Bills 7-3 in Super Bowl LXIII. The 7-3 score is the lowest in Super Bowl history, beating the previous 13-3 record also held by the Brady led New England Patriots. Brady threw for 235 yards with one interception while defensive end Nick Bosa wins Super Bowl MVP.
June 7, 2033
Arizona Coyotes centre Auston Matthews caps off a tremendous season, leading his team to their first Stanley Cup win in history. The Coyotes win the Stanley Cup in six games and celebrated in front of all 5,000 fans at their shared home rink with Arizona State University. Matthews takes home the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the postseason. After signing with the Coyotes in the summer of 2024, he finally fulfills his promise to his home state. Matthews’ former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, have yet to make it past the first round since 2003, exactly 30 years ago.
June 15, 2033
LeBron James Jr., son and former teammate of LeBron James, wins his first NBA championship and Finals MVP with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Infamous sports commentator Skip Bayless expresses how he feels Bronny James ran from the free-throw line late in game six of the NBA finals, taking after his father. Blasphemous critiques aside, Bronny James is living up to his fathers reputation, averaging 27.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in the NBA finals. The Cavaliers defeat Damian Lillard, who would rather stay loyal than win a championship, and his Portland Trailblazers in six games.
Aug. 2, 2033
U Sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reach an agreement combining the two distinguished organizations. The new deal will result in transfers between Canadian and American post-secondary athletic programs, a combining of conferences to increase cross-border play and variations to the formatting of esteemed NCAA tournaments, such as March Madness. The athletes will still not get paid by the organization as the fight for collegiate pay has been stifled.
Oct. 31, 2033
The National Hockey League (NHL) and the International Ice Hockey Federation announce that NHL players will return to the Olympic stage. After a 19-year hiatus, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes will make their long-awaited Olympic debut in Calgary at the 2034 Winter Olympics. This is subject to change due to ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations with the NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association, potentially preventing a happy ending to this story.