EXPRESS ALUMS IN NHL TRANSACTIONS

Two Express alumni are among NHL transactions Thursday.

David Jones was traded along with defenceman Shane O'Brien to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for veteran forward Alex Tanguay who returns to Colorado, and defenceman Cory Sarich.

“This trade adds needed size up front and grit on the back end while also allowing us to get younger.” said Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. “We like the fact that Jones plays a north-south game, drives hard to the net, kills penalties and is a right hand shot. O’Brien is a hard guy to play against, knows how to get under the skin of the opposition and stands up for his teammates. We are pleased to add both of these players to our organization.”

Jones was an original member of the Express in 2001, and played with the club for 3 seasons before moving on to Dartmouth University.

He was the second player from the Express drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 2003 in the 9th round 288th overall. Brett Hemingway was selected in the 7th round 225th overall.

The North Vancouver native played parts of 6 seasons with the Avalanche scoring 70 goals and 126 points in 272 career games.

Brodie Reid has been re-signed by the San Jose Sharks to a 1 year deal.

The Delta  native dressed for the Express when the franchise was based in Burnaby for the 2007-08 season and part of the 2008-09 season before being traded to the Penticton Vees.

Reid lit up the BCHL finishing 2nd in the league in goals with 52 in the 07-08 season. A mark that is the second most goals in a season by an Express player.

He has spent the last two seasons with the Sharks AHL affiliate the Worcester Sharks registering 20 goals and 46 points in 100 career AHL games. 

HENNIG RE-ACQUIRED

The Coquitlam Express have re-acquired forward Jace Hennig from the Prince George Spruce Kings in exchange for forward Brent Lashuk.


The trade re-unites Hennig a Coquitlam native, with the team that originally brought him to the BCHL. He played parts of the past two seasons with the Express. In 45 career games with the Express the 18 year old forward scored 4 goals and 12 assists for 16 points. He was traded by the Express to the Prince George Spruce Kings along with defenceman Mark Begert in exchange for 20 year old defenceman Brad Ryan in November 2012. In 27 games with Prince George he had 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points.

Lashuk's rights along with defenceman Matthew Berry-Lamontagna were acquired by the Express as future considerations in the January 10th deal that saw the Express send captain Mitch Nardi to the West Kelowna.

This coming season Hennig will have the opportunity to be a key offensive forward for the Coquitlam Express in the top 6 group. The opportunity is there to fit in along with Adam Rossignol, Adam Rockwood Micheal Rebry and Nicolas Beaudin.

Hennig is committed to the University of Merrimack for the fall of 2014.

Welcome back to the Express Jace.

EXPRESS 2013-14 SCHEDULE

Click here to see 2013-14 Express schedule

The full 2013-14 schedule for the Coquitlam Express has been released by the BCHL. It will be a 58 game season which is an increase of two games from last season that saw the Express play 56 games.

Their season starts in Chilliwack on September 6th vs. the Merritt Centennials. Then they will play Sunday the 8th at 11am vs. the Alberni Valley Bulldogs as part of the second annual BCHL showcase.

The Express will then play a pair of road games vs. Mainland division rivals the defending Fred Page Cup champions and RBC Cup semi finalists the Surrey Eagles on Sunday September 15th. Then they will be at the Langley Events Centre on Friday September 20th to face the Langley Rivermen. It will be the first game that former Express Head Coach Jon Calvano who is now an assistant GM and Coach with the Rivermen will face his former squad.

The Express will play their home opener the next night in the second of a home and home with the Langley Rivermen on Saturday September 21st. That is part of a 4 game home stand for the Express. All vs. Mainland division rivals Langley, Prince George (2), Chilliwack.

At first glace of the schedule what stands out for me is the amount of home games the Express will play up until January 24th.

Following the two games to open the season at the BCHL showcase in Chilliwack (1 home, 1 away), then the two road games in Surrey and Langley, the Express will play 19 of their next 31 games on home ice. Up until and including January 24th, the Express will play a total of 24 of 41 games on home ice. That's all but 3 of the Express total home games used up in the first 45 games of the season.

That means the Express have to make up their remaining road games in the final stretch of the season.

Starting Saturday January 25th in Prince George, the Express will play 8 consecutive games on the road.

Among those 8 games away from the Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre, the Express will play a pair of two game sets in Prince George January 25-26, then come back to the lower mainland for one game in Surrey Wednesday January 29th, then head right back up to Prince George for games Saturday January 31st and Sunday February 1st.

The following weekend the Express will head to Powell River, Victoria and Cowichan Valley for a 3 game swing through the Island division.

To end the season the Express will play 3 of their final 5 games on home ice wrapping up the regular season schedule with a home and home with the Chilliwack Chiefs February 28th in Coquitlam and March 1st in Chilliwack.

As we learned in the 2012-13 season, the record within the division is key for any team to have success and compete for a playoff spot. This season the Express will play 34 of 58 games against Mainland division foes. The start of the season is very heavy with games vs. Mainland division opponents following the BCHL showcase where they play 9 in a row and 10 of their next 11 vs. division rivals.

Here's a break down of the schedule by the numbers:

58 games (34 home, 34 away) *That includes 1 home game and 1 road game at the BCHL showcase September 6th and 8th in Chilliwack.

34 games vs. Mainland division opponents. 9 vs. Surrey and Prince George, 8 vs. Langley and Chilliwack.

13 games vs. Interior Conference opponents. (1 home, 1 away) *The Express will play 3 games vs. the Merritt Centennials including September 6th at the BCHL Showcase.

11 games vs. Island division opponents. (1 home, 1 away) *The Express will play 3 games vs. the Alberni Valley Bulldogs including September 8 vs. the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at the BCHL showcase.

6 times this season the Express will play 3 games in 3 nights. Only once will they play 3 games in consecutive nights on the road and that's February 7-9 in Powell River, Victoria and Cowichan Valley. The weekend of February 24-26 the Express will play at home on Friday night vs. Merritt, then head up to Prince George for a pair of games.

EXPRESS INVOLVED IN MULTI TEAM TRADE

The Coquitlam Express are involved in a trade that involves the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL), Victoria Grizzlies and Penticton Vees.

Defenseman Chris Rygus had his rights traded to Victoria from Fort McMurrary, then Victoria traded Rygus to the Express who sent goaltender Nic Renyard to the Grizzlies. Rygus was then traded to the Penticton Vees by the Express in exchange for future considerations.

The Express recently acquired the rights to Nic Renyard as part of the future considerations in the trade that sent John Siemer to the Vees on January 10th. 

EXPRESS SCHEDULE AT BAUER BCHL SHOWCASE

Mark September 6th and 8th on the calendar. Those are the dates the Express will begin their 13th BCHL season at the second annual BCHL showcase to be played in Chilliwack.

The season will begin on Friday September 6th vs. the Merritt Centennials at 4pm in the Main rink. Ironically the Express opened the season last year at the same time in the same rink vs. the Victoria Grizzlies. A 1-0 OT Express win. 

Their second game will also be played in the Main rink on Sunday September 8th vs. the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at 11am.

See the full press release and full showcase schedule below:

The BCHL has finalized the schedule for September's Bauer BCHL Showcase, being hosted for the second consecutive year at Chilliwack's Prospera Centre.

The Showcase schedule was an item on the recent BCHL annual general meeting last week in Richmond. 

Each club will play two games at the event that count towards the regular season standings. Last year at the inaugural Showcase, there were close to 200 scouts from the college and professional ranks taking in the action.

The 2013 event runs from Friday, Sept. 6 to Sunday, Sept. 8. Games will be split between Prospera Centre's main and secondary sheets of ice.

Bauer Showcase Schedule (home team listed second in each matchup):

Friday, Sept. 6:

3:30 p.m. - Secondary Rink - Penticton Vees vs. Victoria Grizzlies

4:00 p.m. - Main Rink - Merritt Centennials vs. Coquitlam Express

7:00 p.m. - Secondary Rink - Trail Smoke Eaters vs. Langley Rivermen

7:30 p.m. - Main Rink - Surrey Eagles vs. West Kelowna Warriors

Saturday, Sept. 7:

11:30 a.m. - Secondary Rink - Vernon Vipers vs. Surrey Eagles

12:00 p.m. - Main Rink - Victoria Grizzlies vs. Salmon Arm SilverBacks

3:00 p.m. - Secondary Rink - West Kelowna Warriors vs. Nanaimo Clippers

3:30 p.m. - Main Rink - Alberni Valley Bulldogs vs. Penticton Vees

6:30 p.m. - Secondary Rink - Prince George Spruce Kings vs. Cowichan Valley Capitals

7:00 p.m. - Main Rink - Powell River Kings vs. Chilliwack Chiefs

Sunday, Sept. 8:

10:30 a.m. - Secondary Rink - Salmon Arm SilverBacks vs. Powell River Kings

11:00 a.m. - Main Rink - Coquitlam Express vs. Alberni Valley Bulldogs

2:00 p.m. - Secondary Rink - Nanaimo Clippers vs. Prince George Spruce Kings

2:30 p.m. - Main Rink - Cowichan Valley Capitals vs. Trail Smoke Eaters

5:30 p.m. - Secondary Rink - Langley Rivermen vs. Merritt Centennials

6:00 p.m. - Main Rink - Chilliwack Chiefs. vs. Vernon Vipers

LUCIC TO PLAY FOR CUP... AGAIN.

For the second time in three seasons former Express Milan Lucic will play for the Stanley Cup.

His Boston Bruins advanced to the Stanley Cup final following a 1-0 win in game four of the Eastern Conference final which completed a 4 game sweep over the top seeded Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Bruins will play either the Chicago Blackhawks or Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup final.  The Hawks currently lead the defending cup champs 3-1 in the Western Conference final.

Lucic a Vancouver native won his first Stanley Cup in 2011 when the Bruins defeated his home town Vancouver Canucks in 7 games lifiting hockeys holy grail on Vancouver ice.

Lucic played 50 games for the Express during the 2004-05 season registering 23 points.

In the 2013 playoffs Lucic has 3 goals and 10 assists in 16 games.

If the Bruins win the cup, it will be a 4th Stanley Cup won by an Express alumni.  Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd has two cup rings with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.