EXPRESS ACQUIRE WESTGARD AND WHITE FROM EAGLES

The Coquitlam Express made a big trade one day prior to the BCHL trade deadline acquiring forwards Ty Westgard and Aaron White in exchange for forward Cole Edgerton and future considerations.

Westgard is the marquee name in this trade as a 20 year old veteran and 5th year player in the BCHL.

The Surrey native's production has taken a big jump dating back to last season. In 82 games dating back to last season Westgard has 25 goals and 79 assists for 104 points. This season he has 10 goals and 24 assists for 24 points in 26 games. Those number are still tops on the Surrey Eagles this season.

Last season Westgard teamed up with John Wesley for one the more explosive offensive duos in the BCHL. His 55 assists were the second most in the BCHL. His 70 points finished tied for 2nd in BCHL scoring.

In 160 career BCHL games all with Surrey, Westgard has 43 goals and 116 assists for 159 points. He also spent time in the WHL with Victoria and Portland with 1 goal and 3 assists in 28 games.

Aaron White has split this season with Surrey in the BCHL and Madison and Omaha in the USHL.

This season in Surrey the Sylvania, Michigan native had 3 goals in 10 games All three goals coming in a 7-6 loss in Merritt in early September. In the USHL White had 1 goal and 5 assists in 21 games. Last season in Surrey, White 13 goals and 11 assists for 24 points in 43 games.

Both Westgard and White are entering the Express room to some familiar faces playing last season with forward Chase Danol. White was also a teammate in the 16-17 season with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U18 program with Danol and Josh Wildauer.

Edgerton dressed for 30 games with the Express this season with 3 goals and 7 assists. 

EXPRESS ACQUIRE STACK

The January 10th trading deadline has come and gone. The Express made two moves leading up to the deadline.

They have traded 20 year old defenseman Oliver Lester to the Prince George Spruce Kings in exchange for 2000 born forward Ryan Stack and future considerations.

The West Vancouver native is at listed at 5'8, 165lbs. He's in his first full season of junior hockey. In 25 games this season in Prince George he has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points. He also dressed for 9 games last season with Prince George and was productive with 3 assists. Prior to the Spruce Kings, Stack is a product of the Burnaby Winter Club. Last season he had 20 goals and 36 points in 26 games.

Lester was acquired by the Express back in November from the Atlanta Capitals of the NA3HL. He only dressed for 7 games with the club and didn't tally a point. He suffered an ankle injury in his second shift in his first game with the team in Surrey on November 10th. That injury forced him to miss more than a month. Prince George will be the 8th junior team in the career of Oliver Lester.

In another move, the Express moved the rights to 20 year old listed defenseman Ty Schultz to the Surrey Eagles in exchange for future considerations. 

EXPRESS ACQUIRE NEWSOME

Express acquired Mitch Newsome from Salmon Arm - Photo courtesy of Damon James.

The Coquitlam Express added to their forward depth at the trade deadline Sunday.

They acquired Mitch Newsome (97) from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in exchange for future considerations.  The Surrey native has split this season with the Silverbacks and the Langley Rivermen. He has 3 goals and 8 assists in 34 games this season. He played his first full season in the BCHL last year with the Penticton Vees.

In 85 career BCHL games Newsome has 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points. He also added 1 goal and 1 assist last year as the Vees won Fred Page Cup. At the Western Canada Cup in Fort McMurray he chipped in with a goal.

Newsome comes to the Express with a commitment to Michigan Tech for the fall of 2016.

Welcome to the Express Mitch.

Mitch Newsome (left) celebrates a goal - Photo courtesy of Garrett James

PINCHUK TRADED TO CANMORE

J. Pinchuk traded to Canmore Eagles (AJHL) - Photo courtesy of Damon James.

The Coquitlam Express have traded defenseman Jarrell Pinchuk (97) to the Camore Eagles (AJHL) for future considerations.

The Fort Saskatchewan Alberta native had 5 goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 37 games for the Express this season. He was acquired by the Express in the off-season from the Drumheller Dragons of the AJHL.




The Express would like to thank Jarrell for his contributions to the Express this season and wish him all the best in Canmore.

The BCHL trade deadline is Sunday January 10.

VEES TOO MUCH FOR EXPRESS

The BCHL's best team were too much for the Express to handle for the full 60 minutes in a 4-1 Penticton win Friday night.

The win completed a two game sweep of a home and home between the two teams. Penticton took the opener 5-2 in the South Okanagan Wednesday.

Right from the drop of the puck the Vees were too much for the Express to handle. Their speed and control of the play all night was the story of the game.

The Vees got off to a better start than they did the night before. They opened the scoring litte more than six minutes into the game when Chris Tai had trouble covering up the puck in the crease and Jack Ramsay pounced on the gaffe and poked the loose puck lying in the blue paint.

Before the first period was half over the Vees already had a 14-1 advantage in shots. They finished the night with 53 which sets a new season high for most shots allowed in a game for the Express. The previous mark was 51.

Penticton added two more goals in the second half of the first period on blasts from Gabe Bast and Lewis Zerter-Gossage on the powerplay for a 3-0 Vees lead heading to the second period.

Chris Tai was tickted with the loss, but were it not for his stellar play especially in the final two periods the score would have been more lopsided. He stopped 31 of the 32 shots sent his way in the final two periods. Including all 18 sent his way in the second period.

Tyson Jost scored the Vees fourth goal of the night three minutes into the third period.

Brett Supinski broke Hunter Miska's bid for his 5th shutout of the season midway through the third period set up by Corey Mackin and Austin Anselmo. That goal was the lone set back on a relatively easy night for Miska who faced just 21 Express shots. That number matches a season low for shots on goal for the Express this season.

The busy week of four games in five nights for the Express resumes Saturday in Nanaimo then heading down to the Island to Victoria on Sunday afternoon.

Defenceman Taylor Green (95) made his Express debut Friday night. He was acquired by the Express from Nanaimo in exchange for future considerations. The 6'7 blueliner comes to the Express with 144 career games of WHL experience with Seattle, Brandon and Moose Jaw. He played 7 games with Nanaimo this season picking up one assist.

The BCHL trade deadline is Saturday night at 6pm for trades outside the BCHL and 8pm for deals within the BCHL.