EXPRESS JANUARY 10TH TRADES

The Coquitlam Express were very busy Thursday leading up to the BCHL trade deadline which officially came at 8PM.

The Express made a number of moves that saw three significant pieces of their roster moved on to other clubs.

And the Express brought in 4 players that can help them now along with a number of future considerations that can help them going forward for the rest of this season and beyond.

Here's what went down yesterday.

The Express traded 20 year old veteran and leading scorer John Siemer to the Penticton Vees in exchange for future considerations. The Glendora California native was second among BCHL scorers at the time of the trade with 20 goals and 49 points in 37 games this season.

The dazzling forward with some of the best hands I've ever seen in the BCHL scored 48 goals and 60 assists for 108 points in 87 career games spanning two seasons with the Express. Earlier this season he secured a scholarship to Northern Michigan University for next season.

Captain Mitch Nardi was traded to the West Kelowna Warriors in exchange for future considerations. Nardi was given the captaincy prior to this season assuming the role from graduating forward Alex Petan.

The Hamilton Ontario native spent two seasons with the Express. He scored 19 goals and 50 assists for 69 points in 91 career games with the Express. It was a struggle for Mitch to find his offensive touch this season scoring just 5 goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 35 games.

Prior to the season Nardi secured a scholarship to Lake Superior University for next season.

And the Express traded forward Phil Zielonka to the Chilliwack Chiefs in exchange for defenceman Ben Isreal (94), forward Garrett Forster (95) and future considerations.

Zielonka joined the Express mid-season from the Omaha Lancers of the USHL in October. After getting his feet wet in the BCHL and not registering a point in his first game with Express, Zielonka went on a tear scoring 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points in 24 games. In those 24 games he dressed for the Express, Zielonka didn't register a point in only two of those contests. For a player that didn't spend a lot of time in an Express uniform, his impact will always be remembered. He will be attending Harvard University next fall.

Defenceman Ben Israel is in his first season in the BCHL. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native scored 2 goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 30 games with the Chilliwack Chiefs this season. He's listed at 5'10, 180 pounds.

Forward Garrett Forster is in his second season in the BCHL. This season the Delta, BC native had 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points in Chilliwack. Last season he registered 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 53 games.

20 year old forward Lars Hepso was acquired by the Express from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs in exchange for future considerations. The 6 foot Penticton native has 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points in 34 games this season with Alberni Valley. In September, Hepso earned a BCHL player of the week honor. He's a 3 year veteran of the BCHL with 34 goals and 30 assists for 64 points in 138 career games all with Alberni Valley.

The Express have also added 19 year old forward Adam Rossignol. The 6 foot 184 pound Surrey native has  175 career games of WHL experience with the Kootenay Ice, Swift Current Broncos and Regina Pats. This season in Regina he had 9 goals and 5 assists for 14 points in 44 games.

The Express would like to thank Mitch, Phil and John for their contributions to the Express. And wish them the best of luck with their new clubs this year and next year in college and beyond.

And they would like to welcome Ben, Garrett, Lars and Adam to the club. 

JON CALVANO SHOW

On this week's edition of the Jon Calvano show we talk extensively about the moves that the Express made at the BCHL trading deadline on January 10th. We discuss what's coming to the Express. The impact the trades have on leadership going forward. And we look at how this team will maintain it's focus on trying to secure a playoff spot.

EAGLES SECOND HALF PUSH TAKES CARE OF EXPRESS

6 goals in the final 30 minutes was more than enough for the Surrey Eagles as they improved to 5-0 vs. the Express this season with a 6-2 win Wednesday night.

The Eagles got balanced scoring on this night as they got goals from 6 different skaters.

The first half of the game was prominent especially for the goaltenders Cole Huggins and Michael Santaguida.

Santaguida sent an early message that he was going to be on his game on this night. He took what looked like Sam Majka's first BCHL goal away from him as he snapped a feed on an odd man rush. Majka appeared to have a gaping net to put the feed in. But Santaguida dove to his right and made the best save either goaltender would make on this night.

Cole Huggins certainly had his moments in the first period. Making a number of quick pad stops. And stopping Trevor Cameron on a breakaway.

It took until the midway mark of the second period for the first goal of the night. Michael Stenerson found a loose puck in a scramble in front of the Express net and snapped it home.

Just under 4 minutes later the Eagles struck again. Brady Shaw scored his first goal against his old team as he snapped home a wrist shot from the right side low to the stick side on the powerplay past Huggins.

37 seconds later the Eagles struck again as Mason Blacklock finished off an odd man rush re-directing a pass home.

Craig Wyzomirski's backhand goal in the third period put the Eagles up 4.

John Siemer got the Express on the board on a set up from Phil Zielonka. It was the first goal in over 6 periods against Eagles goaltender Michael Santaguida.

Brett Mulcahy re-stored Surrey's 4 goal lead beating Huggins with a shot from the right side post and in.

Siemer and Zielonka teamed up again for the second goal of the night for the Express as Siemer zipped it across to Zielonka who snapped it home on the powerplay.

Dan O'Keefe rounded out the scoring with his first BCHL goal on the powerplay in the final minute of the third period blasting home a one timer past Huggins.

With this setback, the Express remain 3 points back of Langley for the final playoff spot in the Mainland division. And the Express have lost 8 of their last 9 games.

They will try to get back into the win column Friday night when the Express host Merritt.

LEONE SIGNS WITH GIANTS

16 year old forward Luca Leone has left the Coquitlam Express and signed with the WHL's Vancouver Giants.

The Vancouver native was in his first season of junior hockey. He had 4 goals and 2 assists in 29 games with the Express this season.

Vancouver Giants GM Scott Bonnor was spotted in the rink Sunday for the Express game vs. the Surrey Eagles.

The signing of Leone is the latest piece added by the Giants who are in the middle of a massive re-building project.

He will make his WHL debut for the Giants during their upcoming Alberta road trip.

The Express would like to wish Luca the best of luck in the future.

RETURN OF JON CALVANO SHOW

In the first edition of the Jon Calvano show of 2013, we breakdown Cole Huggins' strong game in the 2-0 loss to Surrey on Sunday. We talk about the impact the return of Marc Biega and Cameron Marks will have on the backend for the Express. Beau Orser is no longer with the Express and the coach explains why. The Vancouver Northwest Giants are Macs tournament champs, and the coach of the winning team in 2009 talks about the 2013 Giants. And we look ahead to a month of January which will be a good test for the Express. 

NW GIANTS MACS TOURNAMENT CHAMPS

(Eric Margo celebrates a goal in the Macs final)

Photo courtesy of Calgary Herald:

The Vancouver Northwest Giants of the BC Major Midget League are champions of the Macs AAA Midget tournament for the second time in four years.

They won the one of the biggest Midget tournaments with a 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Junior Hurricanes.

Winning on Saddledome ice capped off a perfect week for the Giants which saw them go a perfect 7-0.

The game was dramatic all game long that went down to the wire. Carolina held a 2-1 lead in the final minute of the third period. With just 12 seconds left on the clock Brandon Del Grosso scored sending the game to overtime.

It was still undecided after a 10 minute overtime. Then at the 14 minute mark of the second overtime Jackson Cressey scored the tournament winning goal. Anthony Conti scored for the Giants in the first period.

A number players on the Giants roster have dressed as Affiliate Players for the Express this season. Eric Margo who has dressed for 5 games and has 2 assists with the big club this season, Anthony Conti who has played 3 games for the Express this season, Jackson Cressey who has played 2 games for the Express this season. Alexander Kerfoot's younger brother Colton also plays for the Giants.

Eric Margo was named to the tournament's second all star team.

Click here for more on the Giants win

Express Head Coach and General Manager Jon Calvano coached the Giants before coming to the Express in the spring of 2010. He guided the Giants to a Macs tournament championship in 2009. That win came after the Giants came knocking on the door losing in the final the previous two years.

Congratulations.

LOOKING AHEAD TO JANUARY

I was taking a look at the schedule for the Express in the month of January. And it looks like the Express have a pretty good test ahead of them. 

They have 9 games this month, and 8 of them are against teams that have a winning record this season. The only exception being on January 18th when the Express host Langley who are only 1 game below .500.

Here's what the Express have this month.

4 of the games are on home ice and 5 of them are away from home. 

6 of the 9 games are vs. Mainland division opponents with 4 of them on the road and 2 at home. 

Here's the break down of the opponents.

Prince George (3) - Jan. 12 @ Coquitlam, Jan. 26 & 27 @ Prince George.

Merritt (2) -  Jan. 11 @ Coquitlam, Jan. 19 @ Merritt

Surrey - (1) - Jan. 9 @ Surrey

Langley - (1) - Jan. 18 @ Langley

Chilliwack - (1) - Jan. 4 @ Chilliwack

Penticton - (1) - Jan. 20 @ Coquitlam

One of the unique quirks of the schedule comes on the weekend of the 18th-20th.

Friday the 18th the Express are in Langley, then hit the road to face Merritt on the 19th, then come home to host Penticton on the 20th at 2pm.

Entering the month 7 points back of Prince George, the three games vs. the Spruce Kings this season will go a long way to deciding whether or not they will catch their northern rivals this season. 

And the one game with Langley on January 18th will be huge for the two clubs battling for fourth place in the Mainland division.