EXPRESS BLANKED IN EXHIBITION OPENER

The final score was one sided for the Langley Rivermen 12-0 in the exhibition opener for the Express at the Langley Events Centre.

First and foremost when trying to find a reason for the score being what it was, Langley dressed a veteran laden lineup with 8 returning players while the Express went with an all rookie lineup.

Langley dressed a full compliment of six 20 year olds.

Ben Butcher had a hat-trick for Langley. The shots finished 55-26 for the Rivermen.

This game was about player evaluation for the Express. Barry Wolff got an opportunity to evaluate the players that hit the ice against legitimate BCHL competition. Once the score got lopsided a players willingness to battle and keep pressing hard as the score got more and more one sided is what will catch the coach's attention.

Nic Bruyere got the start in the Express crease. He played the first half looking solid turning aside 26 of 29 shots sent his way.

The teams will meet again in the second game of the pre-season for the Express on Saturday night at the Port Coquitlam Recreation Centre.

Hear from Express Head Coach Barry Wolff following the game with his thoughts on training camp so far and being named to the Team Canada West coaching staff.

WOLFF NAMED TO TEAM CANADA WEST STAFF

Wolff as part of the 2010 Team Canada West Staff in Penticton.

Coquitlam Express GM and Head Coach Barry Wolff has been named an assistant coach for Team Canada West for the 2015 World Junior A Challenge this coming December in Whitby and Cobourg Ontario. Click here for Hockey Canada press release

This will be the second time the veteran bench boss will be a part of the Team Canada West coaching staff. He was also an assistant at the 2010 event in Penticton. Barry also volunteered his time last year to help former Merritt Centennials Head Coach Luke Pierce at the selection camp for Team Canada West.

Before Barry begins to work on his Team Canada West responsibilities he is busy with the Express training camp. They will begin their exhibition schedule Thursday evening on the road at the Langley Events Centre to take on the Rivermen at 5pm. The Express will host the Rivermen Saturday night in Coquitlam.

Congratulations Barry.

LAMONT COMMITS TO SFU

Veteran forward Brendan Lamont has committed to SFU for this coming season.

The 21 year old Langley native completed a 4 year BCHL career dressing for 240 games with the Merritt Centennials, Trail Smoke Eaters, Penticton Vees and playing the final season and a half of his career with the Express. He tallied 45 goals and 78 assists for 133 career BCHL points. He added another 13 points in 38 career playoff games. He also had 1 goal at the 2014 Western Canada Cup in Dauphin Manitoba with the Express.

Lamont was acquired by the Express in January 2014 from the Penticton Vees. He would enjoy some of the most memorable moments of his career in Express colors. He won the Fred Page cup with the Express in 2014. His final season in the BCHL would be his most productive with a career high 25 goals and 63 points while dressing for all 58 games.

His gritty, and honest hard working style made Brendan a well respected player in the locker and on the ice both from his teammates and opponents.

Brendan will see a familiar face when he walks into the locker room as his Express teammate from this past season Dustin Cave committed to SFU earlier this off-season.

Click here for SFU Press release

GAME VS. WILD @ BWC HIGHLIGHTS EXPRESS EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

THE COQUITLAM EXPRESS OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA HOCKEY LEAGUE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUCE THEY WILL BE HAVING AN EXHIBITION GAME SEPTEMBER 3 2015 vs THE WENATCHEE WILD AT THE BURNABY WINTER CLUB,  4990 CANADA WAY, BURNABY B.C.  FACE OFF  at 7:11pm 

ALL BURNABY WINTER CLUB MEMBERS WILL BE ADMITTED FREE TO THE GAME IF THEY ARE WEARING THEIR HOCKEY JERSEY AND BRING A NON PARISHABLE FOOD TO THE TICKET GATE. 

ALL OTHERS WILL BE ADMITTED FOR $5.

THE WENATCHEE WILD ARE ENTERING THE BCHL FOR THEIR FIRST SEASON, AND ARE THE 17^th TEAM TO JOIN THE BCHL AND THE FIRST U.S. BASED TEAM SINCE THE BELLINGHAM ICE HAWKS WHO OPERATED FROM 1990-1995.

THE WILD WHO PLAYED FOR THE PREVIOUS SEVEN SEASONS IN THE NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE HAD A WINNING RECORD EVERY YEAR. THEY WILL BE IN THE BCHL MAINLAND DIVISION WITH THE EXPRESS.

EXPRESS HEAD COACH-GENERAL MANAGER  BARRY WOLFF SAYS, "THE REASON WE WANTED TO HAVE A GAME AT THE BWC IS TO PROMOTE OUR LEAGUE AND SHOWCASE THE TALENT LEVEL, THE EXPRESS ARE THE COMMUNITY’S TEAM. AND EVEN THOUGH WE PLAY OUR REGULAR SEASON HOME GAMES AT THE POIRIER SPORTS COMPLEX, WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO ALL SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, ALL SHOULD FEEL PART OF OUR TEAM. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO PLAY A GAME AT BWC AND THANK THE BWC FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS."

THE BCHL HAD 37 ALUMNI PLAY IN THE NHL THIS PAST SEASON

2014-15 SEASON 109 BCHL PLAYERS RECEIVED NCAA DIVISION ONE SCHOLARSHIPS

THE COQUITLAM EXPRES OPEN 2015 TRAINING CAMP AUGUST 24 AT THE POIRER SPORTS COMPLEX.

FULL 2015 EXPRESS EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

AUGUST 27   vs LANGLEY RIVERMEN    @LANGLEY SORTSPLEX    5:00pm

AUGUST 29   vs LANGLEY RIVERMEN    @ THE PORT COQUITLAM REC CENTRE   7:00pm

SEPTEMBER 1 vs CHILLIWACK CHIEFS  @ THE HOPE & DISTRICT REC CENTRE    7:00pm

SEPTEMBER 3 vs WENATCHEE WILD      @ BURANBY WINTER CLUB                        7:10pm 

SEPTEMBER 4 vs SURREY EAGLES          @ SOUTH SURREY ARENA                           7:00pm

LUCIC TRADED TO KINGS

Prior to Friday's NHL draft in Florida the Boston Bruins traded Express alumni Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings.

In return the Bruins received LA's first round pick the 13th selection that the Bruins used to draft Jakob Zboril, goaltender Martin Jones and defenseman Colin Miller. As part of the deal the Bruins will retain $2.7 million of Lucic's $6 million dollar salary.

Lucic began his junior career with the Express during the 2004-05 season. He dressed for 50 games that season scoring 9 goals and 14 assists for 23 points while adding 100 PIM's.

He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 2nd round 50th overall by the Boston Bruins in 2006. In 566 NHL games all with the Bruins he has 139 goals and 203 points for 342 points. He won a Stanley Cup in 2011 with the Bruins defeating his hometown Vancouver Canucks.

During the Express 2014 run to the Western Canada Cup he took the time to record this special greeting for his former junior team.

EXPRESS ACQUIRE PINCHUK

Jarrell Pinchuk

The Coquitlam Express have acquired defenseman Jarrell Pinchuk (97) from the Drumheller Dragons of the AJHL in exchange for future considerations.

The 18 year old Fort Saskatchewan Alberta native already has two seasons of AJHL experience under his belt with 3 goals and 14 assists for 17 points in 91 games the last two seasons. The 5'10 180 lbs right shot defenceman had 1G, 8A, 9PTS in 45 games last season.

Welcome to the Express Jarrell. 

EXPRESS 2015-16 SCHEDULE

The schedule for the 2015-16 Express season was released by the BCHL Friday. Just days after the schedule for the 2015 Bauer BCHL showcase was released.

Click here for full Express schedule

The season starts Saturday September 12th in Chilliwack. The next afternoon the Express are in Surrey to face the Eagles.

Due to BC hosting the Mann Cup the Express needed to leave dates open at the Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre in case the Adanacs advanced to the National Senior Mens lacrosse championship.

As a result the Express won't play their home opener until Saturday October 3rd vs. Cowichan Valley.

That game will be the backend of three games in three nights after playing the previous two nights on the Island in Victoria and Nanaimo.

That means the final 5 months of the season will be home heavy for the Express with 28 of their final 50 games on home ice. In fact 16 of their first 21 games will be road games. (That includes showcase games)

Other highlights include:

October 10 @ Wenatchee.

October 20 home vs. Wenatchee.

October 21 home vs. defending BCHL and Western Canada Cup champion Penticton.

The longest home stand is 7 games from January 2nd through the 22nd.

Three straight games (1 away, 2 home) vs. Surrey. December 11 @ Surrey, December 12, 18 @ Coquitlam.

Seven of the final nine games all in February will be played at home. The only two road games will be short bus trips to Monday February 8 (Family day) at Surrey. And Saturday February 27th the season finale at Chilliwack. In what is becoming an annual tradition the Express and Chiefs will end the season with a home and home.

The schedule breaks down like this.

34 games vs. Mainland division opponents.

6 vs. Surrey (3 home, 3 away)

7 vs. Chilliwack (3 home, 4 away) *In previous years the Express and Chiefs played two or three home and home sets a year. This year only one to end the regular season.

7 vs. Langley (3 home, 4 away)

7 vs. Wenatchee (4 home, 3 away)

7 vs. Prince George (4 home, 3 away)

12 games vs. Island division 1 home, 1 away vs. five island teams. Plus two additional games at the showcase one home game vs. Powell River and a road game vs. Nanaimo

12 games vs. Interior division 1 home and 1 away.

Three times this season the Express will play three games in three nights. The most notable sequence is Wednesday December 2nd vs. Vernon, Thursday December 3rd @ Prince George, Friday December 4th @ Chilliwack.