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Why choose the Coquitlam Express for your junior hockey experience?

Express Mission: Our goal is to create an environment that fosters the learning and development of young athletes through coaching, motivation and leadership to promote the achievement of athletic and academic goals while allowing players to mature and make a positive impact inside and outside the world of hockey.

The Coquitlam Express is a Jr. A hockey club located in the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia. Coquitlam is located 20 kilometres east of downtown Vancouver. We compete in the BCHL, which has the distinction of being Canada’s top Jr. A league in the Canadian Junior “A” Hockey League.
The club entered the BCHL in 2001, and after 4 successful seasons which saw the team begin their climb to the top ranks in the BCHL, the team moved to Burnaby while the City of Coquitlam renovated our home arena, the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex. Our 1st season in Burnaby was a banner year for the franchise winning the 2006 RBC Cup National Jr. “A” Champions. Assistant Captain, Kyle Turris, was selected 3rd overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest Jr. A player ever selected.

In 2010, Coquitlam’s team returned home to a beautifully renovated Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex and in 2014 we captured the BCHL Championship. We are looking forward to continued success and plan to add another banner to the rafters.

The Express has helped many players begin their journey to the NHL. Our most recent NHL draft pick is Alex Kerfoot who graduated with the Express and captained Harvard University. He currently plays in the NHL for Colorado. Since 2001 the following NHL players have worn the Express logo;

Milan Lucic – Edmonton Oilers

Kyle Turris – Nashville Predators

Patrick Weircioch – Ottawa Senators

Mark Dekanich – Nashville Predators

Andrew Ladd – New York Islanders

David Jones – Colorado Avalanche

Brandon Yip – Colorado Avalanche

Matthew Barzal – New York Islanders

Alex Kerfoot – Colorado Avalanche

Brad Hunt – Las Vegas Golden Knights

Coquitlam Express Hockey – All Aboard!

Our Program:

We run a full time hockey program similar to that of an NCAA or CHL program. Our mission is to provide an opportunity for players to strive towards their goals and gain opportunities to pursue playing hockey at a higher level. We pride ourselves in helping players obtain NCAA scholarships and we have a long track record of success in helping players play hockey while obtaining an education. Our focus is to recruit the right athletes, finding those who will be leaders on and off the ice. Motivated players who will represent our program in a positive way and work to bring a Championship back to our great city. We provide our players with all of the necessities to become better players, better people and the help to chase their dreams.

Costs – $800 BCHL fee and $200 Showcase fee / Billet fee maximum amount payable is $2000

*Full time coaching staff
*We practice daily and have ice each week for team practice also ice for skills training sessions (Development is a priority)
*Team Strength and Nutrition Coach – 2 to 3 team specialized workouts per week and each player receives a fitness pass to on site fitness center
*TEAM STICKS – We provide ALL players receive Bauer Nexus sticks for the season
*Team equipment – Bauer (pants, helmet, gloves, visor)
*Healthy meals for all games and meals on the road paid by the club
*Highly rated goalie coach that does 1 private session weekly and 1 session with team plus games
*Video review of games, video teachings and coaching instruction daily
*Video (Hockey TV) is HD quality for parents and scouts to view games online
*Therapists at all practices and games plus chiropractic services
*Access to excellent medical facilities, First Aid responders at every game
*Chartered coach bus to ALL away games
*Team educational advisor with 15 yrs experience
*NCAA college promotion program
*Team scouts across North America

 

Express Coaching Staff

2020/21  –   TBD

 

Matt Korchmar – Goaltending Coach

Matt is a well known and respected goalie coach who also coaches the Vancouver NE Chiefs MML Goalies. He has a long list of Pro, NCAA, BCHL and WHL goalies that he trains. . Matt is a former Jr. A goalie and brings a positive attitude with passion to teach and get the most out of our goalies.

 

Therapists

Ross Maceluch

 

Equipment Managers

Matt Ewanchuk and Gerry Dean

 

Strength and Nutrition Coach

Alex Kastelen – IF Fitness

Alex started his journey with Innovative Fitness Port Moody in the fall of 2012, looking to add some experience working with individuals in every fitness category prior to applying to physiotherapy programs. It didn’t take long for the IF culture to grab hold, particularly when it came to destinations. Over the last few years Alex has built himself up to be one of the leaders amongst the Innovative Fitness brand.

College Education Advisor

TBD

 

Our Record and Commitment to Success:

The 2017/18 saw the Express get off to a slow start of 3 Wins – 22 Losses – Tie. A coaching change was made and the team hired Jason Fortier on November 27 and since the change the Express have made great improvements. The team is 11 Wins – 11 Losses – 2 Ties under the new direction. We are excited at the possibilities for our future and we are expecting to return about 12 players for next season.

 

BCHL VIDEO LINK – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIPJmg_gius

Express Links – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xao5XM2CWVs
Hit Parade – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EILjRWgEc1E
Game highlights each game – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4q9KJxwsu0

 

Coquitlam, BC

Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam, mainly a suburban city, is the sixth-largest city in the province and is one of the 21 municipalities in Metro Vancouver.

Population – 140,000 Located 20 kilometers east of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia

 

Education

Our players can continue their studies online or through one of our nearby Universities and Colleges.

*Simon Fraser University (SFU)

*University of British Columbia

*British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

*Douglas College

*Centennial High School

 

Arena and Facilities

Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex – 630 Poirier St, Coquitlam, BC

The Poirier Rec and Leisure Center seats 1800 ppl and is home to the Express and in the summer months the Adanacs Lacrosse organization plays out of our facility.

Each player receives a free membership to the fitness complex.

There is a swimming pool and fitness complex located in the facility.

Restaurant and meeting rooms upstairs in the complex.

Athletic court and outdoor track.

 

 

The BCHL League Roster Regulations
*The BCHL has a roster limit of 23 active players (Teams can dress a max. of 18 players and 2 goalies per game)
*A maximum of six (6) twenty-year-old players (as defined in the HC – a twenty-year-old player in the 2018/19 season would be a player with a 1998 birth year.
*Each team must carry a minimum of 2 players aged 16 or 17 yrs old for the season.
*Each team must carry 4 rookies in their lineup. A rookie distinction is determined for the player if he enters the season and has not played more than 30 games at the Junior A level.
*No player having Canadian citizenship shall be classified as an Import.
*A maximum of 6 Imports is permitted at any time on a team’s active roster. (Imports are American players without Canadian citizenship.) No Europeans are approved unless they have played minor hockey in Canada, have residence and must have been approved by Hockey Canada.
*Once a player has been signed by a Jr. A club in a sanctioned Hockey Canada League, his playing rights are controlled by that team until he is either released, traded or aged out. The player falls under the regulations of Hockey Canada.
The BCHL plays a 58 Game Schedule with 2 Showcase games per year

*Top rated league where College Coaches and Recruiters prefer to send players for development prior to attending NCAA due to skilled style of play.
*Top Canadian Jr. A League for NCAA commitments
*There were 274 BCHL Graduates playing in the NCAA during the 2016/17 Season
*BCHL alums on 56 of the 60 College Hockey Division 1 Programs

*147 Players have been drafted from the BCHL into the NHL
*Over 200 BCHL alums have gone on to play in the NHL
*In the 2016-17 season alone, there were 40 BCHL alums that played in the NHL

www.coquitlamexpress.ca