May 22, 2009

EXPRESS ADD TO HOCKEY STAFF                                                                          

BURNABY ? The Burnaby Express are pleased to announce they have added two experienced individuals to their scouting staff.

Todd Harkins has been named the Director of Player Personnel and Scouting and Travis Deaust has been named a Lower Mainland scout.

Both Todd and Travis have vast hockey experience that will be valuable to the Express organization.

Todd most recently has BCHL experience serving as the head scout with the Westside Warriors. While with the Warriors, he identified and maintained a list of players for recruitment for the hockey club. He assisted the Warriors in advanced scouting to help design game plans and worked closely with Head Coach and GM Mark Howell to identify players for trades and roster selection at training camp.

In addition to working with the Warriors, Todd has worked as the Hockey Director at the North Shore Winter Club since 2001. He has coached first round NHL draft picks Kyle Turris and Gilbert Brule. Both of whom played in the BCHL. Turris with the Burnaby Express 2005-2007, Brule with the Quesnel Millionaires 2002-2003. Todd's coaching career has seen his teams win numerous championships for the Winter Club.  His player development skills have seen numerous other players develop into top draft picks for the Western Hockey League.

Todd's playing career includes over 10 years of professional hockey experience including stints with the NHL's Calgary Flames and Hartford Whalers.  He also spent time playing in the AHL, IHL and Europe from 1990-2001. He represented the United States at the World Championships 3 times. (1992, 1995 and 1998)

Todd has scouting experience that includes 4 years spent with the WHL's Tri City Americans and Medicine Hat Tigers where he helped identify Carey Price and Kris Russel who have developed into some of the NHL's top young stars.

Todd served as a Hockey Consultant on numerous productions including Slap Shot 3 and Miracle.

Todd has his Level III in the National Coaching certification program from UBC. He also spent 3 years attending Miami of Ohio University from 1987-1990.

Travis has devoted his time as a hockey coach at various levels since 2001. This past season he was an assistant coach with the Men's Under 16 Team in Salmon Arm. He also served as the Head Coach of the Atom A1 team for the Burnaby Winter Club. His team won their Tier 1 regular season and playoff titles finishing the season undefeated. He also spent time as an on ice instructor, Evaluator and Group leader with the U16 and U17 Best ever program from 2005-2007.

Travis has earned both a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Experience while attending Royal Roads University in Victoria and a Certificate in Marketing Management from BCIT.

?The Burnaby Express are very happy to add two quality hockey people in Todd and Travis to our program and give us even a stronger Lower Mainland presence at Junior B, Major Midget , Midget and Bantam games.? said Express President  Darcy Rota.