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Coquitlam Express building a template with extended development program

The Coquitlam Express has added four developmental youth teams to its program.
Mario Bartel
Mario Bartel
tcn-20240905-express-inc-1w
Tali Campbell now includes running four developmental teams, a staff of 24 and a fleet of vehicles amongst his duties as general manager of the Coquitlam Express.MARIO BARTEL/TRI-CITY NEWS

When Tali Campbell became the general manager of the Coquitlam Express in October 2020, he knew it would be a hands-on job.

But he never imagined four years later he’d be in charge of 105 young athletes, 24 full- and part-time staff, oversee a $150,000 renovation and expansion project to the team’s offices on Poirier Street and jockey a fleet of vehicles including a brand new $100,000 Ford Transit passenger van.

Welcome to Coquitlam Express Inc.

The BC Hockey League’s decision in 2023 to operate independently from Hockey Canada has created a domino effect on its 21 teams to bolster their business models to create organizational structures that not only provide a top-tier experience for their U20 players but also develop younger athletes who might eventually play for the top team.

The commitment proved too much for the Merritt Centennials, which left the league at the end of the 2023-24 season to join the Kootenay International Hockey League.

But with the financial support of owner Fayaz Manji and Campbell’s guidance, the Express is building a template other BCHL teams are keeping a close eye on.

In addition to the BCHL team, the Express now operates four Coquitlam HC developmental teams that are part of the U14, U15, U17 and U18 divisions of the Junior Prospects Hockey League.

Most of the players are from the Tri-Cities area, although some come from Maple Ridge, Langley and Surrey.

They spend half the weekday on the ice or training, the other half attending classes at Centennial or Port Moody secondary schools.

The program is supported by fees paid by players’ families.

In return, said Campbell, they get to learn “what being a high-level athlete is all about.”

That’s meant putting pieces in place that allow them to become the best players and students they can be with as few external distractions as possible.

So four times a day, Campbell becomes a bus driver, piloting the big, black Ford van emblazoned with the Express and Coquitlam HC logos to various pick-up locations to collect players for the day, transport them between the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex and school, then return them home.

The Express has also taken over the entire ground floor of an annex building across the street from the rink to build out a series of offices for the coaches of each team, dressing rooms for the developmental teams, laundry and skate-sharpening facilities, a lounge where the athletes can relax or do homework, and a gym for dryland training. They also get mental health coaching.

It’s a lot of pieces to juggle, said Campbell.

“You’re dealing with 105 kids, all of them with different personalities and needs, and you have to tailor your program to accommodate each of them,” he said. “There are a lot of challenges.”

The Express operated a U18 developmental program in addition to the BCHL team last year. But this is the first year the program has extended down to the U14 level and there have been a few unexpected surprises, said Campbell.

“At that age,” he said referring to the younger players, “some of the kids still cry.”

Campbell’s also got the Coquitlam School District and Ministry of Education on speed dial to ensure players’ educational needs are met as well, especially if their end goal is to eventually attain a post-secondary scholarship through their hockey talents.

“There definitely [is] a link between their school performance and what they’re able to accomplish on the ice,” Campbell said.

But, he added, for the players the immediate payoff comes when they see their nameplate above their own stall in their dressing room that tells them they’ve arrived at another level of their hockey journey.

Pre-season begins tonight

The Express plays its first pre-season game tonight, Sept. 6, against the Prince George Spruce Kings, 7 p.m. at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.

 

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