Jeff Wagner’s family just became a lot larger.
The former associate coach of the Coquitlam Express, who was made the interim bench boss when Partick Sexton was fired just before the start of the BC Hockey League playoffs in April, has been given the team’s reins outright. He's also been named assistant general manager.
Wagner says that means he, his wife and young son now “have 26 sons out in that dressing room.”
He said guiding the Express is “an extension of our family.”
That family approach has been a guiding principle of Wagner’s entire coaching career since he first took an assistant’s gig when he was 20 years old then started moving up the ranks from associate coach, assistant general manager and head coaching roles for teams in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League prior to joining the Express in 2021.
Wagner said as much as it’s now his job to lead the development of his players on the ice, he also assumes responsibility for their progression as young men. He said he takes pride that some of the players he’d coached in the past have maintained contact as they’ve gone on to careers away from hockey like doctors or chiropractors.
“Just kind of seeing how they progress along the way with life — whether it’s with hockey or after hockey — is certainly the appeal to it,” said Wagner, who turns 35 in August.
"His vision aligns seamlessly with our organizational goals, and we have full confidence in his ability to help lead the team," said Express general manager Tali Campbell in a news release.
Wagner admits the circumstance of his ascension to the top job behind the Express bench was a bit awkward — he and Sexton are good friends. But now that his position has been affirmed he’s eager to dig into the extra responsibilities and pressures.
With the whirlwind of being handed the keys to the coach’s office and trying to get the Express on a winning track for the BCHL playoffs after a dismal second half of the regular season in which the team won just seven times behind him, Wagner said he’s shifted his focus to filling the holes left by players who’ve graduated or otherwise moved on. A top priority will be assembling a roster that can generate more offence than the 146 goals Coqutilam scored last season — second lowest in the BCHL.
Wagner said pushing the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to seven games before bowing out in the first round gives him some encouragement.
“I felt like we did a good job of creating offence a little bit more than we had been down the stretch of the regular season,” Wagner said.
Key to building on that glimmer of momentum will be the leadership provided by returning veterans like 20-year-old defenseman Sam Frandina along with forward Jackson Krill, who had 28 points in 51 games last season. As well, young players like Joseph Odyniec, Sebastian Bradshaw, Noah Dziver and Nate Crema will be ready to take on greater roles in their sophomore seasons.
Second-year goaltender Ethan Simcoe also showed in his rookie season that he’s got the temperment and skillset to take over from graduated veteran Adam Manji after winning seven times in 19 appearances and posting a .890 save percentage.
“I think these are the collection of guys that you’ll see leading this team,” Wagner said, adding, “They know how we want to play, we don’t have to teach them how we want to play.”
Wagner said he’s looking to craft a team built on speed and driving offence while also taking care of business defensively.
“We want to be aggressive in all three zones so that we’re limiting that time in the defensive zone while maximizing our time in the offensive zone.”
In the coming days and weeks, Wagner said he and Campbell will fill out the rest of the team’s coaching contingent while also coordinating with those guiding Coquitlam’s development programs to ensure everyone is skating in the same direction.
Team raises big money for autism
The Express recently donated $2,500 to the Canucks Autism Network (CAN).
The funds were raised during team’s annual Autism Acceptance game and it brings the total money raised in three years for CAN to $25,000.
Coquitlam general manager Tali Campbell said the milestone is a proud achievement.
“Our annual Autism Acceptance game is a testament to the power of community and the difference we can make when we come together,” he said in a news release.
Britt Anderson, CAN’s CEO, said the money will help create more opportunities for social connection and skill development for people living with autism and their families.
