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Coquitlam Express looking for scoring with trade and return of injured forwards

Newly acquired forward Carson McGinley was selected 12th overall by the Regina Pats in the 2021 Western Hockey League U.S. prospects draft.
Mario Bartel
Mario Bartel
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The Coquitlam Express have acquired 18-year-old forward Carson McGinley, who played part of two seasons for the Vernon Vipers before being traded to the Sherwood Park Crusaders in November.VERNON VIPERS PHOTO

The Coquitlam Express continues to bolster its lineup in an effort to find more scoring.

The BC Hockey League team announced Dec. 31 it has acquired 18-year-old forward Carson McGinley from the Sherwood Park Crusaders in exchange for future considerations.

Express general manager Tali Campbell said McGinley is a strong, hard-working two-way player who can provide support at both ends of the ice and drive offense when needed.

"That flexibility and work ethic made him an ideal acquisition for our team," said Campbell.

McGinley, who was born in Phoenix, Ariz. and is committed to join Arizona State University next season, had three points in 10 games for the Crusaders, which had acquired him from the Vernon Vipers in November.

In 2021, McGinley was selected 12th overall by the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League’s U.S. prospects draft. But in 2023 he opted to join the Chicago Steel of the US Hockey League prior to heading to Vernon in the BCHL.

In 37 games over parts of two seasons for the Vipers, McGinley scored six goals and added 11 assists. He also had five points in 10 playoff games.

 

 

The Express has scored just 96 goals in 29 games this season, second-worst among teams in the BCHL’s Coastal Conference.

After a hot start that saw Coquitlam win five of its first six games, the team has slipped to sixth place in its conference with 33 points in 29 games. That’s the same as the seventh-place Langley Rivermen, which has played two more games.

The Express returns from its holiday break with a pair of games on Vancouver Island beginning tonight (Jan. 3) at the Q Centre against the Victoria Grizzlies.

Coquitlam’s struggling offense should get a further boost with the anticipated return to the lineup of forwards Thomas Zocco and Joseph Odyniec from injuries. Zocco has 20 points in the 24 games he’s played while Odyniec has contributed 19 points in 21 games.

Following its game in Victoria, the Express travels to Nanaimo to play the Clippers on Saturday.

Coquitlam then plays a home-and-home series against the Rivermen beginning Jan. 10 in Langley before returning to the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex for its first home game of the new year, Sunday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m.