The general manager of the Coquitlam Express is now also an owner.
But not of his BC Hockey League (BCHL) team.
Tali Campbell has joined the ownership group of the Nanaimo Buccaneers, a Junior 'B' team that plays in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL). He remains with the Express.
Campbell grew up in Nanaimo and he still maintains a house there. He said he has fond memories of attending Buccaneers games when he was a kid.
"This city and this sport have given me so much and I wanted to find a way to give back to both," Campbell said in a news release.
The Buccaneers currently sit in last place in the VIJHL's North Division with just five wins in 31 games.
Campbell was 25 years old when he joined the Express in October 2020, after starting his career in various capacities with the Nanaimo Clippers, Victoria Grizzlies and Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
At the time, he was the BCHL's youngest general manager.
Since Campbell’s arrival, he’s had to stickhandle the Express through the COVID-19 pandemic that included being one of the hosts for the BCHL’s "pod season" in April 2021, in which five groups of three or four teams played a 20-game schedule out of centrally located arenas with no fans in attendance.
Coquitlam played its pod season at Scotiabank Barn in Burnaby as the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex wasn't available.
Campbell has also worked to strengthen connections between the Express and the community, as well as hockey’s grassroots, including taking on a leadership role in the female development program of the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association.
As to whether his new position will open a conduit for affiliate players from Vancouver Island to the Express, Campbell said his contribution to the Buccaneers will be focused on rebuilding the team’s business and community connections.
