The Coquitlam Express completed a pair of deals prior to the BCHL’s trade deadline on Monday afternoon (Jan. 10).
The team sent goaltender Connor Mackenzie to the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) In exchange for future considerations.
Coquitlam also signed defencemen Brenden Pentecost from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he played 30 games.
Express general manager Tali Campbell said the six-foot-one, 181-pound Pentecost brings “size and reliability” to the team’s blue line.
“He plays a 200-foot hockey game,” Campbell said. “He’s smart with the puck and knows how to use his body.”
Pentecost’s acquisition was the final piece in a series of deals that included the acquisition of forwards Mateo Dixon, Mirko Buttazzoni and Trevor O’Brien, along with goaltender Carter Woodside.
Campbell said all the moves were made to make the team better.
“The first half of our season wasn’t good enough,” he said in a statement.
“We have made moves that will impact our club right now while building for the future too.”
Woodside made 28 saves in his debut for the Express Saturday (Jan. 8), a 3-2 loss to the Surrey Eagles at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex. Dixon scored one of Coquitlam’s goals and Buttazzoni had an assist.
The team’s game Friday (Jan. 14) against the Wenatchee Wild was postponed because of COVID-19 protocols.
The Express don’t play again until Jan. 15 when they travel to Chilliwack for a game against the Chiefs.
Chilliwack then returns the favour with back-to-back games against the Express on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
Both games start at 7 p.m.
