The Coquitlam Express will meet the Chilliwack Chiefs in the first round of the BC Hockey League playoffs, beginning next Friday (March 31) a the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.. Game two is scheduled for Saturday, April 1.
The Chiefs moved into fifth place in the Coastal division standing after it defeated the Cowichan Valley Capitals 4-1 on Saturday, while the Victoria Grizzles lost 4-1 to the Nanaimo Clippers.
The series between the Express and Chiefs will be a rematch of their seven-game showdown in the first round of last year’s post-season that was won by Chilliwack in seven games.
But the Chiefs finished the 2020-21 season in second place while the Express qualified in seventh.
This year, Coquitlam will have home-ice advantage as the team will finish in fourth place in the standings. The Express also defeated Chilliwack in five of the eight times they faced each other in the regular season. Coquitlam prevailed 3-2 in a shootout in their most recent meeting, on Feb. 8 in Coquitlam.
The Express closes out its regular season against the Powell River Kings this afternoon at 3 p.m. at Poirier. The game is the team’s second annual Autism acceptance initiative to create a more friendly environment for fans on the autism spectrum to enjoy the game, including:
- lower volume for music
- no horn blasts after the home team scores
- a special quiet room for anyone needed a break from the arena environment
- special resource kits provided by the Canucks Autism Network that contain sensory toys to reduce anxiety, noise-cancelling headphones and a visual booklet to help make the game experience more predictable
