The new coach of the Coquitlam Express should have no trouble relating to his players.
Just seven years ago, Patrick Sexton was captain of the Penticton Vees that won the Fred Page Cup as BC Hockey League (BCHL) champions.
In fact, the mostly stay-at-home defenceman scored the winning goal in game seven against the Vernon Vipers.
Sexton, who’s originally from Ottawa, Ont., attended the University of Wisconsin after graduating from the Vees, then returned to the junior team as an assistant coach in 2019.
He was behind the bench when Penticton won another league championship last season.
Express general manager Tali Campbell said Sexton’s path to becoming a head coach is ideal for his young team that was defeated by the Chilliwack Chiefs in seven games in the first round of the BCHL playoffs last spring.
"He has won as a player. He has won as an assistant coach. The next step in his journey is to win as a head coach," Campbell said in news release today (Aug. 4).
Sexton said he's looking forward to the challenge.
"I'm extremely excited to take this next step in my coaching career and can't wait to get started."
Sexton replaces former Express head coach Brandon Shaw, who left the team after just one season to return to Ontario as an assistant coach for the Niagara Ice Dogs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
The Express opens its main training camp on Sept. 2.
