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BCHL Today: Express trade for OJHL defenseman Devlin and goalie Kruss, LaLeggia takes his game to Europe, and more

Written by Brian Wiebe on

 

Express bring in two players from Ontario

The Coquitlam Express announced a trade on Sunday that sees the club bring in 2002-born defenseman Ian Devlin and 2001-born goaltender Dylan Kruss from the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League for future considerations.

Devlin, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, had nine goals and 13 assists as an OJHL rookie with the Buzzers in 2019-20. St. Michael’s has been unable to play any games this season due to the pandemic.

He was selected in the tenth round, 151st overall by Dubuque in the 2020 US Hockey League Entry Draft. Devlin was also taken by the Barrie Colts in the ninth round of the 2018 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Kruss hails from Thornhill, Ontario. He had a 4-3-1 record with a 3.46 goals-against-average, a .891 save percentage, and one shutout in eight games with the Buzzers in 2019-20.

He was acquired by St. Mike’s from Salmon Arm in November 2019. Kruss went 3-4-1 with a 3.49 GAA and a .873 SV% in eight games with the Silverbacks before the trade to the Buzzers.

Scarfo by Wheeling of the ECHL to Tucson of the AHL

Forward Ryan Scarfo (17 goals, 31 assists in 50 games with Powell River in 2013-14) has been loaned from the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers to the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League.

The 26-year-old from North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, has one goal in three games with the Nailers so far this season.

LaLeggia inks a deal in Sweden

Defenseman Joey LaLeggia (33 goals, 114 assists in 114 games with Penticton from 2009-11) has signed a contract for the 2020-21 season with Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League.

The 28-year-old Burnaby, BC product spent the last five seasons in the AHL with San Antonio and Bakersfield, totaling 178 points in 324 games.

Coatta and Cressy join Tyringe for 2020-21

Forwards Jackson Cressey (54 goals, 70 assists in 170 games with Coquitlam from 2012-16) and Max Coatta (15 goals, 17 assists in 50 games with Penticton in 2013-14) have both signed with Tyringe SoSS of HockeyEttan.

Cressey, 24, is coming off a four-year NCAA career at Princeton University where he posted 116 points in 132 games. The deal with Tyringe is the West Vancouverite’s first professional hockey contract.

Coatta, a 26-year-old from Minnetonka, Minnesota, had 13 points in 42 games with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL in 2019-20, his first full pro season after four years at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Tyringe SoSS also signed Coatta’s older brother Sam. HockeyEttan is the third tier of pro hockey in Sweden.

Finlay signs contract in Slovakia

Forward Liam Finlay (40 goals, 74 assists in 109 games for Penticton and Vernon from 2014-16) has signed a contract in Slovakia with HK Nitra for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

The 23-year-old Kelowna, BC product had six goals and 14 assists in 16 games with KOOVEE in Mestis, which is the second tier of pro hockey in Finland this season.