Wherever Bo Pieper goes on the ice, he knows a pass from his brother Canon is almost certainly sure to follow.
"He's an awesome playmaker, he's got his head up and he's got a really good shot too," said 19-year-old Bo about his older brother and Coquitlam Express teammate Canon.
And while Bo is the one with the blistering shot, 20-year-old Canon has also shown a knack for finding the net.
"I like to shoot more but he's scored more goals than me," said Bo.
But no matter who is on the receiving end of a beautifully feathered pass and whose shot is bulging the twine, coach Barry Wolff is happy with what he's seen from the brothers who have combined for 51 goals and 110 points in 50 games with the Express this year.
"They're playing real well and obviously they play well together and it's kind of unique because we've been rotating their wingers and it's kind of helped them," said Wolff. "They're moving their feet, shooting and going to the net. A lot of their goals were rebounds or just being smart in where they were."
The brothers have been on fire since the new year, combining for 31 points in the past 13 games
"I think as a team we're playing much better. And once our team plays better the individual stuff starts to come as well, I think that's the biggest thing," said Canon. "We're really happy and really liking it here and looking to make a good push at the end."
Canon's 30 goals and 57 points in 50 games puts him seventh in BCHL scoring while Bo sits in 12th with 21 goals and 53 points.
" For us it's not really about being in the top 10 or top 20. For us it's just about always trying to be on the uphill, trying to improve our game," said Canon. "It doesn't concern us too much. It's awesome, we're happy about it, but at the end of the day that's not what really counts."
The Piepers grew up playing together in hockey-mad Minnesota, going on to play for the Chicago Steel and Indiana Ice in the U.S. Hockey League before joining the Express at the start of this season.
"We've been apart a couple times because I'm a year older. The last couple [of years] have been nice, we've been fortunate to be on the same team. We seem to know where each other are and get a good feel for how we play," said Canon, who will again be joined by his brother next year when they hit the ice with NCAA's Quinnipiac Bobcats. "I think we're pretty lucky to be able to play together."
When asked who is the better player, both of the Piepers point to the other, although both admit that playing together makes each of them better.
"He's always in the right area and just makes it really easy for me. Because he's open I've always got an out there," said Bo. "And he's always crashing the net hard so I know if I can get a shot on net, he'll be there to bang it in. It's always nice if I make a mistake, he's always there to say hey, you made this mistake, and vice versa. We're always trying to help each other out."
