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Express acquire Caroline Hurricanes' draft pick

While no locals were chosen in the NHL entry draft that was held in Vancouver last Friday and Saturday, the Coquitlam Express have acquired a player who was.
Massimo Rizzo
Penticton Vees' captain Massimo Rizzo has been acquired by the Coquitlam Express to complete an earlier trade between the BC Hockey League teams.

While no locals were chosen in the NHL entry draft that was held in Vancouver last Friday and Saturday, the Coquitlam Express have acquired a player who was.

The BC Hockey League team announced Sunday Massimo Rizzo, a seventh-round selection of the Caroline Hurricanes, will join the Express from the Penticton Vees. The move completes an earlier deal that sent Coquitlam left winger Alex DiPaolo to the Okanagan squad.

Rizzo, who’s from Burnaby, was scheduled to attend the University of North Dakota for the 2019-’20 season, but an injury last season that cost him 21 games has delayed that move.

In a press release, Rizzo said a third year of Junior A hockey should put him in a better position to achieve his hockey goals.

“It’s all about sticking to my good daily habits and the stuff I’m doing behind the scenes that are going to make the difference in the long run,” he said.

Rizzo, who was Vees captain, scored 40 points in just 37 games last season.