Photos courtesy of Dan Hickling & Garrett Johnson
Surrey, B.C. – The Surrey Eagles are proud to announce the additions of White Rock native defensemen Cade Penney (01) and Brody Gagno (02) to the team for the remainder of the 2021-22 BCHL season. Gagno was acquired in a 3 team trade with the Prince George Spruce Kings and the Coquitlam Express which sent Luke Roberts and Holden Cardinal to Coquitlam. Penney was previously playing with the Madison Capitols in the USHL before deciding to join the Eagles. Penney currently holds a commitment to the University of New Hampshire while Gagno is committed to Quinnipiac University, both are NCAA Division 1 programs.
Brody Gagno is currently playing in his 3rd season in the BCHL after starting his career with the Chilliwack Chiefs back in the 2018-19 season. Gagno was acquired by the Spruce Kings before the season started, and has 1 assist in 10 games with Prince George. Over his entire BCHL career with the Spruce Kings and Chiefs, Gagno has played in 115 games and has scored 4 goals and has 15 points while providing a ton of stability on the blueline for both teams. Gagno’s defensive ability and experience will be a big boost to the Eagles blueline which currently only had 1 player over the age of 19 until the additions of Gagno and Penney.
Cade Penney was having a pretty good start to the season in the USHL before deciding to come back home to play for Surrey. With the Capitols this year, Cade had 5 assists in 8 games. Penney already factors into a top-four role for Surrey, bolstering their blue line and hopefully propelling them defensively towards their Fred Page Cup aspirations. Penney immediately becomes the oldest player on the back end, as he’s a just few weeks older than captain Jimmy Darby. So far in his Eagles career, Penney has 1 assist in 6 games with the Eagles.
For Eagles Head Coach Cam Keith, it was the perfect storm for him as he gets to add two home-grown defenders to his team on the blue line to help elevate this defense. When asked about both players, Cam had great things to say about each defender. “Cade’s a kid who can play any role. He’s a proven offensive player at the two highest junior A levels. He’s got a commitment to UNH and he’s from White Rock, which is a perfect match for us. Brody is a heart and soul player who puts the team first above personal achievements. He’ll be relied on heavily as a top line shutdown guy and to bring some offense on the power-play.”
Both Roberts and Cardinal have played their entire BCHL careers in Eagles uniforms. Holden played in 34 games with the Eagles dating back to the 2019-20 season when he was an affiliate player. In his career, Holden has scored 4 goals and added 16 assists for 20 points. Luke played in 31 games with Surrey beginning in the 2021 Pod Season, and had 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points over the span of his young junior career. The Eagles would like to wish both Luke Roberts and Holden Cardinal the best as they move forward with their hockey careers.
Welcome to the Eagles Brody and Cade!
