Leffler wants to get his feet wet
May 31, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Former NHL draft pick Brett Leffler has picked a new team.
The Regina Pats graduate, a fifth-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 2007 NHL entry draft, has decided to join the University of Regina Cougars men's hockey team.
The 21-year-old product of Wynyard said Sunday he wasn't disappointed, as a drafted player, to be heading to the CIS instead of the pro ranks.
"I think it's a positive," he said. "It's a pretty good plan to have five years of school paid for (through the WHL scholarship program)."
Leffler was the 125th overall pick in the '07 draft, but the Caps decided not to sign him last summer. The 6-foot-0, 200-pound right winger subsequently was invited as a free agent to a camp held by the Chicago Blackhawks, but they opted not to take him to their main camp.
The Cougars are glad to take him.
"We've picked up another good player, a local guy, and a player who has been drafted," said U of R head coach Blaine Sautner. "It's another step in the right direction for us."
Leffler played 309 regular-season games over five seasons with the Pats, putting him third on the all-time franchise list. He had 75 goals and 151 points in his Pats career, including single-season highs of 33 goals and 57 points during the 2008-09 campaign. He had 44 points, including 18 goals, in 71 games last season.
At the U of R, Leffler will be reunited with Matt Strueby, another former Pats forward whom the Cougars landed this off-season. They'll learn the nuances of Canada West hockey together.
"I'm expecting pretty competitive hockey," Leffler said. "Hopefully it won't take me long to get my feet wet. I'd like to be able to contribute right from the start."
The Cougars also have received a commitment from left-winger Cody Esposito, who finished last season with the MJHL's Dauphin Kings. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound product of Airdrie, Alta., previously had WHL stints with the Spokane Chiefs and Red Deer Rebels.