Giants captain looking forward to homecoming
Capitals prospect Kannok Leipert says facing Pats will be ‘pretty special’
The Vancouver Giants’ longest road trip of the season is hitting close to home for defenceman Alex Kannok Leipert.
The 19-year-old Regina product has been eagerly anticipating his club’s tour of the East Division, which occurs just once every two seasons. The highlight of the trip comes Saturday night when his Giants visit his hometown Regina Pats.
“It’s pretty special,” said Kannok Leipert, who expects to have a large cheering section on hand at the Brandt Centre. “Growing up, your parents get to see you play pretty much every single game. Now, being 19, and 20 hours away, it’s a little bit different.
“Being able to play in and around the area (this week), especially in Regina — I grew up watching the Pats — is pretty cool. I played in front of the home fans (during a road trip) when I was 17 and now, coming back when I’m 19, it will be that much better.”
The Giants are using Regina as home base during the latter portion of a six-game eastern swing. That works out nicely for Kannok Leipert, who gets to spend more time with family and friends.
“We actually went over to my grandparents’ house as a team and spent the afternoon there,” he said. “We had a meal there and hung out as a group. It was really nice.”
Kannok Leipert is a natural host, especially after being named Vancouver’s captain this season. Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, but Kannok Leipert has embraced the role.
“I think it’s just the way I was brought up,” said the Washington Capitals prospect, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft. “I owe it to my parents and the way they taught me the little things.
“Really, I just want to be a good teammate and help guys along the way, because I had a lot of help when I first came into the league. That’s what I bring to the table — being a good guy off the ice and helping as much as I can.”
Kannok Leipert wore the “C” for the Regina Pat Canadians in
Growing up, your parents get to see you play pretty much every single game. Now, being 19, and 20 hours away, it’s a little bit different.
2016-17 when they won a provincial title and finished fourth at the Telus Cup national championship.
Kannok Leipert was also named the Saskatchewan midget AAA league’s top defenceman and a first-team all-star in his final season with the Pat C’s.
“I definitely have a lot that I owe that organization for getting me to where I am now,” said Kannok Leipert, who called it “a big honour” to become Vancouver’s captain. “I have a lot of people to thank. I’ve had so much help over the years.
“I can name a ton of people, coaches like Darrin Mckechnie, Bart Cote, the coaches here (in Vancouver), and people growing up. Our past captain for the Giants (Jared Dmytriw) is from Craven. He was another great guy who passed on a lot of things to the younger guys and taught me a lot about being a leader. There have been some great captains for this organization. I want to carry on the legacy and do my best to help the team win.”
The Giants did a lot of winning last season as they finished second overall in the WHL standings (4815-2-3) and made it all the way to Game 7 of the league final before losing in overtime to the Prince Albert Raiders.
This year’s team sports a 4-5-0 record heading into Friday’s game against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Vancouver lost a handful of top players up front after last season, but the defence and goaltending remain largely intact, including stud defenceman Bowen Byram, who was drafted fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2019.
“We’re trying to lead (the young players) along and teach them as much as we can,” said Kannok Leipert. “You learn as a group, because we’re not the same team as we were last year. It’s going to be hard to make a (championship) run again, but it was really tough last year, too.
“I think we’ll be OK. We’re struggling a little bit but I think we’re on the right path.,”