TOP FLIGHT PROSPECT
Van de Leest impressive
The Calgary Hitmen knew they might be getting something special when they used their first pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft on Jackson van de Leest.
At 6-foot-6, the towering defenceman had the unique combination of size and skating that could anchor the Hitmen’s defence over the next couple of years.
They weren’t necessarily expecting him to step in so quickly, though.
On Sunday, the 15-year-old van de Leest played his seventh game of the WHL season for the Hitmen. Most guys his age are only allowed to play five, but a unique set of circumstances led to the WHL allowing the Hitmen to play van de Leest for two extra early-season games while other players were at pro camps.
From the sound of it, the Hitmen would have kept him around for many more if they were allowed to.
“Well, I think if we weren’t restricted by the rules he’d be playing a lot more,” said Hitmen head coach Mark French. “He’s a really good player. I think in some respects it’s easier for a young guy to play in these situations because there’s not much pressure, but he’s arguably a guy who you feel very comfortable when he’s on the ice.”
When talking about van de Leest’s potential, it would be easy to simply point to his height. You can’t teach size, after all.
But through seven games, van de Leest has shown that’s he’s a whole lot more than just a big body for the Hitmen to throw on the blueline. The Kelowna, B.C., native can skate with the best of his teammates and is as comfortable moving the puck up-ice as he is protecting the front of the net.
It’s a combination of attributes that has folks around the Hitmen thrilled about how van de Leest can develop when he returns from the Okanagan Hockey Academy at the end of the season.
“He’s a big guy who doesn’t get outmuscled for the puck,” French said after Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Kootenay Ice on Sunday afternoon. “He’s a big guy who skates well and I guess the last ingredient is he’s got a good hockey I.Q.
“It certainly makes you excited for the potential of next year but I think it’s a real credit to him that he could take the ice time and want the coaches to bring him in so much that he’s burned up the games in the first half of the season.”
As for van de Leest, he’s about as excited as you’d expect him to be about the way things have gone this season.
He’s heading back to Penticton, B.C., for the rest of the OHA Prep White season knowing that there are areas of his game that still need work, but also with a better idea of what he can do to make sure he’s being called on by the Hitmen to contribute full time in 2017.
“I had an awesome time,” van de Leest said after Sunday’s game. “I wish I could have stayed but I understand the league rules and I’m happy to get back to my team.
“Really, it’s helped me just see what I need to do to get to the level I need for next year and years to come. I’m trying to incorporate those things into my game and just overall trying to shape myself into the player I want to be for the future.”