Letestu ‘rolls’ with ups, downs of career
A week ago, Mark Letestu was in Denver with the Blue Jackets.
Sitting in front of his stall in the visitor’s locker room at Pepsi Center, home arena of the Colorado Avalanche, the 34-year-old knew his latest NHL stint might end after the Jackets’ 3-0-0 trip out West.
“You roll with it,” said Letestu, who has played in 10 NHL seasons but spent the bulk of this one with the Cleveland Monsters. “I’m taking this a day at a time. I know these rides aren’t always permanent. Sometimes there’s ups and downs, so I’m just trying to enjoy every day.”
One of the downs happened Monday, when Letestu was assigned back to the American Hockey League with Cleveland.
His departure coincided with rookie forward Eric Robinson being recalled for the second time this season. It had to sting for Letestu, who signed a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract with the Blue Jackets after spending the preseason with the Florida Panthers on a professional tryout offer.
He played in just two games with the Blue Jackets during this stint, including once as an emergency fill-in for Cam Atkinson in Winnipeg, but there was no sulking. Instead, Letestu helped out however he could, whether it was going longer than most at morning skates or just lending a word of advice.
“He fought his way back and the guys all love him,” said captain Nick Foligno, who’s been friends with Letestu since 2012. “He’s been kind of a utility player his whole career, and the guys have been able to bounce some things off him.”
They can do that in Cleveland, too, where Letestu has dished out pointers while compiling points — 26 to be exact, on 13 goals and 13 assists.
“Sometimes it’s humbling to not get what you want and have to go down and work for it again, but I’ve enjoyed that part of it, too,” Letestu said. “I’ve enjoyed the battle of it, just getting back (to Columbus). Nothing I’ve done in my career’s been easy or a cookie-cutter. This kind of fits in with the rest of it. It’s just another chapter for me.”
Letestu, listed at 5 feet 10, 194 pounds, is an undersized forward. He has always had to prove himself at each level, using it for motivation along with some advice he was given while playing with Scranton/ Wilkes-barre, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate.
“I had a coach tell me one time, ‘What you put into this game, it’ll give it back to you at some point,’ ” Letestu said. “So, even if other guys are getting called up, if you put the work into it day-to-day, eventually something’s going to come back to you.”
The coach was Todd Reirden, now in his first year as coach of the Washington Capitals, who the Blue Jackets play on Tuesday.
“He taught me a lot of good things, but I guess there’s another valuable experience of spending some time in the minors,” Letestu said. “It’s just understanding the process. You’ve got to play every day down there to earn it.”
Gas leak KO’S practice
A scheduled practice Monday at Nationwide Arena was canceled after a reported gas leak caused the arena and some nearby businesses to evacuate the area. Nationwide Boulevard was also closed to traffic.
The Blue Jackets were off the ice for two days, including flying back Sunday from Las Vegas.
Jackets trade Siebenaler
The Blue Jackets traded Blake Siebenaler, a 22-yearold defenseman, to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft.
Siebenaler, who had a goal and assist in 17 games for the Monsters this season, was selected by the Blue Jackets in the third round of the 2014 draft and has yet to make his NHL debut. If he plays in 10 or more NHL games with the Penguins, Columbus will gain the pick from Pittsburgh.
Siebenaler has played three seasons with Cleveland in the AHL and has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 83 games.