After spending the first part of his NHL hockey career south of the boarder, playing with the Pittsburg Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, Elk Point’s Mark Letestu will be heading much closer to home come the 2015-16 hockey season after being signed to the Edmonton Oilers, last week.
Letestu was part of a number of changes the Oilers have made in recent weeks, following the NHL draft where the team acquired the much-anticipated Connor McDavid, along with other changes that include defensemen Griffin Reinhart and Andrej Sekera being added to the team’s roster.
“I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet,” admitted Letestu, when speaking to the Journal late last week. He said that although he knew the Oilers were interested, he hadn’t told his parents about the prospective move and let them find out just like everyone else.
“Hopefully it was a nice surprise for everyone at home,” he says, adding, having the opportunity to come home and play NHL games in front of family and friends on a regular basis will be “really, really special.”
He says he signed the contract at about 12:30 p.m. on Canada Day, and didn’t talk to his parents until about 6 p.m. that night because of all the media coverage that was taking place.
The last time Letestu played games close to home was back in junior when he was a member for the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs. He suited up in 190 games for the Pontiacs from 2002 to 2006 and still holds the record for most goals ever by a Bonnyville player with 118. He also sits third on the team’s career points list after amassing 248 points during his four seasons with the club.
Although some of the Oilers’ recent acquisitions have already made the trip to the city, Letestu and his wife are waiting for the birth of his third child before coming back to Canada.
When asked how he feels about his move to the Oilers, which is based on a three-year deal worth $1.8 million a year, Letestu admits that growing up, the Oilers weren’t his team to cheer for, but rather he was a Canadiens’ fan.
Nonetheless, Letestu says he is excited to be joining the team right now, and wouldn’t have made the move if he didn’t have confidence that the team could win.
As a free agent, Letestu says he had an “open mind,” and his main focus was to just continue on with his professional hockey career. When he heard Edmonton was interested, he says he was also immediately interested.
“Now I’m an Oiler. It’s a relief,” he says, later adding, “I came to Edmonton to win . . . I think fans are ready for it . . . I think the team’s ready for it.”
Letestu points to some of the changes in management and coaching of the team as one of the reasons he feels Edmonton is the place to be. The changes lend to the seriousness the team has of having a winning season, he adds.
“I wouldn’t have signed in Edmonton out of selfishness . . . It’s a good situation, a chance to win. A chance to be part of something special,” says Letestu.
In April, Peter Chiarelli was hired as the new general manager for the Oilers, which began the team’s recent facelift. Chiarelli was previously with the Boston Bruins.
