Hockey Roots

Mark Letestu signed an amateur tryout contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in March 2007 and made his professional debut against the Philadelphia Phantoms on March 21 of that year. He played collegiately for Western Michigan. Last year he had 10 points in the Calder Cup playoffs.

When did you start skating and playing hockey?

I guess hockey, being from Canada, starts pretty early. My earliest memories are from one Christmas when the pond was frozen and I got a net. I must have been 4 or 5. I’ve been skating since I was 2, playing for as long as I can remember. It’s been part of who I am for my whole life, so it’s good to see that it’s paying off at the professional level.

Who was your favorite player growing up?

Saku Koivu. I was a big Montreal Canadiens fan, and he was the captain at the time. We’re similar, I guess, in style and stature. It was someone that I kind of looked up to and the way he played, and I still do. Hopefully, one day I’ll get to play against him.

What hockey lessons have you learned that you remember each time you go onto the ice?

In the last few years here, some lessons have been learned more so than earlier in life. Coach Richards really harped on me about my practice habits and the way that I tried to get better, that I had to try to improve every day. It’s something that we still teach around here and something that’s gone a long way in my development and in the progress of my career.