Former Blades D-Man Comes Home

The Saskatoon Blades are pleased to announce that Curtis Leschyshyn will join the team's coaching staff on a full-time basis next season.

The former Saskatoon Blade spent the end of the 2011-2012 season serving as a part-time assistant coach for the Blades.

"We are adding a man to our coaching staff who has a great passion for the game of hockey," said Blades Head Coach and General Manager Lorne Molleken. "He's had a very successful playing career and he worked with our team last year. After working with him for half of that season and getting to learn his philosophies, I really felt it was necessary to ask him to join us full-time next season," added Molleken.

"The feedback from the players was very positive in regards to how he worked with the guys, especially the defenceman. He'll make a great addition to the club and we want to welcome him, his wife Laura and their kids Jake, Anna and Kate to the organization," concluded Molleken.

Leschyshyn played his junior career in Saskatoon with the Blades, dressing in 127 games from 1985 to 1988. He posted 28 goals, 99 points and 193 PIMs in his time with the Saskatoon Blades before being selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 1988 NHL Entry draft by Quebec.

Leschyshyn spent parts of 16 seasons playing in the National Hockey League, playing with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, the Washington Capitals, the Hartford/Carolina franchise, the Minnesota Wild and the Ottawa Senators.

He played over 1000 NHL games in his career and he won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in the 1995-96 season.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic to be joining the Blades full-time next season," said Leschyshyn. "It's a great opportunity heading into next season with Saskatoon hosting the MasterCard Memorial Cup. It's a big journey and we're all excited to get things started and learn what the future holds."

Leschyshyn and his family moved back to Saskatoon in September, a place that they always considered to be home. He says it's been fantastic to be back in the province full-time.

"Moving back to Saskatoon has been great for our family. We were living in Colorado but we all still considered this to be our home. This whole thing is just a huge opportunity, I accept the challenge and at the end of the day we hope to celebrate with a MasterCard Memorial Cup here in Saskatoon," said Leschyshyn.