An unexpected change in Colorado could change everything next season
Photo credit: Andy Abeyta / The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
A new chapter is starting for the Colorado Eagles, the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. After eleven years in various coaching roles with the team, Aaron Schneekloth departed to join the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach.
Following a thorough search, the Avalanche have appointed Mark Letestu as the Eagles' new head coach.
What new head coach Mark Letestu brings to the Colorado Eagles.
Brian Germinaro from Mile High Sticking writes that Letestu enjoyed a solid NHL career spanning 11 years, playing for the Blue Jackets, Penguins, Oilers, and Jets. In 571 NHL games, he notched 93 goals and 117 assists, totalling 210 points.
Known for his physical play, he registered 480 hits, 199 blocked shots, and 90 penalty minutes. He also appeared in the playoffs five times, participating in 36 games and contributing six goals and nine assists for 15 points.
"Since retiring from the league, Letestu has spent a lot of his time as an assistant coach. He spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Monsters. This is amusing because when the Avalanche hired Jared Bednar in 2016, he was both an assistant coach and the head coach of the Monsters. Letestu helped guide the Monsters to success, having a record of 136-117-23-16 and having made the playoffs the last two seasons." -Germinaro
While serving as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Monsters, Letestu played a key role in driving their offensive success. During his four seasons with the team, they surpassed the 200-goal mark each year.
Additionally, the Monsters boasted a 60-point scorer in both of the last two seasons. Their power play also thrived, converting on 17.6% of chances last season, ranking as the eleventh-best in the league.
"An offensive-minded coach is exactly what the Eagles need. Last season, they led the league with 250 goals and had a power-play percentage of 20.1 percent, which was the sixth-best in the league. The Avalanche will also have top forward prospects Oskar Olausson and Nikita Prischepov on the Eagles roster next year. If Letestu can unlock their scoring potential and make them more consistent contributors, they could be in the NHL before we know it." -Germinaro
Although it remains to ben seen how Letestu will perform once the season begins, he shows strong potential to be an effective AHL head coach. At minimum, the Eagles are expected to match the success they achieved last season under Schneekloth.
Previously on Avalanche Insider
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 8 | 18 ANSWERS An unexpected change in Colorado could change everything next season Do you think Mark Letestu will have success as the new bench boss of the Colorado Eagles? | ||
| yes | 16 | 88.9 % |
| no | 2 | 11.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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