Veteran Leidl Finally Got His Wish:

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Veteran Leidl finally got his wish

by don klepp Added 2009-07-01

It took five years, but finally Mike Leidl had his wish fulfilled when he was traded to Vernon on January 7. The veteran BCHLer, who turned 21 on January 18, says that he wanted to play in Vernon ever since he was a 16-year old rookie with Williams Lake in the 2004-2005 season.

Mike played three years in Williams Lake, and then was picked up by Quesnel when the Timberwolves folded in 2007. In the 2007-2008 season, he was a Millionaires’ assistant captain and a mainstay on defence. Then, during the 2008 off-season he was traded to the Victoria Grizzlies, who were loading up for the RBC Cup. Mike looked forward to playing for a winning team, but before the 08-09 season began, Victoria traded him to the Burnaby Express for high-scoring defenceman, Lee Baldwin.

The Express thought enough of Mike to make him their captain. But Burnaby’s season didn’t meet expectations as the team languished in last place in the Mainland division of the Coastal Conference. Understandably, Mike was delighted to learn that he had been moved to Vernon: “besides the Vipers having a good team, their captain was Chris Crowell, who’s been a good friend for years, so I was happy when I found out I was coming here.”

He says he felt comfortable right from the start in the Vipers’ den: “the players made me feel welcome, and the coaches told me to just play the way I always do, because that’s why they brought me here. They said they knew what I was like and what I would bring to the table. As it turns out, the system we played here was familiar to me and to be honest, it suits my game.”

That style is familiar to Viper fans; Mike is a stay-at-home defenceman who doesn’t rush the puck a whole lot, but who makes a good first pass out of his zone. Also, he knows when to pinch at the opposition blue line and very seldom gets caught. Another part of his game is using his 210 pounds to body check opposing forwards. Though not known as a punishing bruiser, he very effectively stops players in their tracks.

Perhaps his most accomplished skill is his shot blocking, which has earned him and the Viper goalies a fair amount of good-natured ribbing from team mates. They say that Mike sometimes stops more shots than the goaltender. About his shot blocking heroics, he says that it’s something he started when he was a rookie and that he’s “not scared of doing it.” He adds ruefully, “back then I often took shots in places I didn’t want to, but now I’m better at taking shots on the shin pads.”

He’s had only one serious injury blocking shots. Three years ago, he took a slap shot to the throat and lost his voice for two weeks. Thankfully, there’s been no permanent damage to his larynx.

The secret to his shot blocking expertise? With a grin, Mike says “just close your eyes and hope for the best.” More seriously, he adds “you have to know where the shooting lanes are and then you kind of watch the shooter’s eyes and time the shot. Timing is huge.”

Mike quietly revels in the Vipers’ RBC win, but he has some unfinished business as he weighs his options for playing college hockey. A strong student, he has been taking three on-line courses from Thompson Rivers University in order to stay eligible for four years of NCAA play.

Next week’s feature will be on Ryan Santana.