QA with Matt Leitner

In an era of speed, Fargo Force center Matt Leitner is almost a throwback to the days of yore when Wayne Gretzky would slow the game down and put up a couple hundred points per season doing it. While Leitner isn't the next Gretzky, even though he was born in Los Angeles a couple years after Gretzky arrived in town, he is the USHLer who is the most adept at slowing the game down and making plays. Leitner is also on pace to shatter his previous mark of 14 goals in an USHL season before the midway point of the 2009-10 season, which will make it impossible for NHL teams to completely ignore him for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, his second year of draft eligibility. He may be a tad small (he doesn't appear to be the 5-foot-11 he's listed at) and he may not have blazing speed, but guys who see the ice like Leitner don't grow on trees - palm, orange, or otherwise.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to talk with Matt Leitner after a late-November viewing and discussed the Californian's successful World Junior A Challenge, his three seasons in the USHL, his commitment to Minnesota State-Mankato, his youth hockey with the California Wave, and how the playmaking pivot grew up looking up to New Jersey's "Captain Crunch."

McKeen's: Guess I'll start off on a pretty positive note, you played for Team USA earlier this month at the World Junior A Challenge, and I'll go with a fairly chronological line of questions. For the second year in a row Team USA lost the first game of the tournament but it turned out well in the end. What happened to allow Canada East to come back in the third period and eventually win in the shootout?

Leitner: Well, I think, once we got that 4-1 lead, I think it was, we sort of let off the gas and started trying to get fancy, and whenever you do that, you know you always put yourself in trouble. So, they started battling a lot harder than we were. They made their breaks and they got goals and we just couldn't respond after that.

McKeen's: Like last year, Team USA went on and rolled pretty well. Did coach Carlson discuss those similarities, or what did he tell you?

Leitner: He told us in the beginning that he wasn't going to talk at all about the year before and that we're going to take it one game at a time, and that's what we did. He just stressed the next game and made sure we didn't look ahead, and we didn't. Loved playing for him.

McKeen's: You personally did fairly well at the tournament, finishing fourth in overall scoring. Who were your linemates there and what were some of the highlights of that week for you?

Leitner: We switched off, but most off my points, I think, came on the powerplay with Shane Berschbach and David Gerths, and they did a great job as well. I think the highlight was the game winner in the gold [medal game]. I kind of got lucky, but I'll take it. It was a great time for me.

McKeen's: I wasn't able to catch it on TV, but I had assumed you were with Berschbach some, considering his points on the powerplay. Going back to your USHL season, you're putting up some pretty good numbers again, just like you did at the end of last year. What's been the difference between the starts this year and last year, because last year you started a little slow?

Leitner: Last year, new coach. Blais really pushed us hard, and I'd never had that before, and my year at Ohio before that, I wasn't pushed as hard. Once he got there, I had a back problem, too, which kept me out of the first couple games. It just took me a while to find my grove and once I found what he wanted and played within the system, I did pretty well.

McKeen's: This is your third season in the USHL, starting with Ohio in the beginning. What areas of your game have improved the most during that entire course and how?

Leitner: I just think, every year it gets a little slower, the game slows down in your head and you're able to make plays a lot more because you have that clock in your head. You know what to expect now. I'm going on, I don't even know how many games now, it's been awhile. So, yeah, I know what I'm looking for out here.

McKeen's: It seems like it, that you're able to slow the game down. I've also taken notes on you in the past where you have a knack at undressing opponents at half-or three-fourths speed. For those who haven't seen you play, describe your style and what the strengths of your game are.

Leitner: I think my style is (pauses), playmaking. I try to make plays and get my other guys involved, try to make my teammates better, my linemates. My biggest asset, I think, would be my vision, just getting everyone else involved and going from there.

McKeen's: Fargo made a couple changes over the summer with coach Blais moving on to help build the University of Nebraska-Omaha in their WCHA efforts, so how are things different now with coach [Steve] Johnson than they were with coach Blais?

Leitner: Coming into last year, I didn't know what to expect. But, this year is a lot different. They're both pretty much the same guys. If you work hard, you're going to get playing time. They just stress giving it your all. There's not too many systems. Just going out there and work your tail off and you'll get rewarded.

McKeen's: The previous summer, you learned that you and the rest of the Ohio guys were becoming property of Fargo. What was your reaction to that?

Leitner: Well, my initial thought was, "It's going to be cold." A big difference. I heard it was really cold and not much to do there. But, it's actually a lot nicer than what I had expected. But, going there, I didn't know what to expect with my other teammates, Luke Witkowski and Steven Spinell, all the other guys didn't know what to expect. But, it turned out well. It's really nice there. I love it, I love playing there.

McKeen's: You guys get a few more fans each game (than in Ohio).

Leitner: Yeah, yeah. Ohio was (pauses), a bit of a struggle to get people out.

McKeen's: Last year, you helped Fargo reach the Clark Cup Finals, and after a fairly tough first 10 games during the regular season. What helped you guys turn it around last year?

Leitner: I think with a new coach and a new team and almost all rookies, besides a couple of the guys, it took a while for us to get our feet under us. Our first eight were on the road, which is tough as well. After that, we got comfortable playing under coach and playing hard. We got rewarded. We played really great going down the stretch.

McKeen's: I remember when I first saw you guys at the Fall Classic, and it was obvious most of you guys had not played together, but in terms of individual talent, I thought, "These guys could end up pretty good by the end of the season."

Leitner: Yeah, yeah.

McKeen's: Sure enough, you guys were.

Leitner: We knew it, with all the speed and talent we had, we had a chance to do some good things.

McKeen's: Josh Birkholz will do that for a team.

Leitner: Yeah.

McKeen's: As far as the speed is concerned.

Leitner: Yeah, yeah (chuckles)

McKeen's: Everybody had talent, but he sure has speed. In your time in the USHL, who are some of your teammates that have impressed you the most and why?

Leitner: Well, I think Timmy Hall, my first year. He played similar to me. A little smaller, but he knew how to handle the puck and use his body to get leverage. He was one of the good ones. Witkowski last year, he was a leader along with a big and solid do-it-all d-man.

McKeen's: He logged a lot of minutes for you guys last year, that's for sure. Going back to your youth, when did first start playing hockey and how did you get that start?

Leitner: I started playing ball hockey when I was, like, four, with my brother. Then it turned into roller hockey and then into ice hockey. I started, probably, playing ice hockey at around age eight.

McKeen's: Not too late.

Leitner: I was skating before then.

McKeen's: It's my understanding that you played with the California Wave organization all the way up.

Leitner: Yes.

McKeen's: You guys had a little success.

Leitner: Yeah, yeah.

McKeen's: Tell me about that success.

Leitner: Well, me and my brother, two years apart, we both won a national championship in Tier 1 AAA, my midget year. It was great. I played with the same coach, and he was a great coach, too. It was nice. Our team was really good, and we seemed to get a lot of the best players from Southern California. We went out there and put California on the map, I think, hockey wise.

Note: Brother, Rich, played two years in the North American Hockey League in Wasilla, Alaska, and then one year with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets of the USHL and now plays NCAA DI with American International College

McKeen's: I can't remember - were you on the 2005 midget team that was runner up, or was that the year before you were on the midget minor team?

Leitner: Yeah, yeah.

McKeen's: Then in 2006 you guys won it, if I have the year's right.

Leitner: Yeah, that's right.

McKeen's: Didn't they have a movie about you guys?

Leitner: Yeah, In the Crease. It was a movie, a documentary.

Note: In the Crease follows the California Wave bantam team that went to the 2005 USA Hockey Tier 1 Bantam AAA national tournament.

McKeen's: I remember seeing a bit about that. Moving to the draft, you went unselected in last year's NHL Entry Draft, despite averaging a point per game. So, what do you think some of the NHL teams are looking for you to improve on or do before they pull that trigger?

Leitner: I'm not sure. I would say my biggest thing would be putting the puck in the net, and probably my strength and size. I'd try to work on that if I could, but I really can't, and my speed, probably, too, is another issue. But, I've been working on those things. So, just work hard and hope for the best.

McKeen's: Last year, you committed to Minnesota State. Tell me about your commitment to them, what was it that made Mankato right for you?

Leitner: My best friend told me a lot about them, Corey Leivermann (teammate on Fargo). I saw it online and talked to the coach and it just seemed like the right fit. When you have that, there's not much second-guessing. I'm really looking forward to going there.

McKeen's: At what point did college programs start talking with you?

Leitner: My first year. At Ohio, I started out pretty well, and that's when I started getting noticed.

McKeen's: I guess it makes sense that Corey would know a little bit about Mankato.

Leitner: Yeah, he's from there.

McKeen's: Lastly, who were some of your favorite players growing up and why and some players today you'd like to equate to?

Leitner: Like, in the NHL?

McKeen's: Or any level.

Leitner: Well, my brother, growing up, he was always a big influence. Then, in the NHL, probably Scott Stevens. I used to be a defenseman, until a couple years ago. So, I always liked him. I used to be kind of big and liked to hit people, but now it's a lot different. But, yeah, I liked him growing up.

McKeen's: Interesting. I did not know that about you.

Leitner: (Chuckles) Yeah, yeah.