Joey LaLeggia would trade all of this year’s accolades for another shot at a Frozen Four final.
The University of Denver senior and Hobey Baker finalist scored the Pioneers’ only goal in a 4-1 loss to the No. 14-ranked Providence College Friars in the NCAA Division I East Region men’s hockey final on Sunday.
LaLeggia tied the contest 1-1 midway through the third period with his 15th goal of the season.
He was then handed a major penalty and a game misconduct after being whistled down for a hit to the head that led to Providence’s game-winning goal on the ensuing power play.
It was nobody’s way to end a season, let alone a career.
But two days later, LaLeggia made up for it, penning a two-year, entry level pro contract with the NHL Edmonton Oilers.
“Yeah, Sunday was pretty terrible the way it happened, but that’s hockey,” said LaLeggia on a long distance call with the NOW on Tuesday.
“Now the focus is making the (Oilers) team next year, that’s all that matters.”
Denver, ranked sixth in the nation, finished the collegiate men’s hockey season with a record of 24-14-2 after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2011. It was also the varsity program’s 14th consecutive 20-win season – the best active streak in the country.
But that doesn’t ease the pain of missing a last chance at a national championship title in the final year of university hockey.
“I have no regrets. We played hard and the guys deserved better,” LaLeggia said. “But I’ve had four years filled with memories. I was lucky to come in with a great class and I’m going to remember my four years with them. I’m happy I got my chance to come (to Denver).”
LaLeggia is perhaps luckier than most seniors.
The Burnaby skater recently became the first defenceman to be named player of the year in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference – arguably the top hockey conference in the country.
Denver head coach Jim Montgomery is on the record describing LaLeggia as “the most dominant player in the best conference in college hockey.”
LaLeggia also repeated as the conference defenceman and offensive defenceman of the year at the annual awards celebration.
The Burnaby Winter Club product led all National conference D-men with 15 goals, 25 assists and 40 total points this season – placing fourth in overall scoring and third in the nation for points by a defenceman.
LaLeggia, who recently graduated with a degree in business administration at Denver, was also the lone unanimous choice for all-conference team selection – his third first team honour – and was player of the month for both January and February. He was named the national rookie of the year as a freshman.
The fifth-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers was also a five-time defenceman of the week this season.
“It’s special to be mentioned in that way,” LaLeggia said.
He had one more accolade that could have overshadowed even last weekend’s dark cloud.
LaLeggia was one of 10 finalists, including three other Canadians from Ontario, for the coveted Hobey Baker Award, emblematic of college hockey’s top player as voted on by college hockey coaches and online fan balloting.
The winner will be chosen from a paired down list of three players on April 10.
LaLeggia ends his collegiate career at Denver third overall in all-time points for a defencemen with 132 and goals with 49.
LaLeggia is on record as saying he will likely finish this season with the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate – the Oklahoma City Barons – on an amateur tryout agreement.
But LaLeggia cannot be grateful enough to his coaches at Denver and the college experience in general for giving him the opportunity to grow and mature as a player and prepare him for what lies ahead in the pros.
“I was 16 when the WHL came knocking – I was 160 pounds – it didn’t seem smart to me. Now, I’m 22 years old and signing my first pro contract. I got two extra years playing in college hockey,” LaLeggia said.
“Right now, it’s looking like I made the right decision.
