Limelight: Lucy Leitner

[LucyXpher 1,630]

January 8, 2025 - Malmo, Sweden

It's a brisk January evening, about 7:30 pm, as I clomp up the steps of the Malmo Arena.  Tonight, the Nighthawks' 11 game win streak will take on the Calgary Wranglers and their 9 game run.  It's must see hockey and I couldn't possibly miss it-- not that that was ever really a possibility as I was here first on assignment to follow up with Lucy Leitner.  Now in her fourth VHL season, the smooth-skating blueliner from Houston, by way of Calgary, found herself on the move this past offseason.  After a strong start to her career with the Reign in Riga, which included a Continental Cup victory in S95, Leitner was shipped out to Malmo in exchange for two first round picks.  With the retirement of franchise defenseman, Jacob Stone @scoop, the Nighthawks were in need of a puck-mover on the back end who could at least attempt to fill those very large shoes.  Indeed, it was an offseason of change for the Nighthawks as their longtime GM, @KaleebtheMighty, also stepped down, making way for Lexie Leitner to earn the promotion from Halifax in the VHLM.  So, as fate would have it, a Leitner traded for a Leitner and, so far, the shoe seems to fit.

 

After one season in Houston with the Bulls and another season in Vasteras with the Iron Eagles, Lucy Leitner made her VHL debut in S94.  In that first season, although she never did come close to a top rookie nomination, she managed a respectable 53 point season with 10 goals and 43 assists and a +17 rating.  Of course, this was only the beginning for Leitner and she would go on to have a standout sophomore season with 18 goals and 68 assists for 86 points.  In the playoffs, Leitner continued her impressive play and helped the Reign clinch the Continental Cup with 20 points in 17 games and a +10 rating.  

 

Following this early career Cup victory, there was some hope that Leitner might take another step and improve on her 86 point campaign, but in S96 it was not meant to be.  Sharing time and opportunity with retiring veteran defenseman, Mark Calaway @Beketov, Leitner's point production took a slight step back in S96 as she managed 79 in total.  Her 21 goals that season, however, were a new career high, as was her +34 rating and 286 shots.  With 6 game winning goals that season, Lucy also showed a clutch factor that had not appeared in her game to this point.  In the playoffs, though the Reign were eliminated in their first round series, Leitner managed 6 points and another 2 game winning goals in those 7 games.  

 

With the Reign looking to shuffle the deck for S97, Lucy Leitner found herself available for trade, and it was her evil twin sister (or is it cousin?) who came calling on behalf of the Malmo Nighthawks.  Look, the familial relationship between Lucy and Lexie is foggy at best.  Are they even related?  I'm really not sure, but that's a topic for another time.  With Malmo looking to bolster their lineup for one last real kick at the proverbial can, the addition of Lucy on the blueline really helped solidify the team as a true contender.  And who knows, maybe this is the year they actually win a playoff series...

 

At the time of writing, Malmo is currently first in the VHL with 33 points in 21 games and holds a game in hand on their closest competitors.  The team's +31 rating also represents the highest mark in the league and the team's 42 goals against is the lowest by 9!  So far, the Malmo defense and goaltending has really been coming through and the forward lines have been showing more life as of late. 

 

I find my seat amid the sea of green and the Malmo faithful.  Chanted songs are already beginning to echo throughout the arena, even with 15 minutes until puck drop.  There's truly something different and special about European hockey fans. As the clock ticks down and approaches zero, the Nighthawks are welcomed onto the ice by a raucous crowd and a boisterous arena announcement.  A lime green spotlight pans across the players as the names of the starting lineup are called aloud.  Hearing her name, Lucy skates a tight circle and offers a polite wave to the crowd.  The arena rumbles with the stomping of feet, cheers, chants, and applause.  

 

 

"There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion." - Audrey Hepburn

 

Prior to the game, I had a chance to catch up with Lucy yet again.  Of course the trade and move to Malmo was something that had me curious, but entering into the prime of her career, I had questions about the expectations she sets for herself, what she hopes to accomplish over the coming seasons, and perhaps even some reflection on the path she took to reach this point.  It was late morning as I exited the cab and made my way to the entrance of an upscale apartment complex.  Finding the keypad near the entrance, I buzzed up to Lucy's suite and she gave me entrance to the building.  When I reached her door, I knocked softly and was greeted warmly a moment later.  As I entered her place, I was struck immediately by the exuberant brightness.  Large windows on the outward facing wall flooded the loft apartment with natural light.  It was beautiful-- and I said so!  

 

Making our way into the living room area, Lucy offered me a seat and a beverage, hot or cold.  I opted for a warm tea to offset the January chill and reclined on a sofa near the fireplace.  Lucy joined me a few moments later and we soon began our chat.  What stood out to me, perhaps more than anything, was how Lucy had grown up over the past four seasons.  Thinking back to my first interview with her, fresh out of the Alberta cold, this version of Lucy carried herself with much more poise and confidence.  No longer was she an unproven rookie in the VHL, but a known quantity, a player with expectations thrust upon her and a standard to match or exceed.  Perhaps when a person feels the weight of such expectations on their shoulders, they carry themselves in a manner that reflects this invisible burden.  

 

"Lucy, I appreciate you having me here and taking the time to chat again.  It's been a while, but I always look forward to our talks!"

 

"Of course!  I've always got time for you."

 

"So, I wanted to ask you about the trade to Malmo, but before we get there, maybe you could just tell me in your own words how you felt your time in Riga went.  Did you meet your own expectations?  And if you could change anything about those first three seasons, what would it be?"

 

"Okay, well, let me start with what I would change-- absolutely nothing!  I enjoyed every minute of my time in Riga and I really wanted to play there for my whole career, truly.  Everyone there, from management to my teammates, really made me feel welcome and I couldn't have asked for a better place to begin my career.  I think I've always set a pretty high bar for myself in terms of practice and performance, so of course there are things that, looking back, I feel I could have done better. But, I mean, we won a Cup in my second season-- which is basically the ultimate goal I have for myself and my team every season-- so I really can't complain about what we achieved as a team, or even about what I achieved personally."

 

"What specifically do you wish you might have done better? Do you have anything in mind?"

 

"I can't lie, I do wish I had performed a little better in my rookie season.  Obviously, the VHL is the best league and it's not easy to come in and play at a high level, but I don't like to settle for good enough and maybe there was more I could have done individually to help our team that season.  Also, last season was fine, but realistically I feel like I didn't quite meet my personal goals.  So that's something I'm really pushing to improve on this season."

 

"Did you ever feel any outside pressure, especially early on, to achieve a certain level of play?"

 

"Well, I guess there's a certain level of pressure that comes with being a top three pick in a draft, though it's not really said out loud by anyone.  But I personally felt that it was important to try and live up to that, you know?  Like, I guess I had something to prove.  I felt like I had to keep pace with Antonia and Gianfranco who were both drafted ahead of me and I didn't want there to be any questions about my draft position-- not that it's the be-all-end-all or anything.  As far as teammates and management, I mean, like I said, everyone was always supportive and there was never any more pressure than I could handle at the time, I feel."

 

"And so, what would you say to other young players breaking into the league about how to manage those pressures?"

 

"Well, I guess I'd say the motivation needs to come from within first and foremost.  I think it's easy to drown in pressure if you feel it comes more from the outside than from the inside.  Life is just like that, you know, there's always going to be people holding you to a standard or pressuring you to do better in some way.  It's probably not always fair, but I just think if you set a higher standard for yourself first and foremost, anybody else's expectations are really kind of insignificant.  At the end of the day, the only person who needs to be truly satisfied with you is you."

 

"What was the most difficult part of your first season in the VHL?"

 

"Oh, definitely the physicality!  Players are bigger, faster, stronger, and just play a much more physically demanding game.  I don't think I really expected that or was prepared enough for that, looking back, so that was definitely something I needed to get used to quickly."

 

"That's fair.  I was looking at your stats and I think you only had like 19 hits or something that season."

 

"Haha, yep, that sounds right!  I definitely got pushed around a bit at first."

 

"So your second season was, probably, your best season to date in terms of personal and team performance.  I know we talked a bit about it before, but maybe just take me through your thoughts on that season and the Cup win again."

 

"Well, personally, I was glad to take a big step forward in S95.  After my rookie season which was kinda challenging, I really wanted to prove that I belonged in this league and to push for more team success.  Management did an incredible job of putting together a competitive team that season, so it was really easy to settle in and play at a high level with such amazing teammates.  And, like I said, winning the Cup was the ultimate goal, so I couldn't be more happy with that!"

 

"You had a fantastic run in the playoffs that season with 20 points in 17 games.  Is that something you value highly-- the playoff production when it matters most?"

 

"Absolutely!  It's great to have a solid regular season, but if you can't get up for playoff games, then it really doesn't matter much in the end.  I hope that's something I can be counted on for in the future and it's something I put a lot of value in!"

 

"So speaking of playoffs, you're now a member of the Malmo Nighthawks, a team that has struggled to win a first round matchup for a while now.  Firstly, how did you feel about the trade, and what are your expectations for this season with your new team?"

 

"I couldn't be more happy with the landing spot, honestly.  Obviously, it's a little bittersweet since I loved Riga and I had no intention of leaving, but when I got the call from Lexie letting me know that Malmo had just acquired me, my reaction was excitement more than anything.  Malmo has had an amazing team for a long time and I couldn't be more thrilled to play with the players we have here now. As for expectations, I mean, you know me, it's Cup or bust! But actually, as long as I'm playing, that's the ultimate goal every season and I'm really excited that we have a competitive team right now that could really challenge for it in the playoffs."

 

"Have you thought about how you might help the team overcome the 'first round curse'?"

 

"Honestly, I don't believe in curses.  It's all just coincidence, bad luck, or whatever.  I think our team is great and there's no reason we can't win a round and go furth this time.  Plus, we have a lot of veteran leadership on this team so I think that will really be an advantage for us in the postseason.  Like, Jensen @Advantage is a Malmo legend, and RJ @RJMW, and Tzesar @comrade cat, and Rave @tcookie-- and I think we have the best goalie in the league @Pifferfish, so yeah, I like our chances alot."

 

"Well, I hope you do find a way to break the 'curse'.  It's probably due for this team.  Do you put any stock in the idea of being in your 'prime seasons' now? And do you feel any extra pressure, either internally or externally to step into the limelight and find another level?"

 

"I don't know about the idea of prime seasons, but I do expect to be better this season.  I mean, every season is a new opportunity to improve so it's not really any different for me that way.  But sure, like naturally these should probably be some of my best seasons so I definitely put pressure on myself to live up to that."

 

"How do you find that next level? And how to you remain consistent at such a high level?"

 

"I think it's all down to personal motivation like I was talking about before.  If you have it, it's not hard to get up for games or practices.  But it kinda has to be an every day thing, you know, and just not settling for good enough-- which is a real temptation by the way!  Like, it's easy to say I've kinda made it so I can just chill now, but I've still got so much that I want to achieve so there's still plenty of work to do!"

 

"Do you have any desire to win any individual accolades like trophies or potentially an induction into the Hall of Fame?"

 

"I really try not to think about those things, really.  It just can't be the goal for me.  Like, if I win some trophies personally, that would be a great honor, but my main objective is playing to win as a team.  I'd much rather win another Cup than win all the personal trophies.  As for Hall of Fame, it's way too early to even think about that haha.  That's for whoever decides that to decide down the road, and honestly, there's a lot of great players who are already in, who are eligible, and who will be eligible, so it's not really something I concern myself with.  It would be an amazing honor, but yeah, maybe I'll think about that more when I retire someday."

 

"That's a pretty grounded response, but have you ever felt the limelight might get to your head?  Is there a danger of that for you?"

 

"I think it's a danger for everyone, I mean we all have a limited amount of time to prove ourselves and we want to make the most of it.  But I guess the way I handle it is just staying grounded in the day-to-day.  I can change things here and now, besides that, everything else is just noise.  So yeah, I set goals for myself-- sometimes really high goals-- but it's the everyday work that gets you there, I guess."

 

"No, that seems really sensible!  Well, let me just say, I'm ecstatic to see how you fair with your new team.  I think you look great in lime green by the way!"

 

"Haha, thanks!  I think so too!"

 

"Thanks for taking the time to do this interview and all the best with this season.  Hopefully we can chat again soon."

 

"Definitely, thank you!"

 

༺ . . . ༻

 

"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances..."
- Shakespeare (As You Like It)

 

With the players introduced, the white arena lights flare up, burning away the shadows, setting the stage for the evening's game.  Amid the magnificent sea of green and the chants reverberating through the arena, Lucy takes her place at the edge of the center ice circle.  Before her, the ice within the circle is tinged with the green glow of a spotlight, only a step away...

 

༺ 𖤍 ༻

LucyXpher - 2800+ words

Edited Thursday at 07:01 AM by LucyXpher

[RJMW 133]

On 1/8/2025 at 1:58 PM, LucyXpher said:

And who knows, maybe this is the year they actually win a playoff series...

Pain