Dalhousie Tigers men’s hockey head coach Chris Donnelly is pleased to announce the commitment of Jackson van de Leest for the 2022-23 season.
A five-year veteran of the Western Hockey League (WHL), van de Leest finished his WHL career with the Red Deer Rebels after spending four and a half seasons with the Calgary Hitmen.
During his time in Calgary, the 6’7 defenceman amassed 280 penalty minutes and 78 points across 221 regular season games. He was named the assistant captain for the 2020-21 season and stepped up to captain for the 2021-22 season until he was traded at the deadline to the Rebels. Van de Leest earned 10 points in the remaining 34 regular season games with the Rebels, helping them to the second round of the playoffs.
“I am thrilled to be coming to Halifax and Dalhousie,” says van de Leest. “I’m excited to bring my hardworking and physical game to the Tigers and can’t wait to become a part of the Dal campus!”
The Hitmen’s 2017-18 Scholastic Player of the Year, van de Leest will be studying management at Dalhousie.
“Anytime you have the opportunity to bring in a captain from a junior team, it will enhance your dressing room,” says Donnelly. “Jackson is a very smart puck-moving defenceman with the mobility and competitiveness to be strong defensively as well. He will complement our back end and add to the offensive ability of our team. Our team eagerly awaits the arrival of Jackson as a character person and a player who can play in all situations.”
The Tigers return to the ice on Wednesday, October 5 when they host Acadia in their home opener.