The Vancouver Sun
September 19, 2001
By Brad Ziemer

If you're a Vancouver Canuck prospect, all that's been missing from the side of the Burnaby 8-Rinks complex for the last week or so is a large No Vacancy sign.

The Canucks seem to have depth in spades, which is a good thing for the organization. And not such a good thing if you're part of the waist-deep pool of talent trying to crack the big team's lineup at training camp.

Take forward Brad Leeb, for example. Leeb, by all accounts, has acquitted himself quite nicely at the team's camp. Head coach Marc Crawford has on several occasions complimented the 22-year-old Red Deer native for his fine play.

But barring a major trade or injury, it seems a sure bet that Leeb and many other talented youngsters the Canucks have under contract will be heading to Winnipeg at month's end, where they will become members of the Manitoba Moose and continue to wait their turn.

With last season's Canuck team returning virtually intact, it's become a huge task for players like Leeb to crack the lineup. Leeb recognizes the position he's in but insists he doesn't spend his time away from the rink wishing he was with another organization that perhaps had more NHL openings.

"I don't think you can do that," Leeb said Tuesday. "If you start doing that you might as well go somewhere else. There is a lot of talent and lot of depth on this team and I think that's good for the organization and good for the team. It's good to have that competitiveness. It pushes guys like me to try and get in there and get a spot.

"There's that business side of it and obviously that's something you can't control. It is kind of frustrating to a point but you can't control that."

Leeb's road to the NHL figured to have a few twists and turns. Despite a solid junior career in Red Deer, where he twice registered more than 80 points, he was not drafted.

The Canucks signed him as a free agent in October 1999 and he has spent the past two seasons -- save a two-game call-up by the Canucks in December 1999 -- with the team's minor league affiliate. Last season, he scored 18 goals and had 34 points in 53 games with Kansas City.

"It's been shown before that people who don't get drafted can play at this level, so that's what I'm trying to do," he said.

Leeb's strength is his speed. If there a down-side it's his size. He's just 5'11" and 180 pounds.

"I think my consistency and my speed are definitely my assets," he said.

"Obviously I'm not going to be a big physical presence so I have to use my smarts, my speed and my shot. I just have to learn to be a complete player, work both ends of the ice and not be a liability."

Crawford said Tuesday that Leeb has done a nice job of that. But he hasn't been alone. Crawford has been impressed with a number of the team's young players who are pushing the veterans in camp.

"Competition is especially good when we get to this portion of our training camp which is now the exhibition schedule because we are not beating up on each other now, we're hopefully competing hard against the opposition teams," Crawford said. "I don't believe size is a factor with Brad at all. He's a powerful young man and the difference between Brad now three years into his pro career and when he came here is his size. He's more fully developed now. He was a kid when he came here and probably at that time size was a factor because he wasn't quite strong enough to battle against some of the NHL defencemen, but his power is good enough now."

As a player, Crawford relied on grit and a solid work ethic to play his six seasons in the NHL. He has a certain amount of empathy for youngsters like Leeb who are trying to get their chance to play in the NHL. The message he likes to deliver to them is that other teams are also watching their progress.

"Players are always understanding that they have to do the best they possibly can to enhance their chances with their own team," Crawford said.

"But they also are being watched by 29 other teams and the beauty of the NHL is that it's not the way it was in the old six-team league where you could bury guys. You can't bury guys anymore.

"The cream does rise to the top and eventually players do get their opportunity. But they don't get it unless they work and unless they show they can help other teams and really progress."

Leeb, who won't have to clear waivers until next year, said that's the exact mindset he and some of his young colleagues have brought to camp.

"Obviously you are always trying to impress and show everybody that you are ready to move up," said Leeb. "We've actually talked about it in the room. You don't want to miss an opportunity to impress people and I think that's the position I'm in right now."



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