Former Penguins forward Mark Letestu retires
Former Penguins forward Mark Letestu has retired after 11 seasons in the NHL.
A native of Elk Point, Alberta, Letestu, 35, appeared in 567 career games and scored 210 points (93 goals, 117 assists) with the Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
Undrafted out of Western Michigan, Letestu joined the Penguins on a two-year, two-way contract in 2007. After spending time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, he made his NHL debut in 2009-10.
By the 2010-11 campaign, an injury to third-line center Jordan Staal led to Letestu opening the season at the NHL level for the first time. Further injuries to first- and second-line centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin led to Letestu finishing that season as the Penguins’ de facto top center with an aging Alexei Kovalev and a developing James Neal on his wings.
In November of 2011, Letestu was traded to the Blue Jackets for a draft pick. Appearing in 85 career games for the Penguins over parts of three seasons, Letestu scored 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists).
A useful player who filled a variety of roles for the Blue Jackets and Oilers, Letestu joined the the Jets as an unrestricted free agent in the 2019 offseason but a bout with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, as well as the NHL’s pause in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic limited him to seven games and no points.
The Athletic first reported on Letestu’s retirement.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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