Igor Leonenko
Check Him Out
Important Achievements, Stats & More
Igor Leonenko, front right, of North Battleford North Stars, celebrates a goal in action during the SJHL showcase event at the Legends Arena in Warman, Monday, October. (Greg Pender/The StarPhoenix) Greg Pender / The StarPhoenix
The No. 1 seed and home-ice advantage throughout the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was sitting on the goal-line Tuesday for the Battlefords North Stars, who entered their game against the Humboldt Broncos just one win away from clinching first overall.
With three games remaining in their schedule and a game in hand on the second-place Melfort Mustangs, the North Stars entered Tuesday’s action with a 40-11-2-2 record and 84 points.
Melfort is next at 38-13-3-2 and 81 points.
“If we can get one win out of our next three, we’ll secure that (first overall) position,” North Stars head coach and GM Kevin Hasselberg was saying Tuesday.
“It’s been a goal of ours and I know our players are excited about the opportunity that they’ve given themselves to clinch on our terms and not someone else’s.
“Now we’ve just got to go out and earn it. Our players are just focused on a win and that will do it for us.”
First overall would mean that the Stars would play the lowest seed following the Survivor Series and, in theory, the most favorable matchup.
“I don’t know if there are any favorable matchups in this league, the way this league works, and how opponents prepare for each other, but just for the opportunity to start each series in our home rink is a privilege and something our fans deserve,” said Hasselberg.
“To earn that for them to see us at home on (series-opening night) is huge.”
The SJHL has unveiled its finalists for league awards.
The league finalists for the RBC Player of the Year are Austin Calladine of the Kindersl.
The three SJHL MVP finalists include goalies Jack Burgart of the Weyburn Red Wings (Viterra Division) and Kris Joyce of the La Ronge Ice Wolves (Sherwood Division) along with Battlefords North Stars hulking forward Igor Leonenko (Finning Division).
Leonenko entered Tuesday’s game with 43 goals and 41 assists for 84 points, second only to Travis Mayan of the Melfort Mustangs.
.SJHL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Igor Leonenko of the North Stars is the SJHL player of the week after picking up 10 points in three games.
Ochapowace native Kirk Bear of the Mustangs earns top D-man honors with two goals and three assists in two games.
Igor befriends Alexandr Ivanovich Medvedev, the current President of Kontinental Hockey, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Directors of Russian energy firm Gazprom.
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin (Russian: Alexei V. Yashin) is a Russian former professional ice hockey centerman who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. He also played nine seasons in the Russian Superleague (RSL) and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for Dynamo Moscow, CSKA Moscow, Lokomoti Yaroslavl, and St. Petersburg.
It’s 6 AM and Igor Leonenko just returned home after an hour's jog along with the beautiful Santa Cruz, California ocean.
The frame and stature of Igor at 6’ 4.5” and 225 lbs., is imposing.
Igor put on skates and grabbed a stick just after learning to walk. A valued member of the Belarus National team, like others, Igor has come to the West and is now making a name for himself as pointed out in the article “Belarusian Import Leonenko a Hot Commodity.”
In 2012-2013 with the San Jose Junior Sharks League, Igor was the top scorer with 21 points.
He laughingly says, “If I could speak English, maybe I would have more!”
He can’t praise his teammates enough for their patience and accepting him as one of their own.
As of April 2016, Igor finished a two-season of record playing, helping to bring the Battlefords North Stars of Saskatchewan Canada to the league playoffs for the SJHL cup. Fighting hard for the final they lost in double overtime to Flin Flon Bombers. Igor's statistics and performance for the season were phenomenal.
He already has a growing fan club in Santa Cruz, where his mom, Svetlana lives.
