The AHL’s Colorado Eagles will have a new face behind the bench for the 2025-26 season.

Last week, Mark Letestu was named as the head coach of the Eagles, taking over for Aaron Schneekloth, who was named an assistant coach with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken.

Letestu spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. In that span, the Monsters compiled a 136-117-23-16 regular-season record from the 2021-22 to 2024-25 seasons. Additionally, the club qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs each of the last two campaigns, including capturing the North Division title in 2023-24 and advancing to the conference finals that year before falling to the eventual champion Hersey Bears.

“We’re excited to welcome Mark to the Avalanche and Eagles family,” said Avalanche assistant GM Kevin McDonald. “Mark has quickly established himself as an up-and-coming coach in the American Hockey League and we feel he’s the perfect fit to lead the Eagles moving forward.”

“I am very grateful to both the Avalanche and Eagles for this opportunity,” added Letestu. “I am excited and ready for this challenge to lead their AHL franchise. Thank you to the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland and Kevin McDonald for their trust in me, as well as a big thank you to Martin Lind, Ryan Bach and the entire Eagles organization. Most importantly, thanks to my family for all of their support throughout my playing career and now my coaching career. I can’t wait to get the season going.”

A center during his playing days, Letestu’s tenure with Cleveland saw the team boast a 60-point scorer in each of the last two seasons, while clearing 200 goals as a team all four campaigns – finishing as high as ninth in the AHL in 2023-24 with 233. That 2023-24 season also saw the team rank in the AHL’s top half in power-play percentage (20.7%, 11th) and power-play goals (62, 7th). The Monsters’ back-to-back Calder Cup Playoff berths marked the first time the franchise ever accomplished the feat.

Prior to his first pro coaching job in 2021-22, Letestu played parts of 14 seasons of professional hockey after being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 22, 2007. His pro career includes 567 regular-season games in the NHL with the Blue Jackets, Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. He registered 210 career points (93 goals, 117 assists) and added 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 36 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

The Elk Point, Alberta, native also suited up in 255 regular-season games in the AHL, six in the ECHL and seven in Sweden’s Allsvenskan league, giving him a total of 835 career regular-season games in professional leagues from 2006-20.

Letestu played one season at Western Michigan (2006-07), going for 46 points on 24 goals and 22 assists. He led the NCAA in short-handed goals and finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation in goals and No. 17 in total points. For his efforts, he was named the CCHA’s Rookie of the Year and was a CCHA All-Rookie Team honoree and then signed with the Penguins.

“I didn’t go to school with the intentions of playing in the NHL,” Letestu told wbspenguins.com. “I went with the intentions of getting a degree.”

He was tabbed the AJHL’s Most Valuable Player in 2005-06 after pacing the league with 105 points (50 goals, 55 assists) for the Bonnyville Pontiacs.

Photo/John Saraya

— Colorado Avalanche Staff

(July 5, 2025)