Photo Credits: Charles Warburton
In hockey, the old saying is defence wins you championships. Although the Mississauga Steelheads don’t have a championship, they have a solid defensive group with Finn Harding, Parker Von Richter, Jakub Fibigr and Reed Gee.
The two defencemen who are the backbone for the Steelheads are the number one defence pair of captain Chas Sharpe and Stevie Leskovar.
For the first time in a long time, Mississauga has a one-two punch on defence since Stuart Percy and Dylan DeMelo.
I’ve mentioned in a previous article about Stevie Leskovar how he is fantastic in the defensive end and always uses his size and I compared him to Stuart Percy. But the more I watch Leskovar play his style reminds me of Dylan DeMelo. He is always finishing his checks, blocking shots and clearing the net for his goaltenders to see the puck.
The pairing of Leskovar and Sharpe is similar to Dylan DeMelo and Stuart Percy. Whenever those two paired up, they both knew what their jobs are to do.
DeMelo was an excellent, sound defensive player who could provide offence when need be but always knew that his number one priority was defence and stopping the opposition and wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, just like Leskovar.
Chase Sharpe provides a two-way game where he can be a threat in the offensive zone and can be a shutdown defenceman in his end. His similarities to Percy are his offence and size with a scoring ability. The most essential thing Sharpe brings to his club on and off the ice is his leadership. Sharpe brings the team together as they are a close group.
With Mississauga having a solid number one defence pairing in these two players, it is something the team has been missing for a long time. These two players will elevate their game in the playoffs and do whatever it takes to help the team win.
