Meet our Ambassadors

Mark Letestu

The St. Paul Canadiens Alumni Foundation is delighted to welcome another incredible ambassador to our Alumni Board, joining the ranks of Shawn Germain, Rene Desaulniers, Dennis Zukiwsky, and Rob Litwinski.

Introducing Mark Letestu. As they say “Once a St. Paul Jr. Canadien, you are a Canadien for life.” Mark played as a 16 year old, winning the league scoring title in the North Eastern Alberta Junior Hockey League. Mark went on to have a distinguished career in hockey, marked by his progression from junior leagues and college hockey to the NHL. He played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets. Here’s a summary of his career:

Junior and College Career:

• Mark played one season for the St. Paul Jr. Canadiens in 2001-02 as a League top scorer, Rookie of the year and team MVP.
• Mark played three seasons with the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), leading the league in scoring with 105 points in the 2005-06 season and being named the AJHL’s most valuable player.
• He played the 2006-07 season at Western Michigan University, finishing 6th in goals, 14th in points, and 1st in short-handed goals in the NCAA.

Professional Career:

• Pittsburgh Penguins: Letestu was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007. He played primarily with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, before making his NHL debut in 2009. He scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2010, against the Buffalo Sabres.
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Traded to the Blue Jackets in 2011, Letestu became a key player and served as an alternate captain during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
• Edmonton Oilers: Letestu signed with the Oilers in 2015. He had a career-high season in 2016-17, scoring 16 goals and 35 points.
• Return to Columbus: Traded back to the Blue Jackets in 2018, Letestu participated in the playoffs but was eliminated in the first round.
• Winnipeg Jets: After a brief stint with the Florida Panthers on a PTO, Letestu signed with the Jets in 2019, finishing his NHL career there.

Notable Moments:

• Scoring his first NHL goal against the Buffalo Sabres.
• Being a key player in the Blue Jackets’ lineup and serving as an alternate captain.
• Achieving career-high goals and points with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016-17 season.

Mark’s career reflects his resilience and adaptability, making significant contributions to each team he played for in the NHL. Mark is currently an Assistant Coach for the Cleveland Monsters.

Mark, our St. Paul Canadiens Alumni Foundation and all our alumni are thrilled to have you back with us. We look forward to working with you to celebrate our upcoming 70th season and to continue the success of this proud franchise. Welcome on board, Mark!

On behalf of our Alumni Board.

Shawn Germain

• Played for the Canadiens during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 (2001 Best Defenceman and Playoff MVP)
• 2 seasons in the BCHL (2001-2003) with the Chilliwack Chiefs (2002 Most Improved, Most Dedicated. 2003 Best Defenceman, Most Dedicated Player)
• 2 years of University hockey (1 with the Grant Macewan Griffins and the other with the Waterloo Warriors in Ontario – 2004-2005 OUA most sportsmanlike player)
• 6 year pro career
  • Oklahoma City Blazers -CHL – (2005-2006 most improved player)
  • Reading Royals – ECHL – (2006-2007 & 2007-2008 Best Defenseman)
  • Hershey Bears – AHL – call up in 2006
  • Ontario Reign – ECHL – 2011 Player of the Year
• 2012 Allan Cup Best Defenceman (Rosetown Redwings)
• Head Coach of the St. Paul Canadiens from 2019-2022 (2019-2020  NEAJBHL Coach of the Year)
• Asst Coach of the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings (2022-2023 ACAC Champions)
• Current Assistant Coach of the Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)

• Twenty-nine years working in amateur hockey, 18 as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hockey Alberta.
• Previously worked with Hockey Canada in Ottawa and Calgary for seven years in the areas of Marketing/Events and Regulations/Administration.
• Volunteer experience includes multiple years coaching hockey, softball.
• Currently sit as a Director on the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation Board.
• Former board member of the Red Deer and District Community Foundation and inaugural Central Sport Board.
• Born and raised in St. Paul, played minor hockey in St. Paul from age 6 to 17 and member of St. Paul Junior B Canadiens 1991-92 and 1992-93.
• Diploma in Recreation Administration from Red Deer College and BA in Recreation Administration Degree from University of Alberta.
• Reside in Red Deer, married to Marie (26 years) and have three children, Brooke (21), Cameron (19), Avynn (17).

Rob Litwinski

Dennis Zukiwsky

• Currently Chairman Hockey Alberta Foundation
• 2019 Chairmen Men’s Hockey Canada Games Red Deer
• 2007 honoured by Hockey Alberta as one of the top 100 hockey contributors in Hockey Alberta’s first 100 years
• 1995-96 chaired Hockey Canada  research project on Removal of the Redline ( eliminating the two line-offside pass) , adopted in 1996-97 in all of Hockey in Canada and the NHL
• 1981 became Level V coach National Coaching Certification Program
• Coach St Paul Jr. Canadiens 1977-79. 1982-83
• Player St Paul Jr. Canadiens 1965-6

• Born and raised in Lafond Alberta.
• Played with the Canadians in the early 70’s and we were considered one of  the best teams ever assembled in Franchise History.
• The 1970-71 season we won the League Championship and Provincials.
• To this day he continues to play hockey.

Rene Desaulniers

Louis-David Fournier

• Hi, I’m Louis-David Fournier, and I’m very happy to join the St. Paul Canadiens Alumni Foundation as an Ambassador. I played for the Canadiens as a defenseman for two seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Originally from Quebec, moving to Alberta was a big change for me, but I’m extremely grateful I landed in St. Paul. The organization and the community welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home. I met incredible people during my time here, which helped me grow immensely as a person.

  One of my fondest memories was during my second season when I had the chance to play alongside the Montreal Canadiens alumni during their game against our St. Paul Jr. Canadiens alumni. Growing up in Quebec as a huge Canadiens fan, playing with legends I admired was a dream come true, made possible by the Alumni Foundation. I’m excited to join the board and give back to the community and organization that has given me so much