Interview with Brad Leeb (English)

Bradley " Brad" Leeb is a canadian hockey player who started his career in 1994 playing for the Red Deer Midget Chiefs in the Alberta Midget Hockey League.

After playing 4 full seasons with the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL (Western Hockey League) Brad signed in 1999-2000 with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent.  He appeared in 5 games with the Canucks while playing in the minor leagues  (AHL/ IHL)  for the next 3 seasons (Syracuse Crunch, Kansas City Blades and Manitoba Moose). 

In 2002-2003 Brad  was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs but played only 1 game for the Leafs. Mainly he played for the St. John´s Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies (both AHL). 

In 2007 Brad took over his career to Europe and played 2007-2008 for the ERC Ingolstadt (DEL)

In 2008-2009 signed with the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers (DEL) and is currently playing here. 

His older brother Greg is also currently playing for the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers - they are like the " Sedins of the DEL".

Question:  Brad, you have been in Germany since 2007 and have played more than 200 games in the DEL. How different is  the DEL from the AHL / NHL ,  what kind of level  has hockey over here ? 

Brad: It is hard to compare the DEL to the North American leagues of the NHL and AHL. There are definitely good players in all leagues.
The NHL is obviously the best hockey league in the world. The AHL has a lot of top prospects, but are mainly 20-25 year old players and are still developing. The DEL is a good league that has a lot of skilled players, and they have played at both the AHL and NHL levels.

Question: What was your biggest goal achieved in your hockey career so far ?
 

Brad: Ever since I started playing hockey, I always wanted to play in the NHL. It was a dream come true to play my first games with the Vancouver Canucks. Also it was special to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, because they were my Dad’s favorite team when he was growing up.

Question: What is on your plan for the season 2011/2012 ? 

Brad: Last year in Nuremberg we did not have a good finish to the season. My first goal would be for the team to improve on last year, get into the playoffs and win the first round. I do not want to look further than that right now. I think all this is very possible with our group of players and our coach.

Question:  If you would not be a pro hockey player – what other sports would you do? 

Brad: I enjoy playing golf, but I don’t think I would want to play golf professionally. I like to play golf to relax. Riding a cart and having a few beers is my idea of golfing!

Question:  You are the creator of betonhockey.com, a NHL handicapping website. Are you planning on your next career ? 

Brad: I would love to create a career as a sports handicapper, it is an industry that I enjoy. I have met a lot of people that do this for a living, and I am trying to learn from them. I plan to get more and more involved with my NHL hockey handicapping.

Question: What is the concept of betonhockey.com ? 

Brad: BetOnHockey.com is a hockey handicapping website with professional hockey players, and professional handicappers sharing predictions on upcoming hockey games. All the Free Prediction picks and articles are provided by current or former professional hockey players. The professional handicappers contributing to BetOnHockey.com are group of experts who provide sports picks, predictions, and information for those looking for a professional handicappers edge against the betting odds.

Question:  You are the world´s only NHL handicapper who actually has played in the NHL. New season starts next week, one of the opening games takes place in Berlin – Buffalo Sabres vs LA Kings.

What do you think about this game ? 

Brad: That is actually one of the games I will be handicapping, and I will be posting my official pick the day before the game. It is too early to give a good assessment of the matchup. I don’t like to make picks when teams still have other games to play. A lot can happen, either injuries or team starts to gain or loose confidence.

However, if I did need to pick right now I would lean towards the Buffalo Sabres. The LA Kings will have a good team this year but their best defenseman Drew Doughty missed training camp, and he is still getting into game form. He will play a lot for the Kings and may be rusty. I would also think the Sabres would have a ‘hometown’ advantage. Jochen Hecht and Christian Ehrhoff will be excited to play an NHL game in their home country. This excitement could easily rub off on their teammates. 

Question:  Let´s have a closer look – who looks good for the upcoming NHL season, who/what will have the most impact , maybe suspensions, insured players ? 

Brad: Suspensions will be a big topic of debate all season in the NHL. There have already been record suspensions given out during the NHL pre-season, and the NHL will probably do its best to maintain this consistency. Brendan Shanahan will have the hardest job in hockey all year long.

This will then effect how NHL bettors and handicappers look at games. One of the things I watch for is injuries because you want to know who is in/out of the lineup, and now you have to keep up with the current suspensions too. If you want to make smart NHL bets this year, watch who is in/out of the lineups.

As for players, I think Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Malkin will have strong seasons. I also expect Jeff Skinner to have a good year, and not any kind of sophomore slump. Also, Tomas Vokoun will make a big difference with the Washington Capitals.
 

Thank you very much for this interview Brad. We wish you and yours lots of health, happiness and joy.