IOWA WILD RECALLS STEVIE LESKOVAR AND RILEY MERCER
Dec 18, 2025DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Wild General Manager Matt Hendricks today announced the American Hockey League (AHL) club has recalled defenseman Stevie Leskovar and goaltender Riley Mercer from the Iowa Heartlanders (ECHL).
Leskovar, 21 (9/9/04), has recorded a goal, 10 penalty minutes (PIM), and a minus-6 rating in 15 games with the Heartlanders this season. He also appeared in one contest with the Wild during the 2024-25 season.
Prior to his professional career, Leskovar recorded six points (1-5=6), 76 PIM, and a plus-6 rating in 35 games with the Brampton Steelheads (OHL) in 2024-25. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Cambridge, Ontario native accumulated 21 points (4-17=21), 243 PIM, and a plus-6 rating across 160 OHL games with the Peterborough Petes (2021-23), Mississauga Steelheads (2022-24), and Brampton (2024-25). Leskovar served as Brampton’s alternate captain during the 2024-25 season.
Leskovar was selected in the sixth round (#174 overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He wears sweater No. 44 with the Iowa Wild.
Mercer, 21 (3/31/04), is 6-9-0 with a 3.23 goals-against average (GAA) and a .893 save percentage (SV%) in 17 games with the Heartlanders this season.
Prior to his professional career, Mercer went 27-15-4 with a 2.53 GAA, a .925 SV% and five shutouts in 46 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junor Hockey League (QMJHL) this season, setting new career-bests in GAA and SV%. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound native of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, led the QMJHL in SV%, ranked T-1st in shutouts, third in GAA, fifth in saves and T-7th in wins.
Mercer set career-highs in games played and wins in the 2023-24 season with Drummondville, going 31-13-4 with a 2.53 GAA, a .905 SV% and two shutouts and ranked T-2nd in the QMJHL in wins. He helped lead Voltigeurs to a QMJHL Championship with a 16-2-1 record, a 1.89 GAA, a .934 SV% and one shutout in 19 postseason games. Mercer owns an 82-47-14 record with a 2.92 GAA, a .907 SV% and 10 shutouts in 150 career games with Drummondville over a span of five seasons (2020-25). He is 20-8 with a 2.81 GAA, a .910 SV% and two shutouts in 29 career postseason games (2023-25). Mercer is the franchise leader in wins, shutouts, shootout wins, games played and minutes, and his .907 career SV% also ranks first in team history.
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