John Leonard (ice hockey)
| John Leonard | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
August 7, 1998 Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
San Jose Sharks San Jose Barracuda (AHL) | ||
| NHL Draft |
182nd overall, 2018 San Jose Sharks | ||
| Playing career | 2021–present | ||
John Gerard Leonard (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey player for the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Leonard was selected 182nd overall by the Sharks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career[]
Leonard was originally first eligible to be drafted in 2016, but was not selected while playing for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. After two years with the Gamblers, Leonard joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst ("UMass"), playing for their ice hockey team, the UMass Minutemen while studying Communications and Sport Management.[1] While with the Minutemen, Leonard caught the attention of the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him in the sixth round, 182nd overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft despite not having any contact with Leonard during the predraft process.[2] In his third year at UMass, Leonard was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and lead all NCAA players in goals, with 27.[3]
On March 31, 2020, Leonard decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility and was signed to a three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks.[4] Leonard made the opening night roster and made his NHL debut against the Arizona Coyotes on January 14, 2021, playing on a line with Evander Kane and Tomáš Hertl.[5] Leonard posted two points in his debut, assisting on goals by both his linemates, helping the Sharks to a 4–3 shootout victory.[5] His first goal came in a 3–2 win over the Anaheim Ducks February 15, 2021.[6]
Personal life[]
Leonard was born on August 7, 1998 to parents John and Cindy Leonard. He has three siblings: Ryan, Brianna, and Alyssa.[1] John Sr. was an assistant coach for the UMass Minutemen basketball team between 2001 and 2005.[1]
Career statistics[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | Springfield Cathedral High | USHS-Prep | 25 | 47 | 28 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 48 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 58 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | UMass-Amherst | HE | 33 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | UMass-Amherst | HE | 40 | 16 | 22 | 40 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | UMass-Amherst | HE | 33 | 27 | 10 | 37 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 44 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 44 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honours[]
| Award or Honour | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| Second All-Star Team (East) | 2019 | |
| First All-American Team (East) | 2020 | |
| First All-Star Team (Hockey East) | 2020 | |
| Three Stars Award (Hockey East) | 2020 | |
| Best Forward (New England) | 2020 | |
| Most Goals | 2020 | [3] |
References[]
- ^ a b c "John Leonard". University of Massachusetts Amherst. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ Grabowski, Kyle (January 15, 2021). "Work ethic brought John Leonard from Amherst to the NHL". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Walfish, Josh (April 3, 2020). "UMass junior forward John Leonard's scoring ability takes him to the front step of NHL". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "Leonard agrees to join Sharks, led NCAA in goals". National Hockey League. March 31, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Sharks' John Leonard: Impresses in NHL debut". CBS Sports. January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
- ^ "Leonard Scores First Career Goal Against Anaheim". National Hockey League. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
External links[]
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
 | This biographical article relating to an American ice hockey center is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- 1998 births
- Living people
- American men's ice hockey left wingers
- Green Bay Gamblers players
- Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
- San Jose Barracuda players
- San Jose Sharks draft picks
- San Jose Sharks players
- Sportspeople from Amherst, Massachusetts
- UMass Minutemen ice hockey players
- AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
- American ice hockey center stubs