Quick Facts
LeoBiography
John Gerard Leonard (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional ice hockey player under contract to the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Leonard was drafted in the sixth round, 182nd overall, by the San Jose 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. 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. In his third year at UMass, Leonard was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and lead all NCAA players in goals, with 27.
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. 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. Leonard posted two points in his debut, assisting on goals by both his linemates, helping the Sharks to a 4–3 shootout victory. His first goal came in a 3–2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on February 15, 2021.
After his second full professional season within the Sharks organization, on July 8, 2022, Leonard was traded along with a 2023 third-round pick at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Luke Kunin. On July 18, 2022, Leonard was signed as a restricted free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators for the 2022–23 season.
Personal life
Leonard was born on August 7, 1998, to parents John and Cindy Leonard. He has three siblings. His brother, Ryan, is committed to play college ice hockey at Boston College. His father, John Sr., was an assistant coach for the UMass Minutemen basketball team between 2001 and 2005.
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 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Barracuda | AHL | 45 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 67 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 64 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
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 | |