John Gerard Leonard (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player for the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL) as a prospect to the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). Leonard was selected 182nd overall by the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in the
2018 NHL Entry Draft
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the 56th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 22–23, 2018, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the second of two professional sports drafts to be held in the Dalla ...
.
Playing career
Leonard was originally first eligible to be drafted in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, but was not selected while playing for the
Green Bay Gamblers of the
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...
. After two years with the Gamblers, Leonard joined the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...
("UMass"), playing for their ice hockey team, the
UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen are the athletic teams that represent the University of Massachusetts Amherst; strictly speaking, the ''Minutemen'' nickname applies to men's teams and athletes only — women's teams and athletes are known as ...
while studying Communications and Sport Management.
While with the Minutemen, Leonard caught the attention of the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
, who drafted him in the sixth round, 182nd overall in the
2018 NHL Entry Draft
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the 56th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 22–23, 2018, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the second of two professional sports drafts to be held in the Dalla ...
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
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton Universit ...
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
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mul ...
on January 14, 2021, playing on a line with
Evander Kane
Evander Frank Kane (born August 2, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San J ...
and
Tomáš Hertl
Tomáš Hertl (born 12 November 1993) is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hertl was selected 17th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Sharks. He i ...
.
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
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
third-round pick at the
2022 NHL Entry Draft
The 2022 NHL Entry Draft was the 60th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on July 7–8, 2022, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Montreal were originally scheduled to host the 2020 draft but were unable to do so due to the COVID-19 pandem ...
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 season.
Personal life
Leonard was born on August 7, 1998 to parents John and Cindy Leonard. He has three siblings.
John Sr. was an assistant coach for the
UMass Minutemen basketball
The UMass Minutemen basketball team represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. They play their home games in the William D. Mullins Memorial Center. The Minutemen cur ...
team between 2001 and 2005.
Career statistics
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
1998 births
Living people
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
American men's ice hockey left wingers
Green Bay Gamblers players
Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
Milwaukee Admirals players
Nashville Predators players
San Jose Barracuda players
San Jose Sharks draft picks
San Jose Sharks players
Sportspeople from Amherst, Massachusetts
UMass Minutemen ice hockey players
Isenberg School of Management alumni
University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni
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