“HELLO, LENO!!” the Washington Capitals wrote while announcing they had signed 20-year-old NCAA talent Ryan Leonard to a three-year entry-level contract. Even that entry-level salary almost touched a million for the Capitals top 10 NHL draft pick. Yet, everything happened in what seemed like a blur for the Boston College Eagles forward.
Despite his formidable form in front of the net, scoring 30 goals in 37 games this season, his team fell short in the NCAA Championships. Denver’s Matt Davis stopped 35 shots, allowing only one shot to get his gloves. Meanwhile, Denver bit back during the counters, ultimately knocking Boston out with a 3-1 win. And just as one dream shattered for Leonard, another one materialized.
Ryan Leonard pinched himself when he signed his NHL contract with the Capitals just a day after BC’s NCAA heartbreak. The 20-year-old still thought it was all a dream until he looked through the glass during his first lap in the Capitals’ colors. And right there, behind the screen, stood the debutant’s Eagles teammates. Leonard described the unforgettable and emotional moment after the game.
“First lap. I looked to my right, and there’s a couple of my teammates on the glass,” Leonard said during his first Capitals locker room interview. There stood the friends and teammates who believed in the hockey forward even when he didn’t. “They all told me it was going to happen, and they were going to be there, but it didn’t really sink in until that first lap,” confessed Leonard.
Ryan Leonard spoke about seeing his @BC_MHockey teammates during warmups: “First lap I looked to my right and there’s a couple of my teammates on the glass. They all told me it was going to happen and they were going to be there but it didn’t really sink in until that first lap.” pic.twitter.com/RMtyrEWLNf
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) April 2, 2025
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