Brian Leetch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Position | Defense |
| Shot | Left |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg/13 st 3 lb) |
| Pro clubs | New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Boston Bruins |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | March 3, 1968 , Corpus Christi, TX, U.S. |
| NHL Draft | 9th overall, 1986 New York Rangers |
| Pro career | 1987 – 2006 |
Brian Leetch (born March 3, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in 18 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He is generally considered one of the top defensemen in NHL history, being particularly noted for his offense and playmaking abilities.
Leetch accumulated many individual honors during his 18-year career. He was a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's best defenseman (1992, 1997) and remains the only American-born winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP for his brilliant play during the Rangers' run to the 1994 Stanley Cup Championship. He is one of only five NHL defensemen to score 100 points in a season with his 102-point campaign in 1991–92. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year in 1989 and his 23 goals that season remain an NHL record for rookie defensemen. Leetch's number 2 was retired by the Rangers on January 24, 2008. During the ceremony, longtime teammate Mark Messier referred to Leetch as the "Greatest Ranger of All Time".
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[edit] Early life
Although he was born in Texas, his family moved from there 3 months after he was born, eventually settling in Cheshire, Connecticut. This is where the youngster would begin to hone his hockey skills at a local ice rink managed by his father. In high school he excelled in baseball and hockey, first at Cheshire High School, and then at Avon Old Farms. As a sophomore, his 90-mph fastball helped the Cheshire Rams baseball team to a state championship and, as a senior at Avon Old Farms, he set the school record for strikeouts in a game with 19. The sport of hockey, however, is where he really excelled. As a sophomore at Cheshire, he scored 53 goals and 50 assists. In 2 seasons with Avon Old Farms he scored 70 goals and 90 assists in 54 games. These numbers were especially remarkable for a defenseman. NHL scouts were starting to take notice and the New York Rangers chose Leetch as their first-round pick (9th overall) in 1986. Following in the footsteps of his father Jack, Brian enrolled at Boston College in the fall of 1986, and, like his father, would become an All-American defenseman for the Eagles.
[edit] Playing career
After one season at Boston College he played for the 1988 US Olympic team, then made his NHL debut (originally wearing number 6) with the New York Rangers in 1988, scoring 14 points in 17 games. In his first full year in 1988, he notched 71 points, including a rookie defenseman-record 23 goals, winning the Calder Trophy as well as being selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
As the Rangers slowly developed into a championship-caliber team, Leetch won increasing respect from fans for his quiet demeanor and entertaining, offensive-minded play. In 1992 he became the fifth defenseman in history, and the only American defenseman, to record 100 points in a season and was awarded the Norris Trophy. Leetch was the last NHL defenseman to record 100 points in a season. In 1994 he again matched his career high of 23 goals in the regular season as the Rangers won the Presidents Trophy. That year the Rangers' 54-year championship drought ended with a 7-game Stanley Cup victory over the Vancouver Canucks; Leetch became the first non-Canadian to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, and remains the only American to win this award.
Following the Rangers' Cup win in 1994, Leetch remained a fan favorite and team leader, serving as Captain from 1997–2000 after the departure of Mark Messier to the Vancouver Canucks (he would hand back the captaincy to Messier upon his return to the Rangers in 2000). In 1997 he again won the Norris Trophy and the Rangers made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers. The next years, however, were marked by disappointing team performances that saw the Rangers miss the playoffs every year. After the especially unsuccessful 2004 campaign, the Rangers traded most of their high-priced veterans; Leetch was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the trade deadline for prospects Maxim Kondratiev, Jarkko Immonen, a first-round pick in the 2004 draft, which became Lauri Korpikoski, and a second-round pick in 2005, which became Michael Sauer.
After the 2004–05 lockout, Leetch was signed by the Boston Bruins to a one-year, $4-million contract. During this season with the Bruins, he scored his 1,000th career point.
In 1998, he was ranked number 71 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
During most of the 2006–07 season Leetch received contract offers from nearly every NHL team,[1] but accepted none, although he made no formal announcement pertaining to his status as a player. On May 24, 2007, Brian Leetch officially announced his retirement, ending an 18-year career.[2]
On September 18, 2007 Leetch was announced one of the four recipients of the 2007 Lester Patrick Trophy.[3]
On January 24, 2008, the New York Rangers retired Leetch's number 2 jersey, joining fellow 1994 Stanley Cup Champion teammates Mark Messier and Mike Richter, as well as Rod Gilbert and Eddie Giacomin in the rafters of Madison Square Garden.[4] Leetch also had the honor of announcing during his ceremony that the New York Rangers will retire his friend and former teammate Adam Graves' number during the 2008–09 season, joining Brian and the other greats above the Garden ice.[5]
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1983–84 | Cheshire | HS | 28 | 52 | 49 | 101 | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1984–85 | Avon Old Farms | HS | 26 | 30 | 46 | 76 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1985–86 | Avon Old Farms | HS | 28 | 40 | 44 | 84 | 18 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston College | NCAA | 37 | 9 | 38 | 47 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1987–88 | New York Rangers | NHL | 17 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 23 | 48 | 71 | 50 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1989–90 | New York Rangers | NHL | 72 | 11 | 45 | 56 | 26 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1990–91 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 16 | 72 | 88 | 42 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1991–92 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 22 | 80 | 102 | 26 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 4 | ||
| 1992–93 | New York Rangers | NHL | 36 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 26 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1993–94 | New York Rangers | NHL | 84 | 23 | 56 | 79 | 67 | 23 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 6 | ||
| 1994–95 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 15 | 70 | 85 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 20 | 58 | 78 | 40 | 15 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 1997–98 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1998–99 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 13 | 42 | 55 | 42 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999–00 | New York Rangers | NHL | 50 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000–01 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 21 | 58 | 79 | 34 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 10 | 45 | 55 | 28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | New York Rangers | NHL | 51 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Rangers | NHL | 57 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 15 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 61 | 5 | 27 | 32 | 36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| NHL Totals | 1205 | 247 | 781 | 1028 | 571 | 95 | 28 | 69 | 97 | 36 | ||||
[edit] International career
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's Ice Hockey | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 2002 Salt Lake City | Ice Hockey | |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ NHL.com, Leetch: Remember me as a Ranger
- ^ TSN.ca, Leetch officially retires from NHL
- ^ NHL.com, Leetch, Granato, Fischler and Halligan selected as recipients of 2007 Lester Patrick Award
- ^ Rangers raise Leetch's No. 2 to rafters of Madison Square Garden
- ^ No. 2 Goes to The Garden Rafters; No. 9 Next
[edit] External links
- Brian Leetch night - Tribute page
- Brian's U.S. Olympic Team bio
- Brian Leetch's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Mark Messier |
New York Rangers captains 1997-2000 |
Succeeded by Mark Messier |
| Preceded by Chris Chelios |
Winner of the Norris Trophy 1997 |
Succeeded by Rob Blake |
| Preceded by Patrick Roy |
Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy 1994 |
Succeeded by Claude Lemieux |
| Preceded by Ray Bourque |
Winner of the Norris Trophy 1992 |
Succeeded by Chris Chelios |
| Preceded by Joe Nieuwendyk |
Winner of the Calder Trophy 1989 |
Succeeded by Sergei Makarov |
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