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For BC star forward Ryan Leonard, the NHL will wait as he attends to unfinished business
The Amherst native's 31 goals are the most by a freshman in BC’s storied history.
Ryan Leonard had a decision to make last spring after his freshman season with the Boston College men’s hockey team.
Despite being selected by the Washington Capitals with the eighth pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Amherst native had been set on returning to Chestnut Hill for his sophomore year. That desire would be reinforced when the Eagles were stunned, 2-0, in the NCAA championship game by Denver. The big forward believed there was unfinished business for him.
But then the Capitals squeaked into the playoffs, and they wanted to sign Leonard. The thought of joining the team, possibly skating alongside Alex Ovechkin and making his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs, was tempting.
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Leonard certainly looked ready. His 31 goals were the most by a freshman in BC’s storied history, and were the third-most in the nation, trailing only teammate Cutter Gauthier (38) and Hobey Baker winner Macklin Celebrini (32), both of whom are in the NHL this season. Leonard scored four goals in his first two tournament games and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Providence Regional as he led BC back to the Frozen Four.
He considered his options over the course of a long night, sitting down with his older brother John, who starred at UMass before turning pro in 2020, and making a list of the pros and cons.
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“My head kind of went in a million different directions,” said Leonard. “I didn’t really know what to do.
“You just have to surround yourself with the ones that love you the most, who’ve always been by your side since the first day. Not a lot of sleep that night, honestly, but that pros-and-cons list really made it loud and clear that I wanted to come back for another year and have another push for a national championship.”
There is precedent. Michigan’s Owen Power and Matty Beniers were the first two picks of the 2021 draft, but returned for their sophomore season to lead the Wolverines to the 2022 Frozen Four. Both signed with the NHL that spring, with Hingham native Beniers winning Rookie of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
“The NHL is not a development league,” said BC coach Greg Brown. “They play up to 14 or 15 games a month. Practice time is limited, so you want your level to be high enough so that you can be that consistent for that many games, three or four games a week. And you also want to be there to be able to impact the game, not just survive.”
Within the program, both Matt Boldy and Alex Newhook played a second year at BC for the 2020-21 season before making the jump, and just last year Gauthier came back and thrived for the Eagles en route to being named a Hobey Baker finalist, playing not only on the power play but on the penalty kill as well. Leonard would like to follow that same path, and has already spoken to the coaching staff about being on the ice when the team is shorthanded.
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He also will be asked to take on more of a leadership role as BC welcomes another highly touted freshman class, which includes James Hagens, projected by many to be the top pick in the 2025 draft. Last week, Leonard was elected to serve as one of the alternate captains. Defenseman Eamon Powell is back as a graduate student and returns as captain.
Leonard seems ready for the challenge.
“It doesn’t matter who you are in the locker room,” said Leonard. “Everyone has a voice. I think it’s just being there for each other, me leading by example, doing the right thing, answering any questions that anyone has, and just trying to be the best leader for the team.”
Staying out of the penalty box and keeping his emotions in check would be a good start. In a game against Merrimack last season, his third-period goal gave the Eagles a 5-2 lead, after which he celebrated by screaming in the goalie’s face. That move earned him a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct, and a seat on the bench for the rest of the game.
“He led by example every day with his competitiveness as a freshman,” said Brown. “He’ll be called on this year to lead as a teammate as well.”
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Classmate Gabe Perreault is also back for the Eagles, but Lexington native Will Smith signed with the San Jose Sharks, breaking up the prolific freshman line that combined for 75 goals and 116 assists. Hagens could be slotted into Smith’s spot when the Eagles open the season this weekend at Michigan State.
“It doesn’t matter the players that left or the players that come in, our coaching staff is going to put together a team that wants to win a national championship,” said Leonard. “It starts with those first two out-of-conference games. We all know just how hard it is to get there, but you can’t really look too far in the future. You just kind of have to take it weekend by weekend.”
Spencer for hire?
It looks like Spencer Marquis will be back in net for Merrimack for Friday night’s game at Minnesota State. The student manager was between the pipes for Merrimack’s opener Sunday, making 22 saves in a 3-2 loss to Stonehill. The Brunswick, Maine, native was pressed into action after an injury and eligibility issues ruled out the three goalies on the roster. According to Mike McMahon from College Hockey Insider, projected starter Nils Walstrom is out of the lineup with an injury. Max Lundgren had to sit out last season and the first two games this year after dressing for one game in a pro league in Sweden, and freshman Ryan Keyes had a compliance issue pop up before the season. Merrimack has waivers pending with the NCAA for Lundgren and Keyes. If they’re not successful, Lundgren would still be eligible to play Saturday’s game at Minnesota State.
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