Brian Leetch

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Brian Leetch

| halloffame = 2009

| image = Brian Leetch New York Rangers 1997 Vancouver.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Leetch with the New York Rangers in 1997

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|3|3}}

| birth_place = Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 185

| position = Defense

| shoots = Left

| played_for = New York Rangers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Boston Bruins

| ntl_team = USA

| draft = 9th overall

| draft_year = 1986

| draft_team = New York Rangers

| career_start = 1987

| career_end = 2006

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

}}

Brian Joseph Leetch (born March 3, 1968) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He has been called one of the top defensemen in NHL history.

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 was the first American-born winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for his performance during the Rangers' run to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship. Leetch is one of only six 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 single "Greatest Ranger of All Time." Leetch was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 2009, his first year of eligibility. In 2017 Leetch was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.{{cite web|title=100 Greatest NHL Players|url=https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players|website=NHL.com|access-date=January 27, 2017|date=January 27, 2017}} He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023.

Biography

=Early life=

Leetch was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but was raised in Cheshire, Connecticut, where his family moved when he was three months old. He first learned to play hockey at a local ice rink managed by his father, Jack. In high school, he starred in baseball and hockey, first at Cheshire High School, and then at Avon Old Farms. As a sophomore, Leetch's 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. Hockey, however, was the sport in which he most excelled. As a sophomore at Cheshire, he scored 53 goals and 50 assists, earning All-state honors.[http://www.iwasallstate.com/WinterSports/BoysIceHockey/IceHockeyAllStateTeams/1980s/1984/tabid/246/Default.aspx 1984 Connecticut All-State Ice Hockey]

In two seasons with Avon Old Farms, Leetch 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, making him the first player drafted that year who did not play major junior hockey. 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.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hartford-courant-leetch-has-more-goals-r/149637819/ |title=Leetch has more goals remaining |first=Tom |last=Yantz |newspaper=Hartford Courant |page=42 |date=1987-05-29 |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=Newspapers.com}}

=Playing career=

After one season at Boston College, he played for the US Olympic team at the 1988 Games in Calgary, making his NHL debut, eight days later, with the New York Rangers on February 29, 1988, versus St. Louis. Leetch tallied his first NHL point in the game with an assist on Kelly Kisio's goal. He finished out the 1987-88 season with 14 points in 17 games. In his first full NHL season (1988-89), Leetch notched 71 points, including a rookie defenseman-record 23 goals, winning the Calder Memorial 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 for a season until Erik Karlsson reached the mark in {{NHL Year|2022}}. On March 21, 1993, Leetch suffered a broken ankle after slipping on black ice after stepping out of a cab.{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2015/02/07/lundqvist-isnt-alone-the-injuries-that-altered-rangers-history/ |title=Lundqvist isn't alone: The injuries that altered Rangers' history |last=Brooks |first=Larry |work=New York Post |date=February 7, 2015 |access-date=November 7, 2022}} The injury caused Leetch to miss the rest of the season, prompting a Rangers slump that caused them to miss the playoffs. 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 seven-game Stanley Cup Finals victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Leetch became the first non-Canadian to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, and remained the only American to do so until Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins in 2011. Leetch was the second player in NHL history (after Bobby Orr) to win the Calder Trophy, the Norris Trophy, and the Conn Smythe Trophy in his career. Only Cale Makar has matched this feat since.

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 return the captaincy to Messier upon Messier's return to the Rangers in 2000).

In 1996, Leetch captained the victorious American team at the inaugural World Cup of Hockey.

File:Brian Leetch New York Rangers 1997.jpg

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 Rangers==

In 1998, Leetch was ranked 71st on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/the-top-100-nhl-players-of-all-time-throwback-style|title=The Top 100 NHL players of all-time, throwback style |last=Kay|first=Jason|work=The Hockey News|access-date=2018-02-08}} On June 30, 2003, as a pending free agent, his rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Jussi Markkanen and a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft. The Oilers did not sign him, and he signed a two-year contract to return to the Rangers a month later.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/31/sports/hockey-the-rangers-sign-leetch-to-a-two-year-contract.html|title=Hockey; The Rangers Sign Leetch To a Two-Year Contract |work=The New York Times |last=Litsky |first=Frank |date=July 31, 2003 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |url-access=subscription}} 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 Kris Chucko (pick was later traded to the Calgary Flames), and a second-round pick in 2005, which became Michael Sauer.

Leetch was set to play the 2004–05 season with the Maple Leafs; however, due to the 2004–05 lockout, the last year of his contract expired, and he became a free agent. Leetch signed a one-year, $4-million contract with the Boston Bruins before the 2005–06 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2123660 |title=Bruins sign defenseman Leetch to one-year deal |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=August 3, 2005 |access-date=November 7, 2022}} Although the Bruins failed to make the postseason, Leetch scored his 1,000th career point as a member of the team.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/montreal-beats-bruins-4-3-leetch-notches-1000th-point/c-447032 |title=Montreal beats Bruins, 4-3; Leetch notches 1,000th point |publisher=NHL.com |access-date=November 7, 2022}}

Throughout the 2006–07 season, Leetch received contract offers from several NHL teams, but accepted none.{{cite web |publisher=NHL.com |url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=310882&page=NewsPage&service=page |title=Leetch: Remember me as a Ranger}}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/25/sports/hockey/25leetch.html |title=Brian Leetch Retires From Hockey |work=The New York Times |last=Zinser |first=Lynn |date=May 25, 2007 |access-date=November 7, 2022}} On May 24, 2007, Leetch officially announced his retirement, bringing his 18-year NHL career to an end.{{cite web |publisher=TSN.ca |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208719 |title=Leetch officially retires from NHL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331201707/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208719 |archive-date=2008-03-31 |agency=The Canadian Press}}

On September 18, 2007 Leetch was announced as one of the four recipients of the 2007 Lester Patrick Trophy.{{cite web |publisher=NHL.com |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/leetch-granato-fischler-and-halligan-selected-as-recipients-of-2007-lester-patrick-award/c-372455 |title=Leetch, Granato, Fischler and Halligan selected as recipients of 2007 Lester Patrick Award|access-date=June 9, 2023}}{{cite web |agency=The Canadian Press |title=Leetch, Cammi Granato Among 4 Winners of Lester Patrick Award |url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/leetch-cammi-granato-among-4-winners-of-lester-patrick-award|work=The Hockey News |access-date=22 December 2017 |date=November 7, 2007}}

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. On that night, his friend, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees congratulated Leetch for the honor of having his number retired with a video that ended with Jeter saying "So congratulations, from one number 2 to another."{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/rangers-raise-leetchs-no-2-to-rafters-of-madison-square-garden/c-351151 |title=Rangers raise Leetch's No. 2 to rafters of Madison Square Garden |publisher=NHL.com|access-date=June 9, 2023}} Leetch also had the honor of announcing during his ceremony that the New York Rangers would retire his friend and former teammate Adam Graves' number during the 2008–09 season, joining Leetch and the other greats above the Madison Square Gardens ice.{{cite web |url=http://rangers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=20392 |title=No. 2 Goes to The Garden Rafters; No. 9 Next |publisher=New York Rangers |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127160404/http://rangers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=20392 |archive-date=January 27, 2008}}

On October 10, 2008, both Leetch and Richter were inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Denver.{{cite web |last1=Eichel |first1=Matt |title=US Hockey Hall Of Fame Inducts Richter, Leetch, and Hull |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/46866-us-hockey-hall-of-fame-inducts-richter-leetch-and-hull |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=16 February 2022}} Both of them also played for the silver medal-winning U.S. ice hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics.{{cite web |title=The new Hall of Famers |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/the-new-hall-of-famers/c-385969 |publisher=NHL.com |access-date=16 February 2022}}

On June 23, 2009, it was announced that Leetch would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was honored during the November 6–9 induction weekend alongside Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/ind09prolog.htm#1styears|title=Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees|date=June 23, 2009|access-date=June 23, 2009 |work=Legends of Hockey |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706135908/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/ind09prolog.htm#1styears|archive-date=July 6, 2010}} The induction made it the third year in a row that a member of the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup team has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, following Messier in 2007 and Glenn Anderson in 2008, who was also inducted along with one of the on-ice officials when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, Ray Scapinello.

In August 2015 Leetch became manager of player safety in the NHL's Department of Player Safety, leaving after one season.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/leetch-burke-join-nhl-department-of-player-safety/c-680736|title=Leetch, Burke join NHL Department of Player Safety|access-date=September 17, 2016|publisher=NHL.com|date=August 22, 2013}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1983–84	Cheshire High School	HS	28	52	49	101	24	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1984–85	Avon Old Farms	HS	26	30	46	76	15	—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Avon Old Farms	HS	28	40	44	84	18	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1986–87	Boston College	HE	37	9	38	47	10	—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	United States	Intl	50	13	61	74	38	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 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
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 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
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 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	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1993–94	New York Rangers	NHL	84	23	56	79	27	23	11	23	34	6
1994–95	New York Rangers	NHL	48	9	32	41	18	10	6	8	14	8
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 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
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1997–98	New York Rangers	NHL	76	17	33	50	32	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	New York Rangers	NHL	82	13	42	55	42	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1999–2000	New York Rangers	NHL	50	7	19	26	20	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	New York Rangers	NHL	82	21	58	79	34	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2001–02	New York Rangers	NHL	82	10	45	55	28	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	New York Rangers	NHL	51	12	18	30	20	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 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
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2005–06	Boston Bruins	NHL	61	5	27	32	36	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 1,205 ! 247 ! 781 ! 1,028 ! 571 ! 95 ! 28 ! 69 ! 97 ! 36

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em"

align="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! rowspan="99" align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

1985

|United States

|WJC

| 7

| 0

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|1986

| United States

| WJC

| 7

| 1

| 4

| 5

| 2

1987

| United States

| WJC

| 7

| 1

| 2

| 3

| 6

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|1987

|United States

|WC

| 10

| 4

| 5

| 9

| 4

1988

| United States

|OG

| 6

| 1

| 5

| 6

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|1989

| United States

| WC

| 10

| 3

| 4

| 7

| 4

1991

| United States

|CC

| 7

| 1

| 3

| 4

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|1996

| United States

|WCH

| 7

| 0

| 7

| 4

1998

| United States

| OG

| 4

| 1

| 2

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

|2002

| United States

| OG

| 6

| 0

| 5

| 0

2004

| United States

| WCH

| 5

| 0

| 1

| 6

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | Junior totals

! 21

! 2

! 6

! 8

! 10

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | Senior totals

! 55

! 10

! 31

! 41

! 24

Awards and achievements

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

All-Hockey East Rookie Team

| 1986–87

| {{cite news|title=Hockey East All-Rookie Teams|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/hea_roo.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|access-date=May 19, 2013}}

All-Hockey East First Team

| 1986–87

| {{cite news|title=Hockey East All-Teams|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/hea_all.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|access-date=May 19, 2013}}

AHCA East first-team All-American

| 1986–87

| {{cite news|title=Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2013/MIH%20awards%20for%202013.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=June 11, 2013}}

Hockey East All-Tournament Team

| 1987

| {{cite news|title=2013-14 Hockey East Media Guide|url=http://issuu.com/hockeyeast/docs/1314heamguide|publisher=Hockey East|access-date=2014-05-19}}

Olympic silver medal (2002)
Olympic Tournament All-Star team (2002)
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top NHL Defenseman) (1992, 1997)
NHL first team All-Star (1992, 1997)
NHL second team All-Star (1991, 1994, 1996)
Stanley Cup champion (1994)
First American-born Conn Smythe Trophy award winner (NHL Playoffs MVP) (1994)
Calder Memorial Trophy (Top NHL Rookie) (1989)
NHL All-Rookie Team (1989)
Hockey East Player of the Year (1987)
Hockey East Rookie of the Year (1987)
Hockey East Tournament MVP Award (1987)
Won bronze medal at 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
All-Star Selection, Defense, 1987 IIHF World Junior Hockey ChampionshipsCollins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.519, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, {{ISBN|978-1-55468-621-6}}
NHL All-Star Game selection (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003).
Won gold medal at 1996 World Cup of Hockey – Was the captain of Team USA
While still playing, was named #71 on the 100 greatest NHL players, as compiled by The Hockey News (and the second-highest player born and trained in the United States, behind Frank Brimsek)
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame – 2009
In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Leetch the Top Ranger of All Time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.{{cite book|url= https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6860998-100-ranger-greats#bookDetails |title=100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters |first1=Russ |last1=Cohen |first2=John |last2=Halligan |first3=Adam |last3=Raider |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn= 978-0470736197 |date=2009 |access-date=February 3, 2020|page=228}}
IIHF Hall of Fame induction in 2023{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/40893/iihf_honours_international_mix_for_hall_of_fame_23|title=IIHF honours international mix for Hall of Fame '23|last=Podnieks|first=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Podnieks|date=9 December 2022|website=International Ice Hockey Federation|access-date=11 December 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2023/wm/news/45376/celebrating_a_century_of_legends|title=Celebrating a century of legends|last=Potts|first=Andy|date=28 May 2023|website=International Ice Hockey Federation|access-date=13 June 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1274725|title=Leetch Inducted Into IIHF Hall of Fame|date=28 May 2023|website=USA Hockey|access-date=13 June 2023}}

=New York Rangers awards=

MVP: 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003
Players' Player Award: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Frank Boucher Award: 2001
Crumb Bum Award: 1994
Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award: 1997
Good Guy Award: 2002
Ceil Saidel Memorial Award: 2002, 2003
#2 jersey retired by New York Rangers on January 24, 2008

Records

=NHL records=

Most goals by a rookie defenseman (23, 1988–89 season)

=New York Rangers regular season records=

Most assists, career: 741
Most goals by a defenseman, career: 240
Most points by a defenseman, career: 981
Most assists, single-season: 80 (1991–92)
Most points by a defenseman, single season: 102 (1991–92)
Most power-play goals by a defenseman, single-season: 17 (1993–94)

=New York Rangers playoff records=

Most assists, career: 61
Most points, career: 89
Most assists, one year: 23, 1993–94
Most points, one year: 34, 1993–94
Most goals by a defenseman, career: 28
Most goals by a defenseman, one year: 11, 1993–94

Notes

External links

{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121085034/http://rangers.nhl.com/leetch/index.htm |date=January 21, 2008 |title=Brian Leetch night – Tribute page }}
{{icehockeystats}}
{{Charlie Rose guest|87}}

{{succession box | before = Ulf Dahlén | title = New York Rangers first round draft pick | years = 1986 | after = Jayson More}}

{{succession box | before = Mark Messier | title = New York Rangers captain| years = 1997–2000| after = Mark Messier}}

{{succession box | before = Scott Harlow| title = Hockey East Player of the Year| years = 1986–87| after = Mike McHugh}}

{{succession box | before = Al Loring/Scott Young| title = Hockey East Rookie of the Year| years = 1986–87| after = Mario Thyer}}

{{succession box | before = Peter Marshall| title = William Flynn Tournament Most Valuable Player | years = 1987| after = Bruce Racine}}

{{succession box | before = Chris Chelios | title = Winner of the Norris Trophy | years = 1997 | after = Rob Blake}}

{{succession box | before = Patrick Roy | title = Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy | years = 1994 | after = Claude Lemieux}}

{{succession box | before = Ray Bourque | title = Winner of the Norris Trophy | years = 1992 | after = Chris Chelios}}

{{succession box | before = Joe Nieuwendyk | title = Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy | years = 1989 | after = Sergei Makarov}}

Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen