Jay Leach (ice hockey, born 1979)
{{Short description|American ice hockey player and coach}}
{{For|his uncle, the ice hockey coach|Jay Leach (ice hockey, born 1951)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Jay Leach
| image = Jay Leach.jpg
| caption = Leach with the San Jose Sharks in 2010
| image_size = 230px
| position = Defense
| shoots = Left
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 215
| played_for = Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning
New Jersey Devils
Montreal Canadiens
San Jose Sharks
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|09|2|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Syracuse, New York, U.S.
| ntl_team = USA
| draft = 115th overall
| draft_year = 1998
| draft_team = Phoenix Coyotes
| career_start = 2001
| career_end = 2013
}}
Jay Christopher Leach (born September 2, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a former captain of the Albany Devils.
Playing career
Leach was drafted in the fifth round (115th overall) by the Phoenix Coyotes. After spending several years in minor hockey leagues, he signed as a free agent with the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins on September 26, 2003. While with the Bruins he appeared in his first two NHL games during the 2005–06 season, collecting no points and seven penalty minutes. Leach spent most of his time in the Bruins organization with their AHL affiliate in Providence. On July 3, 2007, he was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in two games for the Lightning during the 2007–08 season but spent most of the season in the AHL. On February 26, 2008 he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Later, during the summer of 2008 he signed with the New Jersey Devils. On November 6, 2009, Leach was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on re-entry waivers from the Devils. On November 28, 2009, due to a high number of injuries to Canadiens forwards, Leach played forward instead of his usual defense position.{{cite web|title=Price gets another call; Leach plays forward |url=http://habsinsideout.com/main/24861 |publisher=Habs Inside/Out.com |date=2009-11-28 |accessdate=2009-11-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201044606/http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/24861 |archivedate=December 1, 2009 }}
Leach was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks on December 1, 2009, and he played 28 games for the Sharks during the season. He recorded his first NHL goal in an 8 to 5 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on March 11, 2010. He began the 2010–11 season playing for the AHL's Worcester Sharks, but on February 9, 2011, he was traded back to the New Jersey Devils along with Steven Zalewski in exchange for Patrick Davis and Mike Swift.{{cite news|title=Sharks, Devils deal minor-leaguers|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/articles/2011/02/09/sharks_devils_deal_minor_leaguers/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Boston+Globe+--+Sports+News|newspaper=Boston Globe|date=2011-02-09|accessdate=2011-02-10|archive-date=2020-02-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214011427/http://archive.boston.com/sports/hockey/articles/2011/02/09/sharks_devils_deal_minor_leaguers/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Boston+Globe+--+Sports+News|url-status=dead}}
Coaching career
Leach became an assistant coach with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2014, helping the team in winning their sixth DEL Championship.Dougherty, Peter [http://blog.timesunion.com/hockey/leach-signs-on-as-assistant-coach-in-germany/18187/ "Leach signs on as assistant coach in Germany"] Albany Times-Union August 20, 2014{{cite web|title=Mannheim takes DEL title|url=http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9644&cHash=6064401334319038b749febebbf66aa1|website=IIHF.com|accessdate=31 July 2015}} On July 7, 2015, Leach was appointed as assistant coach to Mike Sullivan for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL.{{cite web|title=Jay Leach Named Assistant Coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins|url=http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=774178#&navid=PIT-search|website=Pittsburgh Penguins Official Website|accessdate=31 July 2015}} Leach was named interim head coach in December 2015 after Sullivan was promoted to be the head coach at Pittsburgh before settling into the position of associate head coach on a permanent basis to new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Clark Donatelli.{{cite web|title=Jay Leach named WBS Interim Head Coach|url=http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=792325|publisher=NHL.com|accessdate=12 December 2015|date=12 December 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Lakso |first1=Seth |title=Clark Donatelli hired as WBS Penguins Head Coach |url=http://blogs.citizensvoice.com/penguins/index.php/2015/12/22/clark-donatelli-hired-as-wbs-penguins-head-coach/ |website=Penguins Insider |accessdate=24 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224092049/http://blogs.citizensvoice.com/penguins/index.php/2015/12/22/clark-donatelli-hired-as-wbs-penguins-head-coach/ |archivedate=24 December 2015 }} Leach departed the Penguins after one season, eventually joining the Providence Bruins as an assistant coach on August 4, 2016.{{cite web|title=JAY LEACH AND TRENT WHITFIELD NAMED PROVIDENCE BRUINS ASSISTANT COACHES|url=http://www.providencebruins.com/news/detail/jay-leach-and-trent-whitfield-named-providence-bruins-assistant-coaches|website=The Official Site of the Providence Bruins|accessdate=16 May 2017|archive-date=21 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232415/http://www.providencebruins.com/news/detail/jay-leach-and-trent-whitfield-named-providence-bruins-assistant-coaches|url-status=dead}} He would be promoted the P-Bruins head coach position prior to the 2017–18 season.{{cite web |url=http://theahl.com/leach-hired-as-head-coach-of-p-bruins |title=LEACH HIRED AS HEAD COACH OF P-BRUINS |publisher=AHL |date=31 July 2017}} In July 2021, the Seattle Kraken announced Leach as an assistant coach to Dave Hakstol for the Kraken's inaugural season.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-06 |title=Jay Leach hired by Seattle Kraken |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/07/06/jay-leach-hired-by-seattle-kraken/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=Boston Herald |language=en-US}} On June 12, 2024, Leach agreed to become an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins.
Personal life
Leach is the nephew of both former NHL forward Stephen Leach and University of Maine hockey coach Jay Leach.Television interview with Scranton coach Jay Leach, WQMY-TV, 12 December 2015 He was married to Kathryn Tappen, an American sportscaster; they subsequently divorced in 2014.
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="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |
| ALIGN="center"
| 1997–98 | HE | 32 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1998–99 | Providence College | HE | 33 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 1999–00 | Providence College | HE | 37 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2000–01 | Providence College | HE | 40 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2001–02 | ECHL | 70 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 116 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2002–03 | ECHL | 65 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2002–03 | AHL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2003–04 | ECHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2003–04 | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2003–04 | ECHL | 31 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2003–04 | AHL | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2004–05 | Trenton Titans | ECHL | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2004–05 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 62 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 92 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2005–06 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 71 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 100 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2005–06 | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2006–07 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 73 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 128 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2007–08 | AHL | 55 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2007–08 | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2007–08 | AHL | 20 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008–09 | AHL | 24 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2008–09 | NHL | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2009–10 | Lowell Devils | AHL | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2009–10 | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2009–10 | NHL | 28 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2010–11 | AHL | 50 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2010–11 | AHL | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2010–11 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2011–12 | Albany Devils | AHL | 21 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALIGN="center"
| 2012–13 | Albany Devils | AHL | 60 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 70 ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 60 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — |
=International=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |
| 1998
| WJC | 5th | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan=4 | Junior totals ! 7 ! 0 ! 1 ! 1 ! 8 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Jay}}
Category:Albany Devils players
Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Bridgeport Sound Tigers players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:Ice hockey coaches from New York (state)
Category:Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL) players
Category:Lowell Devils players
Category:Mississippi Sea Wolves players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Norfolk Admirals players
Category:Sportspeople from Syracuse, New York
Category:Arizona Coyotes draft picks
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Providence Bruins players
Category:Providence Friars men's ice hockey players
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:Seattle Kraken coaches
Category:Springfield Falcons players
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Trenton Titans players