John Leonard

Oct 2019 – Leonard is entering his 3rd season in the NCAA with the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass). He is the first player since Sharks defenceman Justin Braun to be selected out of UMass after only their freshman season. He is undeniably offensively gifted, but head coach Greg Carvel of the UMass Minutemen says he has been more impressed with Leonard’s commitment to developing his play off the puck. Keep an eye on the young American, as he has the potential break into the professional system with a splash. Alex Howes

April 2019 – Leonard finished this NCAA season third in points among Hockey East Conference players. The forward managed a point-per-game pace with 36 points in 36 games. While his offensive numbers were an improvement over his freshman season, his coach was more impressed with Leonard’s improved defensive play. Leonard’s development so far is exceeding expectations for a sixth round pick, however he’ll have at least one more year to marinate in the NCAA. Chris Legg  

June 2018 – The Sharks drafted John Leonard, a skilled forward from the NCAA’s UMass, with the 182^nd pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft. Leonard represents a bit of a swing for the fences which isn’t a bad bet at this stage in the draft. He put up really nice numbers in his freshman season with UMass, but he’s likely a long wait with plenty of development time in the NCAA ahead of him. Chris Legg