Ryan Leonard is about to play for the 2024 NCAA National Championship on Saturday, but before he does, he was recognized as one of the top college players in the nation.
The Washington Capitals’ top prospect was named a Second Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association on Friday afternoon. He joined linemate Gabe Perrerault on the Second Team while teammates Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, and Jacob Fowler were all named First Team All-Americans.
NCAA All-Americans
Second Team East
F – Gabe Perreault, BC
F – Liam McLinskey, Holy Cross
F – Collin Graf, QU
F – Ryan Leonard, BC
D – Gianfranco Cassaro, RIT
D – John Prokop, Union
G – Ian Shane, Cornell— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) April 12, 2024
The 2023 first-round draft pick has scored 31 goals for Boston College in 40 games, the third-highest total in the nation. Among freshmen, only the consensus number-one overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini, scored more times (32).
Leonard’s 31 goals set the new freshman record at BC, besting a mark set by Brian Gionta (30) in 1998. The 2023 first-round pick has amassed 60 total points (31g, 29a) this season with six of those points (4g, 2a) coming in three NCAA Tournament games.
Leonard and the rest of the Eagles advanced to the NCAA’s final game with a 4-0 Frozen Four win over the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday night. The 19-year-old winger provided the primary assist on the first goal of the game which ended up the game-winner.
BC will now match up with the Denver Pioneers in the championship game. The Eagles will need to reverse their fortunes from earlier in the season when they dropped a 4-3 decision to Denver on October 21.
