As Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard gears up for his sophomore season at Boston College, several of his former teammates are preparing for their first season in the NHL. Both Will Smith, one of Leonard’s longtime linemates, and Cutter Gauthier, another of his teammates at BC, spent time at the Capitals’ practice facility last week for the 2024 NHLPA Rookie Showcase.
In between taking photos for their rookie cards with Upper Deck, both players spoke on what they’d seen from Leonard after playing alongside him.
“He’s a stud,” said Gauthier, now with the Anaheim Ducks. “Just a physical presence out there. I played with him the last three, four years now with him being at the [USNTDP] as well. In practice, he’s just a beast. He’s not the biggest guy of all guys, but he’s really strong on his feet, he can hold his own. Mix that with a great shot and hockey IQ and he’s going to be a really hard player to defend in the future.”
Leonard made an immediate impact in his first season for BC, scoring 31 times to set the school’s new record for goals by a freshman while playing on the Eagles’ top line to earn a finalist bid for Hockey East Rookie of the Year. On the international stage, Leonard scored six points (3g, 3a) in seven games — including a goal in the gold-medal game — to help Team USA win gold at this year’s World Juniors; he later earned a spot at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Few players have had a closer view of Leonard’s development than Smith, now with the San Jose Sharks. Smith played on a line with Leonard and Gabe Perreault at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program before all three committed to BC. The trio kept their line intact after arriving in Chestnut Hill and even when they played at World Juniors.
Smith highlighted the grittier aspects of Leonard’s play when asked what he’d seen over the years, going on to highlight their connection off the ice.
“He’s got some bite to his game,” he said. “If you watch him play he’s obviously fun to watch. Getting to be on his line it was always fun. We have a great relationship off the ice too. We lived together for two years. He’s one of my best friends. He’s a great player.”
After years together as teammates, Smith and Gauthier will soon watch Leonard play from across the country after both opted to go pro this spring. While the Capitals attempted to sign Leonard in April ahead of their playoff run, he opted to stay at BC for another year. Leonard noted that it was a difficult decision, but cited both another chance at an NCAA championship and the opportunity to return to World Juniors as motivating factors in playing another year in Chestnut Hill.
“It was his decision,” Smith said of Leonard’s choice. “Obviously, everyone has their own path. Whatever he wanted to do, we were all going to support him. It means a lot for him to go back. He’s going to have a great year.”
Smith did admit that it would be strange to take the ice this fall without Leonard and Perrault on his wings.
“It’ll be weird,” he said. “We’ve been together for probably three years now. We got pretty close.”
With two players already on NHL deals and both Leonard and Perrault likely close behind, the 2023-24 BC roster featured a wealth of talent now split across leagues. While Gauthier and Smith will no longer share the ice with their former teammates, they’ll be cheering them on from afar.
“Having a great team that we did being with such great players also helps you grow your game as well,” Gauthier said. “It was great practicing with those guys all season long and they definitely made me better and hopefully I made them a little bit better too.
“It’s great to see how well Will has done and all the great things Gabe and Leno are going to do back at Boston College. It’s exciting that we had a great group of guys and how close we were.”
