Washington Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard is representing his country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, taking on the captaincy as Team USA attempts to win the tournament for the second year in a row. Though the Capitals tried to sign the 2023 first-round pick last spring, Leonard opted to return to Boston College for another year, allowing him to return to Team USA after a memorable performance in their 2024 gold medal victory.
Now nearly halfway through his sophomore season, Leonard spoke with NHL Network’s Jon Morosi about his decision to stay in school. He has previously cited a variety of factors that led him to delay going pro — including his desire to earn a NCAA title and the potential to win back-to-back gold medals at World Juniors — but also highlighted the advice of BC head coach Greg Brown.
“I think that last game had a big impact,” Leonard said. “And then talking with Coach Brown at school, it’s really becoming a pro in college before you really are a professional where it’s a job and there’s no really going back. You look at the young guys that really go [to the NHL] and you struggle at first. And they always get over the hump, but why not really be a little bit extra ready? And college is so fun. You really get to play in front of the student body that really loves you and just trying to chase another title for sure.”
Boston College was a single game away from winning it all this spring before falling 2-0 to the Denver Pioneers in the championship game. Still fresh from the loss, Leonard had to decide whether to pursue another shot at the championship or join the Capitals as they made a run for the playoffs. He credited his brother John, now an AHL forward with the Charlotte Checkers, for helping him make the choice.
“[John] was my backbone for sure,” Leonard said. “It was a tough decision and it never really crossed my mind until I was on that Zoom call and it really happened. And then my head was kind of all scenarios, ‘What should I really do?’ And then of course I called the one person who’s my best friend who’s already a professional hockey player and we talked for a good amount of time for sure. And then I told him I need some space and I made a pros and cons list, my notes and his notes too. I really just needed to sleep on it and just get some time to myself. Ultimately it’s the right decision for sure.”
Leonard has shined in the opening months of his sophomore season at BC. His 19 points (12 g, 7a) rank third on the team after only his linemates, Gabe Perreault and James Hagens, while his 0.75 goals per game is highest in the NCAA.
Though Leonard has developed a reputation as a confident, rough-and-tumble player, his three older siblings (John plus sisters Brianna and Alyssa) have played a role in keeping him grounded. He noted that both his siblings and others in his circle have helped him become “not really a too cocky kid, but definitely confident” as he’s risen up the ranks.
“They definitely round me out for sure,” he said. “My brother would do some bad things to me if he thinks I’m out of line, for sure. So just they treat me how they would treat any little sibling. They’re hard on them, but it’s all out of love and they’re great.”
He later added, “My whole family, they’re all athletes, so they know how hard it is out there and how hard it is to compete against the best people in the world.”
Leonard’s confidence was on full display at the 2024 World Junior Championship. He scored six points (3g, 3a) in 7 games but his most iconic moment came in Team USA’s gold medal game against Sweden, when he scored in the third period before blowing a kiss to the largely-Swedish audience.
“Just a lot of emotion,” he told Morosi of the moment. “I mean, you go into a different building in a different country and the whole place is just yellow. And then, I don’t know how much [time] was left when I scored and I was like, ‘Wow. I mean, it’s almost impossible for them to come back now with this.’ So it was just crazy.”
As for the celebration, Leonard found plenty of humor in his fiery response.
“Everyone laughs about it,” he said. “It’s hilarious. So we’re a bunch of goofballs out there just playing the sport that we love and winning another gold medal. So it was great.”
With Leonard likely to go pro after his sophomore year at BC, this year will almost certainly mark his last chance to make his mark on the World Juniors stage. He performed well in Team USA’s first game of the tournament Thursday, putting up two assists in the 10-4 victory over Germany, and will look to extend the team’s winning streak against Latvia on Saturday.
