Ryan Leonard took home Hockey East’s top individual prize after his tremendous sophomore season with the Boston College Eagles. The 20-year-old winger was named the conference’s Player of the Year on Wednesday after posting 37 points (25g, 12a) in 24 games.
Leonard is the 13th Eagles player ever to earn the honor and the first skater since Johnny Gaudreau won it in back-to-back years (2013, 2014). The top Washington Capitals prospect led conference play in goals (25), points (37), points per game (1.54), shots (116), game-winning goals (8), and plus-minus (+25).
During the season, Leonard was twice named Hockey East Player of the Month (November, January) and collected four Hockey East Player of the Week accolades.
Per Hockey East, Leonard, the overall NCAA leader in goal-scoring with 29 markers, is just one goal shy of becoming the first college hockey player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since BC’s Cam Atkinson did so in 2009-10 and 2010-11. The 2023 first-round pick recorded 47 points (29g, 18a) in 35 total NCAA games this year.
Hockey East also named fellow Capitals prospect Cole Hutson the Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Year. The 18-year-old defenseman is the 13th player from Boston University to claim the honors, following Macklin Celebrini and his older brother Lane Hutson the past two years.
Hutson recorded 29 points (8g, 21a) in 24 conference games, leading all freshmen in scoring.
Overall, no first-year player in the nation had more points (39) or assists (27) than Hutson. He joined his brother Lane as the only defensemen since 2005-06 to record at least 10 goals and 25 assists in their first 33 career games.
Leonard and Hutson were also named to the 2024-25 All-Hockey East First Team last week.
