Ryan Leonard will be back on the ice on July 30th for the fourth annual Shoulder Check Showcase charity game at Sacred Heart University’s Martire Family Arena.
The Washington Capitals winger will be one of 29 NHL and PWHL players gathering to help raise money for the HT40 Foundation, a mental health charity created in honor of the late Hayden Thorsen. Leonard also played in last year’s game, scoring a goal for Team Prentiss.
Leonard will be back on Team Prentiss again this year, coached by NHL trainer Ben Prentiss and former Metropolitan Riveters captain Madison Packer.
Leonard will be joined on the team by former Boston College and Team USA linemate Gabe Perreault, while the third part of that line, center Will Smith, will be on the other side of the ice on Team Shattenkirk, coached by former Caps defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and longtime NHL forward Matt Moulson.
The 21-year-old winger is coming off a rookie NHL season with the Capitals, in which he recorded 45 points (20g, 25a) in 75 games. He finished fifth in overall rookie scoring and became just the eighth Capitals rookie to ever score 20 goals in a season and the first since Alex Ovechkin (2005-06).
In Capitals franchise history, Leonard’s 45 points rank 10th all-time among rookie skaters in a single season. The only two Caps rookies after the 1982-83 season to record more points than Leonard are Ovechkin (106) and Nicklas Backstrom (69).
Leonard will come to training camp in the fall looking to find where he fits within Washington’s enhanced top-nine forward group. The 2026-27 season is the last year of his entry-level contract, and he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
