Brian Leetch Brian Leetch ( b . March 3 , 1967 in Corpus Christi , Texas ) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in 18 National Hockey League ( NHL ) seasons with the New York Rangers , Toronto Maple Leafs , and Boston Bruins . He is generally considered one of the top offensive defensemen , and one of the best American born NHL defenseman in history . Early life . Although he was born in Texas , his family moved from there 3 months after he was born , eventually settling in Cheshire , Connecticut . This is where the youngster would begin to hone his hockey skills at a local ice rink managed by his father . In high school he excelled in baseball and hockey , first at Cheshire High School , and then at Avon Old Farms . As a sophomore , his 90 - mph fastball helped the Cheshire Rams baseball team to a state championship and , as a senior at Avon Old Farms , he set the school record for strikeouts in a game with 19 . The sport of hockey , however , is where he really excelled . As a sophomore at Cheshire , he scored 53 goals and 50 assists . In 2 seasons with Avon Old Farms he scored 70 goals and 90 assists in 54 games . These numbers were especially remarkable for a defenseman . NHL scouts were starting to take notice and the New York Rangers chose Leetch as their first - round pick ( 9th overall ) in 1986 . Following in the footsteps of his father Jack , Brian enrolled at Boston College in the fall of 1986 , and , like his father , would become an All - American defenseman for the Eagles . NHL career . After one season in the NCAA , he made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers in 1987 , scoring 14 points in 17 games . In his first full year in 1988 , he notched 71 points , including a rookie defenseman - record 23 goals , winning the Calder Trophy as well as being selected to the NHL All - Rookie Team . As the Rangers slowly developed into a championship - caliber team , Leetch won increasing respect from fans for his quiet demeanor and entertaining , offensive - minded play . In 1992 he became the fifth defenseman in history , and the only American defenseman , to record 100 points in a season and was awarded the Norris Trophy . In 1994 he again matched his career high of 23 goals in the regular season as the Rangers won the Presidents Trophy . That year the Rangers ' 54 - year championship drought ended with a 7 - game Stanley Cup victory over the Vancouver Canucks ; Leetch became the first non - Canadian to be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy , and remains the only American to win this award . Following the Rangers ' Cup win in 1994 , Leetch remained a fan favorite and team leader , serving as Captain from 1997 - 2000 after the departure of Mark Messier to the Vancouver Canucks ( he would hand back the captaincy to Messier upon his return to the Rangers in 2000 ) . In 1997 he again won the Norris Trophy and the Rangers made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals , where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers . The next years , however , were marked by disappointing team performances that saw the Rangers miss the playoffs every year . After the especially unsuccessful 2004 campaign , the Rangers traded most of their high - priced veterans ; Leetch was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs just prior to the trade deadline for prospects Maxim Kondratiev , Jarkko Immonen , a first - round pick in the 2004 draft , which became Lauri Korpikoski , and a second - round pick in 2005 , which became Michael Sauer . After the 2004 - 05 NHL lockout , Leetch was signed by the Boston Bruins to a one - year , $ 4 - million contract . During this season with the Bruins , he scored his 1 , 000th career point . In 1998 , he was ranked number 71 on " The Hockey News " ' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players of all time . During most of the 2006 - 07 season Leetch received offers from nearly every NHL team , but accepted none , although he made no formal announcement pertaining to his status as a player . On May 24 , 2007 , Brian Leetch officially announced his retirement , ending an 18 - year career . On September 6 , 2007 it was announced that the New York Rangers will retire Leetch ' s number 2 jersey on January 24 , 2008 , joining fellow 1994 Stanley Cup Champion teammates Mark Messier and Mike Richter in the rafters of Madison Square Garden . On September 18 , 2007 Leetch was announced one of the four recipients of the 2007 Lester Patrick Trophy .