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, NHL.com, Leetch: Remember me as a Ranger 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. TSN.ca, Leetch officially retires from NHL
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.NYrangers.com, RANGERS TO RETIRE LEETCH'S NO. 2 ON JAN. 24
On September 18, 2007 Leetch was announced one of the four recipients of the 2007 Lester Patrick Trophy.NHL.com, Leetch, Granato, Fischler and Halligan selected as recipients of 2007 Lester Patrick Award
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1986-87 	Boston College 	NCAA 	 	37 	9 	38 	47 	10 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987-88 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	17 	2 	12 	14 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1988-89 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	68 	23 	48 	71 	50 	 	4 	3 	2 	5 	2
1989-90 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	72 	11 	45 	56 	26 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1990-91 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	80 	16 	72 	88 	42 	 	6 	1 	3 	4 	0
1991-92 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	80 	22 	80 	102 	26 	 	13 	4 	11 	15 	4
1992-93 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	36 	6 	30 	36 	26 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1993-94 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	84 	23 	56 	79 	67 	 	23 	11 	23 	34 	6
1994-95 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	48 	9 	32 	41 	18 	 	10 	6 	8 	14 	8
1995-96 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	82 	15 	70 	85 	30 	 	11 	1 	6 	7 	4
1996-97 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	82 	20 	58 	78 	40 	 	15 	2 	8 	10 	6
1997-98 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	76 	17 	33 	50 	32 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1998-99 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	82 	13 	42 	55 	42 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1999-00 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	50 	7 	19 	26 	20 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2000-01 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	82 	21 	58 	79 	34 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2001-02 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	82 	10 	45 	55 	28 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2002-03 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	51 	12 	18 	30 	20 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2003-04 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	57 	13 	23 	36 	24 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2003-04 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	15 	2 	13 	15 	10 	 	13 	0 	8 	8 	6
2004-05 	DNP — Lockout 	NHL 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	- 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2005-06 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	61 	5 	27 	32 	36 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
NHL Totals	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals	 	1205 	247 	781 	1028 	571 	 	95 	28 	69 	97 	36
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==See also==
* List of NHL players with 1000 points
* List of NHL players with 1000 games played
==Notes==
== External links ==
* Brian's U.S. Olympic Team bio
*
Category:Born in 1968
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Member of the American National Team
Category:NHL first round draft picks
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:NHL players with 100 point seasons
Category:Conn Smythe Trophy winners
Category:Norris Trophy winners
Category:Calder Trophy winners
Category:Boston College Eagles players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:New York Rangers draft picks