Jordan Leopold

Jordan Leopold
Photo of Leopold with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014
Born (1980-08-03) August 3, 1980
Golden Valley, MN, USA
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Free Agent
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Florida Panthers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Buffalo Sabres
St. Louis Blues
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
National team  United States
NHL Draft 44th overall, 1999
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Playing career 2002–present

Jordan Douglas Leopold (born August 3, 1980) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently an unrestricted free agent after playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the second round, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1999, though never making an appearance with the team. In his NHL career, Leopold has also played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Playing career

Junior/Collegiate

Prior to joining the NHL, Leopold played for the Armstrong Falcons[1] of Plymouth, Minnesota, and went on to play collegiate hockey with the University of Minnesota from 1998 until 2002, where he helped the Golden Gophers win an NCAA national championship despite pressure to leave the University early to play in the NHL. After his first year with Minnesota, scoring 23 points, Leopold was drafted in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft in the second round, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as a prospective offensive defenseman. After completing his sophomore season with the Golden Gophers, Leopold became the property of the Calgary Flames, traded by the Mighty Ducks in exchange for Andrei Nazarov and a second-round draft pick.[2] In 2001–02, his final season with the University of Minnesota, he won the Hobey Baker Award for being the season's outstanding player in college hockey.[3] He also played for the USA in the World Championships that year.

Professional

Photo of Leopold with the Calgary Flames in 2009
Leopold with the Flames during 2008–09 season

Leopold started his professional career in the NHL in 2002. He played 58 games for the Calgary Flames and scored four goals and 14 points. In his second season, Leopold would play in all 82 regular season games, scoring 33 points as well as contributing to the Flames' playoff run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, play which earned him a spot in the defense of the American national team for the 2005 World Championships as well as for the 2006 Winter Olympics.

After one more season with the Flames, Leopold was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.[4] Leopold's first season with the Avalanche, in 2006–07, was all but wiped out due to injury. Having missed the first 25 games of the season recovering from hernia surgery,[5] he then suffered a groin injury on December 11, 2006, ruling him out for another 17 games.[6] Just a month later, Leopold was injured again, fracturing his wrist on February 17, 2007, effectively missing the rest of the season, and playing in just 15 games.[7] At season's end, Leopold was re-signed by the Avalanche to a two-year contract on May 22, 2007.[8]

In the 2007–08 season, Leopold was again struck down by another injury-plagued season. Throughout the course of the season, he missed 35 games with a hip ailment, lacerated leg and pneumonia.[9] He also suffered a concussion when he was hit high by Steve Ott on March 9, 2008.[10] Ott was subsequently suspended for three games.

Leopold recovered to full health in time for the 2008–09 season. He played in every game with the Avalanche until the NHL trade deadline, when he was traded back to the Calgary Flames for Lawrence Nycholat, prospect Ryan Wilson and a second-round draft pick.[11] Leopold then played all 19 games for the Flames, becoming the first Flames player to play 83 games of an 82-game season,[12] a feat that Ian White would repeat in 2010.[13]

On June 27, 2009, as an impending free agent, Leopold's negotiation rights were traded by the Flames to the Florida Panthers, for the negotiation rights of Jay Bouwmeester, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.[14] After testing free-agency, Leopold signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on July 2, 2009.[15]

In the 2009–10 season, Leopold scored seven goals and 18 points in 61 games with the Panthers. On March 1, 2010, he was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second-round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[16] On April 16, 2010, in Game 2 of a playoff series between the Penguins and the Ottawa Senators, Leopold's series was ended by a devastating hit from Senators defenseman Andy Sutton. Leopold, who had a history of concussion injuries, remained unconscious on the ice for several minutes.[17] Leopold later returned to the Pens' lineup for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

Leopold with the Sabres in 2012

On July 1, 2010, Leopold left the Penguins as a free agent and signed a three-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres.[18]

In the final year of his contract with the Sabres, during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft on March 30, 2013.[19]

In the 2014–15 season, with limited playing time in St. Louis, on November 15, 2014, Leopold was traded from the Blues to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2016.[20] Leopold played 18 games with the Blue Jackets, registering one goal and two assists, before he joined his third team in the year when he was dealt to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Justin Falk and a fifth-round pick in 2015 on March 2, 2015.[21]

Personal life

Leopold and his wife Jamie have three daughters and a son.[22] Leopold's trade to the Minnesota Wild, marking a return to his homestate, gained the attention of media outlets after it was revealed that his 11-year-old daughter, Jordyn, wrote a letter to the Minnesota Wild coaching staff asking for them to trade for Jordan to be closer to family.[23]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1998–99 University of Minnesota WCHA 39 7 16 23 20 — — — — —
1999–00 University of Minnesota WCHA 39 6 18 24 20 — — — — —
2000–01 University of Minnesota WCHA 42 12 37 49 38 — — — — —
2001–02 University of Minnesota WCHA 44 20 28 48 28 — — — — —
2002–03 Saint John Flames AHL 3 1 2 3 0 — — — — —
2002–03 Calgary Flames NHL 58 4 10 14 12 — — — — —
2003–04 Calgary Flames NHL 82 9 24 33 24 26 0 10 10 6
2005–06 Calgary Flames NHL 74 2 18 20 68 7 0 1 1 4
2006–07 Colorado Avalanche NHL 15 2 3 5 14 — — — — —
2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 43 5 8 13 20 7 0 3 3 0
2008–09 Colorado Avalanche NHL 64 6 14 20 18 — — — — —
2008–09 Calgary Flames NHL 19 1 3 4 6 6 0 1 1 8
2009–10 Florida Panthers NHL 61 7 11 18 22 — — — — —
2009–10 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 20 4 4 8 6 8 0 0 0 2
2010–11 Buffalo Sabres NHL 71 13 22 35 36 5 0 1 1 4
2011–12 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 10 14 24 28 — — — — —
2012–13 Buffalo Sabres NHL 24 2 6 8 14 — — — — —
2012–13 St. Louis Blues NHL 15 0 2 2 0 6 0 0 0 0
2013–14 St. Louis Blues NHL 27 1 5 6 6 6 0 1 1 2
2014–15 St. Louis Blues NHL 7 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2014–15 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 18 1 2 3 9 — — — — —
2014–15 Minnesota Wild NHL 18 0 1 1 8 9 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 695 67 147 214 293 80 0 17 17 26

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
1999 United States WJC 8th 6 0 1 1 0
2000 United States WJC 4th 7 1 2 3 0
2002 United States WC 7th 7 0 1 1 4
2003 United States WC 13th 6 1 3 4 2
2005 United States WC 6th 7 0 1 1 0
2006 United States OG 8th 6 1 0 1 4
2008 United States WC 6th 4 0 1 1 6
Junior totals 13 1 3 4 0
Senior totals 30 2 6 8 16

Awards and honors

Award Year
College
WCHA All-Rookie Team 1999
WCHA Third All-Star Team 1999
WCHA Second All-Star Team 2000
WCHA First All-Star Team 2001, 2002
WCHA Defensive player of the year 2001, 2002
AHCA West First-Team All-American 2001, 2002
WCHA All-Tournament Team 2002 [24]
Hobey Baker Award 2002
NHL
NHL YoungStars Game 2003

Transactions

References

  1. ↑ Stensaas, Brian (March 15, 2006). "Before the Olympics and NHL, he was one of ours; Jordan Leopold, who played hockey for Robbinsdale Armstrong High School, will be returning to the Twin Cities this weekend with the Calgary Flames for two games against the Minnesota Wild". Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Flames trade Nazarov to Ducks for Leopold". cbc.ca. 2000-09-26. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  3. ↑ "Gopher's Leopold named 2002 Hobey Baker winner". USCHO.com. 2002-04-05. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  4. ↑ "Avs send Tanguay to Flames for Leopold". ESPN.com. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  5. ↑ Dater, Adrian (December 1, 2006). "Decision on defensemen looming". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Avs' Leopold feeling fine after return from groin injury". ESPN.com. 2007-01-27. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  7. ↑ "Fractured wrist to sideline Leopold for four weeks". ESPN.com. 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  8. ↑ "Avalanche sign Leopold, three others". ESPN.com. 2007-05-23. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  9. ↑ "Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold finally feeling healthy again". thehockeynews.com. 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
  10. ↑ "League hands Ott three-game suspension for hit to leopold's head". ESPN.com. 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  11. ↑ Frei, Terry (2009-03-04). "Avs send Leopold back to Calgary". denverpost.com. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  12. ↑ "NHL.com - Players: Jordan Leopold, Flames - Stats". nhl.com. 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
  13. ↑ "Ian White - stats - NHL.com". Retrieved 2014-11-15.
  14. ↑ "Flames get 1st dibs on Bouwmeester". CBC.ca. 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  15. ↑ "Panthers get Leopold...Randy Sexton "ecstatic"". miamiherald.com. 2009-07-02. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  16. ↑ "Panthers trade defenceman Leopold to Penguins". tsn.ca. 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  17. ↑ Anderson, Shelly (2010-04-17). "Senators' Sutton delivers crushing hit on Penguins' Leopold". Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  18. ↑ "Buffalo Sabres sign defensman Jordan Leopold". WGRZ.com. 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  19. ↑ "Blues get Leopold in trade with Sabres". National Hockey League. 2013-03-30. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  20. ↑ Gretz, Adam (15 November 2014). "Blues trade D Jordan Leopold to Blue Jackets for draft pick". CBS Sports. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  21. ↑ "Wild acquires Chris Stewart, Jordan Leopold". Minnesota Star Tribune. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  22. ↑ "Colorado Avalanche 2008-09 media guide" (PDF). Colorado Avalanche. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  23. ↑ "Leopold's daughter asked for trade to Wild in letter". National Hockey League. 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  24. ↑ "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA. Retrieved 2014-06-26.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Ryan Miller		 Winner of the Hobey Baker Award
2001–02 		Succeeded by
Peter Sejna
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