(1968-03-03) March 3, 1968 (age 56) Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.
Height
6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight
185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position
Defense
Shot
Left
Played for
New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Boston Bruins
National team
United States
NHL draft
9th overall, 1986 New York Rangers
Playing career
1987–2006
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
2002 Salt Lake City
Ice hockey
Brian Joseph Leetch (born March 3, 1968) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins. He has been called one of the top defensemen in NHL history.
Leetch accumulated many individual honors during his 18-year career. He was a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL's best defenseman (1992, 1997) and was the first American-born winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for his performance during the Rangers' run to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship. Leetch is one of only six NHL defensemen to score 100 points in a season with his 102-point campaign in 1991–92. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year in 1989 and his 23 goals that season remain an NHL record for rookie defensemen.
Leetch's number 2 was retired by the Rangers on January 24, 2008. During the ceremony, longtime teammate Mark Messier referred to Leetch as the single "Greatest Ranger of All Time." Leetch was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 2009, his first year of eligibility. In 2017 Leetch was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023.
^"100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
Brian Joseph Leetch (born March 3, 1968) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 18 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with...
eventually paid dividends in 1994, where the team, led by Mark Messier, BrianLeetch, Adam Graves, and Mike Richter, captured their fourth Stanley Cup. The...
battle between New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and New York's Mike Richter. BrianLeetch gave the Rangers a 1–0 lead in the second period. Richter shut out the...
with at least six points in the first three games of a season since BrianLeetch in 1992-93. He also became the first Rangers player to have three multi-point...
made 52 saves on the night. In the last minute of the first overtime, BrianLeetch hit the crossbar at one end, and the Canucks went down to score the winner...
Hockey Hall of Fame, alongside his former Rangers and U.S. teammate BrianLeetch, in 2008. Richter grew up in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia...
have won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The non-Canadian winners are Americans BrianLeetch, who won it in 1994, Tim Thomas in 2011, Jonathan Quick in 2012, and...
with a Stanley Cup win in 1994 by a team led by captain Mark Messier, BrianLeetch, Adam Graves and Mike Richter, all of whose numbers have since been retired...
least 40 points in a season, joining Ron Greschner, Reijo Ruotsalainen, BrianLeetch, and Mike McEwen. Despite his rookie season success, Fox fell short of...
became just the second Rangers defenseman to hold both awards after BrianLeetch did so in the 2002–03 season. On October 6, 2014, McDonagh was named...
league-wide, becoming the third rookie defensemen since Bobby Orr and BrianLeetch to do so in the modern era. As a result of his play, he was named a Calder...
during a playoff year in league history, behind only Paul Coffey in 1985, BrianLeetch in 1994 and Al MacInnis in 1989. The Stars would ultimately lose to the...
announce the signing; during the gathering, Messier’s successor as captain, BrianLeetch, ceded his position to his returning teammate and, in a conciliatory...
and 74 points, resulting in Karlsson being the first defenceman since BrianLeetch in 2000–01 to have at least 20 goals and 50 assists in the same season...
captain, except for a brief period as acting captain in 1998 when captain BrianLeetch was injured and out of the line-up. After the 1996–97 season, Mark Messier...
Edgar Laprade biography at Legends of Hockey, retrieved June 22, 2015 BrianLeetch biography at Legends of Hockey, retrieved June 22, 2015 Rosen, Dan (June...
Stanley Cup playoffs, Marner became the first Maple Leafs player since BrianLeetch to have a five-game point streak in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He led...
win said award since its establishment in 1953, and the first since BrianLeetch in 1987. During the championship game of the 2023 Hockey East men's ice...
Angeles Kings LW 20 1987–88 Joe Nieuwendyk Calgary Flames C 21 1988–89 BrianLeetch New York Rangers D 20 1989–90 Sergei Makarov Calgary Flames RW 31 1990–91...
advantage. Stephane Richer tied the game with a power play goal at 10:25 and Brian Rolston put the Devils up 2–1 with a goal at 18:15. The scored remained...
Global Information
United States
