Ryan Leonard, a promising 20-year-old winger from Amherst and a star at Boston College, signed his entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals. Just before signing, he received an unexpected and welcome text from Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin, inviting him to dinner with the team. Ovechkin emphasized the importance of making new players feel welcome, sharing from his own experience. Leonard was excited to meet his new teammates ahead of his NHL debut against the Bruins following a season-ending game with BC.
I've been there. The guys who have been in the locker room helped me out big time. I just try to do little things and help the new faces in our locker room feel comfortable.
All my BC teammates were in there because it was probably 5-10 minutes before I actually signed. And they're like, 'What? I don't know if you should respond to that.' I was like, 'I kinda have to.'
He's earned all of the accolades and all of the attention that he's getting.
The moments leading up to signing his contract was far from a shock; his road to pro hockey had been building to this moment for years.
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