Jordan Leopold

Lore & Background

Leopold played collegiate hockey with the University of Minnesota from 1998 to 2002, helping the Golden Gophers win an NCAA national championship despite pressure to leave early for the NHL. After his first year, scoring 23 points, he was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as a prospective offensive defenseman. Following his sophomore season, he was traded to the Calgary Flames for Andrei Nazarov and a second-round pick. In his final college season, he won the Hobey Baker Award and also played for the US in the World Championships that year.

Professional

Leopold began his professional NHL career in 2002 with the Calgary Flames, playing 58 games and scoring four goals and 14 points. In his second season, he played all 82 regular season games, scoring 33 points and contributing to the Flames' playoff run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

After one more season with Calgary, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2006 NHL entry draft. His first season with the Avalanche was largely lost to injury—hernia surgery, a groin injury, and a fractured wrist limited him to 15 games. The following season was also injury-plagued, with a hip ailment, lacerated leg, pneumonia, and a concussion from a hit by Steve Ott.

Leopold recovered to full health for the 2008–09 season and played every game for the Avalanche until the trade deadline, when he was traded back to the Calgary Flames. He then played all 19 games for the Flames, becoming the first Flames player to play 83 games of an 82-game season.

On June 27, 2009, his negotiation rights were traded to the Florida Panthers for the rights to Jay Bouwmeester. After testing free agency, Leopold signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on July 2, 2009. In the 2009–10 season, he scored seven goals and 18 points in 61 games with the Panthers before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 1, 2010.

Reader's Guide

Jordan Leopold's NHL career spanned 13 seasons and eight teams, marked by frequent trades and significant injury interruptions. His time with the Florida Panthers was brief—just 61 games in the 2009–10 season—but he contributed seven goals and 18 points before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline. Leopold's career is notable for his collegiate achievements: winning the Hobey Baker Award and an NCAA national championship with the University of Minnesota. He also represented the United States at the World Championships and the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Despite never playing for the team that drafted him, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Leopold carved out a long NHL career as a defenseman who could contribute offensively when healthy. His trade history reflects a player in demand as a rental or depth addition for playoff runs, including the Flames' run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. After retiring, Leopold owned and operated a wedding venue, Leopold's Mississippi Gardens, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.