David Legwand

Lore & Background

Legwand attended Grosse Pointe North High School. As a youth, he played in the 1993 and 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Detroit Little Caesars minor ice hockey team. He played his junior career with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. In the season before he was drafted, he scored 54 goals along with 51 assists, totaling 105 points. He also won the Red Tilson Award as the most outstanding player in the league. Prior to the 1998 NHL entry draft, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile dealt their first- and second-round picks to the San Jose Sharks for the second and 85th pick. As a result, he was able to draft Legwand second overall behind Vincent Lecavalier. Poile had previously been in discussions with the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and the New York Rangers before San Jose accepted their deal at the last minute. After suffering from mononucleosis during training camp, Legwand returned to the Plymouth Whalers for the 1998–99 OHL season. He missed further time during the season after the death of a family member and the World Juniors. He finished third on the team with 31 goals and 49 assists for 80 points through 55 games. Once the Whalers were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, he signed a three-year contract with the Predators worth $8.925 million and made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils. Prior to the start of the 1999–00 season, Legwand was encouraged to put on more weight after he experienced a small growth spurt. As such, he worked with the team's strength and conditioning coach and added between 5 and 10 pounds. Despite improving physically, he failed to impress head coach Barry Trotz with his skills at the start of training camp. He still made the Predators opening night roster and tallied his first career NHL goal in a 4–2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Through the month of December, Legwand accumulated three goals and five assists for eight points through 10 games. By the end of March, he had tallied 28 points and led all rookies with 13 goals through 67 games. Legwand returned to the Predators for his sophomore season but failed to make an immediate impact on the team. After causing several turnovers leading to goals during a late October game against the Vancouver Canucks, Legwand sat as a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career.

Reader's Guide

David Legwand was the first player ever drafted by the Nashville Predators, selected second overall in the 1998 NHL entry draft. He spent 12 full seasons with the Predators and set several franchise records, including all-time leader in offensive categories and games played (956). He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings on March 5, 2014, for Patrick Eaves, Calle Järnkrok, and a conditional 2014 draft pick. He later played for the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres before retiring in 2016.

Did You Know?

• Legwand became the first NHL player to score on a penalty shot in overtime, doing so on December 23, 2000, against the New York Rangers.
• Legwand was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2026.