Brendan Leipsic

Lore & Background

Leipsic played junior hockey in the WHL from 2010–11 and was a member of Canada's National Junior Team for the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge. In the 2012–13 season with the Portland Winterhawks, he scored 120 points in 68 games to win the CHL Top Scorer Award. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2012 NHL entry draft and signed a three-year entry-level contract in May 2013. After beginning his professional career with the Predators' AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2015 as part of a package for Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli.

Leipsic made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs on February 13, 2016, scoring his first goal on a mid-air deflection. He was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and later played for the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2019. In the 2019–20 season, he recorded 3 goals and 8 assists in 61 games before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leipsic's NHL career ended after a private Instagram conversation containing misogynistic comments was leaked. The Capitals placed him on unconditional waivers on May 8, 2020, and his contract was terminated the following day. He then moved to Russia to play in the KHL, joining HC CSKA Moscow in August 2020. Over the next several years, he played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, SKA Saint Petersburg, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and HC Sibir Novosibirsk. He was granted Russian citizenship on July 12, 2023.

Reader's Guide

Brendan Leipsic's career is marked by early junior success and a rapid NHL trajectory that ended abruptly due to off-ice conduct. His 120-point season in the WHL and CHL Top Scorer Award established him as a high-scoring prospect, and his NHL debut goal for the Maple Leafs—a mid-air deflection—was a memorable highlight. However, his legacy is defined by the controversy that led to the termination of his Washington Capitals contract in May 2020 after a leaked private Instagram conversation. This incident effectively ended his NHL career and prompted a move to the KHL, where he played for five different Russian clubs over several seasons. Leipsic's career illustrates how a promising start can be derailed by personal conduct, and his subsequent acquisition of Russian citizenship and continued play in the KHL represent a significant shift from his North American roots. His story is often cited in discussions of player accountability and the consequences of social media behavior in professional sports.

Did You Know?

• Leipsic scored his first NHL goal on a mid-air deflection in his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 13, 2016.
• He won the CHL Top Scorer Award in 2012–13 after scoring 120 points in 68 games for the Portland Winterhawks.
• Leipsic was granted Russian citizenship on July 12, 2023, after three years playing in the KHL.
• His mother Kathleen was an alternate gymnast for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.