Brian Leetch

Lore & Background

Leetch was drafted 9th overall by the New York Rangers in 1986. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 1989, the Norris Trophy as best defenseman in 1992 and 1997, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1994. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility, alongside Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, and Luc Robitaille. He officially retired on May 24, 2007.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed over the ice in the MCI Center, the crowd roaring for a home team desperate to break through. On the opposite side of the rink, Brian Leetch stood poised in his blue Rangers jersey, stick low and ready. He watched the puck glide toward him, eyes locked on the play developing near the Washington net. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a pass slicing through traffic, a reminder that while he wasn't one of them tonight, he was still the master of this game.

Reader's Guide

Leetch's number 2 was retired by the Rangers on January 24, 2008. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008 and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023. In 2017 he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Did You Know?

• Leetch is one of only six NHL defensemen to score 100 points in a season, with his 102-point campaign in 1991–92.
• He set the NHL record for a rookie defenseman with 23 goals in 1988–89.
• Leetch was the first American-born winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
• He served as Rangers captain from 1997 to 2000.