| Jordan Leopold | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Leopold with theColumbus Blue Jackets in 2014 | |||
| Born | (1980-08-03)August 3, 1980 (age 44) Golden Valley,Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Calgary Flames Colorado Avalanche Florida Panthers Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres St. Louis Blues Columbus Blue Jackets Minnesota Wild | ||
| National team |  United States | ||
| NHL draft | 44th overall,1999 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | ||
| Playing career | 2002–2015 | ||
Jordan Douglas Leopold (born August 3, 1980) is anAmerican former professionalice hockeydefenseman. He was drafted in the second round, 44th overall, by theMighty Ducks of Anaheim in1999, though never making an appearance with the team. In his NHL career, Leopold played for theCalgary Flames,Colorado Avalanche,Florida Panthers,Pittsburgh Penguins,Buffalo Sabres,St. Louis Blues,Columbus Blue Jackets andMinnesota Wild.
Prior to joining the NHL, Leopold played for the Armstrong Falcons[1] ofPlymouth, Minnesota, and went on to play collegiate hockey with theUniversity of Minnesota from 1998 until 2002, where he helped the Golden Gophers win an NCAA national championship despite pressure to leave the University early to play in the NHL. After his first year with Minnesota, scoring 23 points, Leopold was drafted in the1999 NHL Entry Draft in the second round, 44th overall, by theMighty Ducks of Anaheim as a prospective offensivedefenseman. After completing his sophomore season with the Golden Gophers, Leopold became the property of theCalgary Flames, traded by the Mighty Ducks in exchange forAndrei Nazarov and a second-round draft pick.[2] In 2001–02, his final season with the University of Minnesota, he won theHobey Baker Award for being the season's outstanding player in college hockey.[3] He also played for the US in theWorld Championships that year.
Leopold started his professional career in the NHL in2002. He played 58 games for theCalgary Flames and scored four goals and 14 points. In his second season, Leopold would play in all 82 regular season games, scoring 33 points as well as contributing to the Flames' playoff run to the2004 Stanley Cup Finals, play which earned him a spot in the defense of theAmerican national team for the2005 World Championships as well as for the2006 Winter Olympics.
After one more season with the Flames, Leopold was traded to theColorado Avalanche at the2006 NHL Entry Draft.[4] Leopold's first season with the Avalanche, in2006–07, was all but wiped out due to injury. Having missed the first 25 games of the season recovering fromhernia surgery,[5] he then suffered a groin injury on December 11, 2006, ruling him out for another 17 games.[6] Just a month later, Leopold was injured again, fracturing his wrist on February 17, 2007, effectively missing the rest of the season, and playing in just 15 games.[7] At season's end, Leopold was re-signed by the Avalanche to a two-year contract on May 22, 2007.[8]
In the2007–08 season, Leopold was again struck down by another injury-plagued season. Throughout the course of the season, he missed 35 games with a hip ailment, lacerated leg andpneumonia.[9] He also suffered a concussion when he was hit high bySteve Ott on March 9, 2008.[10] Ott was subsequently suspended for three games.
Leopold recovered to full health in time for the2008–09 season. He played in every game with the Avalanche until theNHL trade deadline, when he was traded back to the Calgary Flames forLawrence Nycholat, prospectRyan Wilson and a second-round draft pick.[11] Leopold then played all 19 games for the Flames, becoming the first Flames player to play 83 games of an 82-game season,[12] a feat thatIan White would repeat in 2010.[13]
On June 27, 2009, as an impending free agent, Leopold's negotiation rights were traded by the Flames to theFlorida Panthers, for the negotiation rights ofJay Bouwmeester, at the2009 NHL Entry Draft.[14] After testing free-agency, Leopold signed a one-year contract with the Panthers on July 2, 2009.[15]
In the2009–10 season, Leopold scored seven goals and 18 points in 61 games with the Panthers. On March 1, 2010, he was then traded to thePittsburgh Penguins for a second-round draft pick in the2010 NHL Entry Draft.[16] On April 16, 2010, in Game 2 of a playoff series between the Penguins and theOttawa Senators, Leopold's series was ended by a devastating hit from Senators defensemanAndy Sutton. Leopold, who had a history of concussion injuries, remained unconscious on the ice for several minutes.[17] Leopold later returned to the Pens' lineup for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup against theMontreal Canadiens.
On July 1, 2010, Leopold left the Penguins as a free agent and signed a three-year contract with theBuffalo Sabres.[18]
In the final year of his contract with the Sabres, during thelockout-shortened2012–13 season, he was traded to theSt. Louis Blues in exchange for a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in the2013 NHL Entry Draft on March 30, 2013.[19]
In the2014–15 season, with limited playing time in St. Louis, on November 15, 2014, Leopold was traded from the Blues to theColumbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in2016.[20] Leopold played 18 games with the Blue Jackets, registering one goal and two assists, before he joined his third team in the year when he was dealt to theMinnesota Wild in exchange forJustin Falk and a fifth-round pick in2015 on March 2, 2015.[21]
Leopold and his wife Jamie have three daughters and a son.[22] Leopold's trade to the Minnesota Wild, marking a return to his home state, gained the attention of media outlets after it was revealed that one of his daughters wrote a letter to the Minnesota Wild coaching staff asking for them to trade for Jordan to be closer to family.[23] He now owns and runs a wedding venue, Leopold's Mississippi Gardens, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | Robbinsdale Armstrong High School | HS-MN | 19 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Robbinsdale Armstrong High School | HS-MN | 30 | 24 | 36 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | USNTDP U18 | USHL | 19 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | USNTDP U18 | NAHL | 16 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | USNTDP U18 | USDP | 25 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 39 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 39 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 42 | 12 | 37 | 49 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 44 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Saint John Flames | AHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 58 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 82 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 24 | 26 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 74 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 68 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 43 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 64 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 19 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2009–10 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 61 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 20 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 71 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 36 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 79 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 24 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 27 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 695 | 67 | 147 | 214 | 293 | 80 | 0 | 17 | 17 | 26 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | United States | WJC | 8th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2000 | United States | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | United States | WC | 7th | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2003 | United States | WC | 13th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 4th | 0 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2005 | United States | WC | 6th | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006 | United States | OG | 8th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2008 | United States | WC | 6th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Senior totals | 30 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 | ||||
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| WCHAAll-Rookie Team | 1999 | |
| WCHAThird All-Star Team | 1999 | |
| WCHASecond All-Star Team | 2000 | |
| WCHAFirst All-Star Team | 2001, 2002 | |
| WCHA Defensive player of the year | 2001, 2002 | |
| AHCAWest First-Team All-American | 2001, 2002 | |
| WCHAAll-Tournament Team | 2002 | [24] |
| Hobey Baker Award | 2002 | |
| NHL | ||
| NHL YoungStars Game | 2003 | |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | WCHA Defensive Player of the Year 2000–01,2001–02 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theHobey Baker Award 2001–02 | Succeeded by |