Pro debut

Former Dukes’ defenceman Curtis Leonard made his AHL debut on Sunday, registering a point in his first game as a Rochester American.

Former Duke Curtis Leonard earns point in his first AHL game

Curtis Leonard came to the Wellington as a lanky 15-year-old, but emerged quickly in the Dukes uniform as a steady, unflappable defender with the presence, reach and intelligence to keep players as much as five years older harmlessly to the outside. Leonard was the anchor of the team that sliced through the OJHL and won the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Huntsville in 2011.

Leonard just completed a strong NCAA career with RPI in Troy, New York, where he was named captain in his final year. Last Thursday, he signed with the AHL’s Rochester Americans —the AHL farm team to the Buffalo Sabres franchise. On Sunday, Leonard played his first game as a professional hockey player, earning a point on a hard tape-to-tape pass out of his zone to the rushing forward. It was Rochester’s only goal in the game.

Like the Sabres, the Amerks, as they are known, are struggling to put up points this season—winning just three of their last 13 games—but the team’s challenges have created the opportunity for Leonard, a Napanee native.

On Sunday, Amerks’ coach Chadd Cassidy said Leonard will have a chance to prove he belongs in the league. That is a good thing.

Leonard isn’t a flashy player. He isn’t a showboat. He will always make the smart play, favouring the safe play over the high-risk gambit. He doesn’t rely on a booming point shot or dazzling spinorama move. Instead, he is a sturdy, smart and reliable rearguard—putting the puck where it has the best chance of producing postive results. It is how he thinks about the game.

It takes a while before you notice opposing forwards don’t get around him. Frustrated, they have to move the puck—often making the decision too late, frequently resulting in a turnover.

It is a subtle talent.

Leonard isn’t lanky anymore, either. The 22- year-old is a big man. He has filled his 6-foot 3- inch frame with muscle and grit. He is next to impossible to move off the puck. He doesn’t cough it up under pressure.

That is what Rochester fans saw on Sunday, against players who have been up and down in the NHL. Given the chance, Leonard will make the Amerks a better team.

Cassidy said he was pleased with Leonard’s start.

“I thought he was good,” says Cassidy. “He didn’t get himself into trouble. He kept things simple. Moved the puck well. A good start.”

Asked about Leonard’s breakout pass that led to the Amerks’ only goal, Cassidy described it as “a real pro pass.”

“It was a good hard pass on the breakout,” say Cassidy. “It’s something we stress a lot— stretching out the zone. A real good job by him.”

In the scrum after the game, a local reporter wanted know if the newcomer was nervous.

“A little at first,” Leonard said. “But after I got a couple of shifts under my belt, I felt better.”

Dukes’ coach Marty Abrams remembers Leonard as a “a team-first player who left everything on the ice.

“I am not surprised at Curtis’s elevation to the pro game. His game continued to evolve while at RPI, and was named team captain his senior year. He was a great teammate and a pleasure to coach—traits that continued while at RPI—which makes him a legitimate pro prospect.”

The Rochester Amerks take to the ice next on Friday night.