Jake Leschyshyn

Jake Leschyshyn
Born (1999-03-10) March 10, 1999 (age 25)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams		 New York Rangers
Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights
NHL draft 62nd overall, 2017
Vegas Golden Knights
Playing career 2019–present

Jake Leschyshyn (/lɛˈsɪʃʌn/ leh-SIH-shuhn;[1] born March 10, 1999) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted with the 62nd pick by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL entry draft, Leschyshyn has played for the Golden Knights and the New York Rangers.

Early life

Jake Leschyshyn was born on March 10, 1999, in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States,[2] to his parents Curtis and Laura.[3][4] During Leschyshyn's time in Colorado due to his father playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, he started playing ice hockey in Colorado where he participated in local hockey from 2004 until 2011, when his family moved to Saskatchewan, Canada.[5] Prior to the move, Leschyshyn played with Colorado Thunderbirds' U12 Pee Wee Major Team.[6]

Playing career

Amateur

Upon moving to Saskatchewan, Leschyshyn played his second year of minor ice-hockey levels Pee Wee AA, Bantam AA and Midget AAA in Saskatoon.[7] While playing with the Saskatoon Bantam AA Stallions of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League in the 2013–2014 season, Leschyshyn accumulated 31 goals and 28 assists.[8] As a result of his play, Red Deer Rebels drafted Leschyshyn sixth overall by the in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.[9] Although Leschyshyn signed with the Rebels in July 2014,[10] he was reassigned to Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League for the 2014–15 season after attending the Rebels training camp.[11] While with the Blazers, he scored 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points through 38 games.[8] On January 5, 2015, Leschyshyn's WHL playing rights were traded to Regina Pats in exchange for Connor Gay, a 2016 first-round pick, 2015 second-round pick, and 2017 seventh-round pick.[12] Leschyshyn was called up for two games in February, the first saw him make his WHL debut and the second saw him score his first WHL goal.[13]

Major junior

Upon concluding the 2014–15 season with the Blazers, Leschyshyn joined the Pats full-time in March 2015 for the remainder of their games.[13] He re-joined the Pats for the 2015–16 season and immediately made an impact with the team by scoring his first WHL hat-trick on November 27, 2015.[14] During the 2016–17 season, he scored 17 goals and 40 points but missed the remainder of the season due to an knee injury.[15] Prior to the 2018–19 season, Regina Pats named him captain after spending the previous season as an alternate captain.[16] During that season, Leschyshyn, along with teammate Nick Henry, was traded to Lethbridge Hurricanes.[17]

Professional

Vegas Golden Knights (2020–2023)

The Vegas Golden Knights drafted Leschyshyn with 62nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft, and he signed an entry-level contract with the team on June 1, 2018.[18] He played his first NHL game on October 14, 2021, after key players Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty were injured.[19] Leschyshyn scored his first career NHL goal and registered his first career points during a 7–4 victory against Vancouver Canucks on November 13.[20][21] Leschyshyn started with Golden Knights in 18 games during the first half of the season but was re-assigned to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.[22] On August 13, 2022, he signed a three-year deal to remain with Golden Knights.[23] He was waived by the Golden Knights for the purpose of assignment to the AHL on January 10, 2023, after not having a single point in 22 games.[24]

New York Rangers (2023–present)

On January 11, 2023, one day after being waived by the Golden Knights, the New York Rangers claimed Leschyshyn off waivers.[25][26] He started in 13 games with the Rangers during the 2022–23 season, where he was placed on waivers and sent to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack to make room for the Rangers to make a trade for Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane.[27] In March 2023, he returned to the Wolf Pack, where he averaged 15 points—five goals and 10 assists—in 18 games, helping the Wolf Pack make the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since 2015.[28]

During the 2023–24 season, Leschyshyn made his only appearance against St. Louis Blues, in which he logged 6 minutes and 28 seconds of ice time in a 5–2 loss.[29] In Hartford, he averaged eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points through 47 regular season games.[30] In the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, he scored the series-winning goal against the Providence Bruins, letting the Wolf Pack win the series 3–1, sending the team to the division finals for the second straight year.[31] He led the team in playoff goals with five in 10 games, and was recalled by the Rangers during their playoff run.[30]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2013–14 Saskatoon Blazers SMAAAHL 9 2 4 6 2 — — — — —
2014–15 Saskatoon Blazers SMAAAHL 38 15 20 35 30 — — — — —
2014–15 Regina Pats WHL 12 3 0 3 0 9 1 0 1 0
2015–16 Regina Pats WHL 66 7 9 16 38 12 1 3 4 8
2016–17 Regina Pats WHL 47 17 23 40 22 — — — — —
2017–18 Regina Pats WHL 64 18 22 40 67 7 3 2 5 2
2018–19 Regina Pats WHL 24 16 16 32 18 — — — — —
2018–19 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 44 24 25 49 30 7 6 4 10 2
2018–19 Chicago Wolves AHL 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
2019–20 Chicago Wolves AHL 61 4 4 8 20 — — — — —
2020–21 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 39 6 5 11 38 5 0 0 0 5
2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 41 2 4 6 8 — — — — —
2021–22 Henderson Silver Knights AHL 34 14 13 27 24 2 0 0 0 2
2022–23 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 22 0 0 0 8 — — — — —
2022–23 New York Rangers NHL 13 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2022–23 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 18 5 10 15 8 5 2 1 3 2
2023–24 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 47 8 11 19 36 10 5 1 6 2
2023–24 New York Rangers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
NHL totals 77 2 4 6 16 — — — — —

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2015 Canada Black U17 8th 5 1 1 2 4
Junior totals 5 1 1 2 4

References

  1. ^ "Rangers Claim Forward Jake Leschyshyn off Waivers," New York Rangers, Wednesday, January 11, 2023. Archived January 13, 2023, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. ^ "Jake Leschyshyn". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  3. ^ Granger, Jesse (November 17, 2021). "Golden Knights' Jake Leschyshyn grew up around the NHL, but had another big influence: 'That's his mom right there'". The Athletic. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Walker, Mollie (January 23, 2023). "Rangers' Jake Leschyshyn hoping to make different impact in NHL than father". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Nugent-Bowman, Daniel (February 21, 2015). "Younger Leschyshyn knows playing on the road". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "Colorado Thunderbirds Announce Teams for 2011-2012 Season". Colorado Thunderbirds. August 4, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  7. ^ Zary, Darren (June 23, 2017). "NHL Draft preview: Jake Leschyshyn has benefitted from fatherly advice given by his ex-NHLer dad Curtis". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Rocca, Taylor (May 23, 2018). "Leschyshyn enjoying title chases with Pats, Golden Knights". Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  9. ^ Zary, Darren (May 2, 2014). "Leschyshyn, Holt crack top 10 selections". The StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  10. ^ Meachem, Greg (July 10, 2014). "Rebels ink 'important' pieces". Red Deer Advocate. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Rebels Roster Now At 27". Red Deer Rebels. August 31, 2014. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  12. ^ "Pats Acquire Top Prospect from Rebels". Regina Pats. January 5, 2015. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Harder, Greg (March 5, 2015). "Leschyshyn future starts right now". The Leader-Post. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "Leschyshyn Leads Pats to Win in Calgary". Regina Pats. November 27, 2015. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  15. ^ Harder, Greg (February 13, 2017). "Pats' Leschyshyn out for season with knee injury". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  16. ^ Harder, Greg (September 20, 2018). "Leschyshyn named Pats captain; Henry and Schioler alternates". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Guignard, Jonathan (November 29, 2018). "Regina Pats deal Jake Leschyshyn and Nick Henry to Lethbridge Hurricanes". Global News. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "Golden Knights sign forward Jake Leschyshyn to entry-level deal - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  19. ^ "Golden Knights prospects make NHL debuts against Kings". October 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Emerson, Justin (November 13, 2021). "Live coverage: Golden Knights' third-period explosion carries them over Canucks". Las Vegas Sun.
  21. ^ "Golden Knights' Jake Leschyshyn: Earns first two career points". CBS Sports. November 14, 2021. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "Golden Knights' Jake Leschyshyn: Assigned to AHL affiliate". CBS Sports. November 27, 2021. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  23. ^ "Golden Knights re-sign Jake Leschyshyn to 3-year contract". Sportsnet.ca. August 14, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  24. ^ "Golden Knights' Jake Leschyshyn: Hits waivers". CBS Sports. January 10, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  25. ^ "Rangers Claim Forward Jake Leschyshyn off Waivers". New York Rangers. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  26. ^ Walker, Mollie (January 23, 2023). "Rangers' Jake Leschyshyn hoping to make different impact in NHL than father". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  27. ^ Faria, Nick (February 28, 2023). "Rangers finally pull off blockbuster, acquire Patrick Kane from Blackhawks". AM New York Metro. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Jarvis, Keegan (October 1, 2024). "Jake Leschyshyn Looking Forward to "Historic" Season". The Calder Times.
  29. ^ Cybulski, Josh (January 13, 2024). "Rangers Reassign Jake Leschyshyn". prohockeyrumors.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Rangers Recall 13 From Wolf Pack". Hartford Wolf Pack.
  31. ^ Pack, Hartford Wolf. "Jake Leschyshyn Strikes Twice As Wolf Pack Eliminates Bruins 2-1 In Overtime". www.hartfordwolfpack.com.