Capitals Prospect Named Captain of Team USA

A Washington Capitals' prospect was named captain of Team USA for the 2025 World Junior Championships.

Apr 11, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Boston College Eagles forward Ryan Leonard (9) carries the puck in the semifinals of the 2024 Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament during the third period against the Michigan Wolverines at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

The Washington Capitals drafted one of their most high-profiled prospects when they selected American-born forward Ryan Leonard. Currently tearing up the NCAA with Boston College, he is now set to lead Team USA at the 2025 Men's World Juniors Championship.

The Capitals' prospect was awarded with the captain's "C", along with four other alternate captains named by Hockey USA. Joining Leonard in the leadership group as the alternate captains are Oliver Moore of the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders' prospect Danny Nelson, Zeev Buium of the Minnesota Wild, and New York Rangers' prospect winger Gabe Perreault.

This leadership group is one of the most experienced and talented group in the tournament. They are each top prospects for their respective organizations and were all part of the USA roster that captured gold at least year's WJC. The team's head coach and University of Denver men's ice hockey coach David Carle spoke very highly of the core group when Hockey USA shared the news of the captains group.

“We’ve got tremendous leadership, which is important in a short tournament like this," he said. “Congratulations to those selected to wear letters, and beyond those five players, we know that everyone on our team will play a role in our success.” 

Leonard joins an illustrious list of former captains of the USA World Juniors team. Last year's captain was Rutger McGroarty, top prospect for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the past decade, some notable captains were current Philadelphia Flyers' defenseman Cam York, New Jersey Devil's blue liner Luke Hughes, Wild star defender Brock Faber, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel. Leonard hopes to follow in their collective NHL footsteps while also emulating the success McGroarty and York had as captains of gold medal-winning teams.

The United States team will have a tough time defending their gold medal at the 2025 tournament. Hockey Canada released their 25-man roster, and it's also loaded with NHL talent. The same can be said for Sweden, and you can never count out countries like Czechia and Finland to contend for medals. It will be an exciting tournament that Leonard gets the chance to lead the Team USA through.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Rangers Looking For 'Big Swing' to Save Season
• Penguins' Sidney Crosby Breaks Scoring Slump With Ironic Timing
• Lightning Superstar Extends Scoring Streak
• Blue Jackets Goalie Has Career Night vs. Devils
• USA Announces Final Roster for 2025 WJC