Jay Leach (ice hockey, born 1979)

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Jay Leach
Jay Leach.jpg
Leach with the San Jose Sharks in 2010
Born (1979-09-02) September 2, 1979 (age 45)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning
New Jersey Devils
Montreal Canadiens
San Jose Sharks
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 115th overall, 1998
Phoenix Coyotes
Playing career 20012013

Jay Christopher Leach (born September 2, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is a former captain of the Albany Devils.

Contents

Playing career

Leach was drafted in the fifth round (115th overall) by the Phoenix Coyotes. After spending several years in minor hockey leagues, he signed as a free agent with the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins on September 26, 2003. While with the Bruins he appeared in his first two NHL games during the 2005–06 season, collecting no points and seven penalty minutes. Leach spent most of his time in the Bruins organization with their AHL affiliate in Providence. On July 3, 2007, he was signed as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in two games for the Lightning during the 2007–08 season but spent most of the season in the AHL. On February 26, 2008 he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. Later, during the summer of 2008 he signed with the New Jersey Devils. On November 6, 2009, Leach was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on re-entry waivers from the Devils. On November 28, 2009, due to a high number of injuries to Canadiens forwards, Leach played forward instead of his usual defense position. [1]

Leach was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks on December 1, 2009, and he played 28 games for the Sharks during the season. He recorded his first NHL goal in an 8 to 5 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on March 11, 2010. He began the 2010–11 season playing for the AHL's Worcester Sharks, but on February 9, 2011, he was traded back to the New Jersey Devils along with Steven Zalewski in exchange for Patrick Davis and Mike Swift. [2]

Coaching career

Leach became an assistant coach with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2014, helping the team in winning their sixth DEL Championship. [3] [4] On July 7, 2015, Leach was appointed as assistant coach to Mike Sullivan for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. [5] Leach was named interim head coach in December 2015 after Sullivan was promoted to be the head coach at Pittsburgh before settling into the position of associate head coach on a permanent basis to new Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Clark Donatelli. [6] [7] Leach departed the Penguins after one season, eventually joining the Providence Bruins as an assistant coach on August 4, 2016. [8] He would be promoted the P-Bruins head coach position prior to the 2017–18 season. [9] In July 2021, the Seattle Kraken announced Leach as an assistant coach to Dave Hakstol for the Kraken's inaugural season. [10] On June 12, 2024, Leach agreed to become an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins.

Personal life

Leach is the nephew of both former NHL forward Stephen Leach and University of Maine hockey coach Jay Leach. [11] He was married to Kathryn Tappen, an American sportscaster; they subsequently divorced in 2014.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1997–98 Providence College HE 3208829
1998–99 Providence CollegeHE3318942
1999–00 Providence CollegeHE371910101
2000–01 Providence CollegeHE4042125104
2001–02 Mississippi Sea Wolves ECHL 7031316116101128
2002–03 Augusta Lynx ECHL6581119162
2002–03 Springfield Falcons AHL 90000
2003–04 Long Beach Ice Dogs ECHL30114
2003–04 Providence Bruins AHL30004
2003–04 Trenton Titans ECHL312111345
2003–04 Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL2301133701110
2004–05 Trenton TitansECHL1102217
2004–05 Providence BruinsAHL62459921700028
2005–06 Providence BruinsAHL7151116100601115
2005–06 Boston Bruins NHL 20007
2006–07 Providence BruinsAHL732571281304413
2007–08 Norfolk Admirals AHL55381154
2007–08 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL20000
2007–08 Portland Pirates AHL2036930181017
2008–09 Lowell Devils AHL2424629
2008–09 New Jersey Devils NHL2401121
2009–10 Lowell DevilsAHL1203310
2009–10 Montreal Canadiens NHL70005
2009–10 San Jose Sharks NHL2811220
2010–11 Worcester Sharks AHL5014545
2010–11 Albany Devils AHL161348
2010–11 New Jersey DevilsNHL70007
2011–12 Albany DevilsAHL2102212
2012–13 Albany DevilsAHL604101463
NHL totals7012360

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1998 United States WJC 5th70118
Junior totals70118

References

  1. "Price gets another call; Leach plays forward". Habs Inside/Out.com. November 28, 2009. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
  2. "Sharks, Devils deal minor-leaguers". Boston Globe . February 9, 2011. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  3. Dougherty, Peter "Leach signs on as assistant coach in Germany" Albany Times-Union August 20, 2014
  4. "Mannheim takes DEL title". IIHF.com. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. "Jay Leach Named Assistant Coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins". Pittsburgh Penguins Official Website. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  6. "Jay Leach named WBS Interim Head Coach". NHL.com. December 12, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  7. Lakso, Seth. "Clark Donatelli hired as WBS Penguins Head Coach". Penguins Insider. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  8. "JAY LEACH AND TRENT WHITFIELD NAMED PROVIDENCE BRUINS ASSISTANT COACHES". The Official Site of the Providence Bruins. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  9. "LEACH HIRED AS HEAD COACH OF P-BRUINS". AHL. July 31, 2017.
  10. "Jay Leach hired by Seattle Kraken". Boston Herald. July 6, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  11. Television interview with Scranton coach Jay Leach, WQMY-TV, 12 December 2015