Leonard's Shorthanded Breakaway Gives Griffins Early Lead vs IceHogs

John Leonard has a knack for shorthanded goals that borders on a superpower, and he put it on full display against the Rockford IceHogs, converting a breakaway off a turnover at the blue line to give the Grand Rapids Griffins a 1-0 lead. The goal was credited as Leonard's 28th of the season, though team notes listed him at 27 goals in 34 games before the game, meaning the shorthanded strike pushed him to the new total. Rem Pitlick later answered with a highlight-reel deke to tie it up.

The timing makes the goal even more notable. Leonard had just returned to the ice after rehabbing an injury that kept him out of the lineup for 12 straight games from Jan. 31 to Feb. 28. Coming back and immediately producing a momentum-shifting shorthanded goal is the kind of play that reminds you why the sixth-year veteran leads the entire AHL in game-winners this season with eight, while sitting tied for second in goals.

His full stat line through 34 games with the Griffins reads 41 points, 27 goals, six penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating. Those are not numbers you stumble into. They reflect a player operating at an elite level for most of the season before the injury interrupted his rhythm.

That rhythm was exceptional early. Leonard's 10-game point streak from Oct. 10 through Nov. 19 set a franchise record to begin both a season and a Griffins career. His six-game goal streak from Oct. 11 through Nov. 2 tied Austin Watson, Jiri Hudler, Kip Miller and Pavol Demitra for the third-longest such run in franchise history. Those are names with serious Griffins pedigree, and Leonard's name belongs alongside them.

November alone earned him the Fortune Tires "Expect More" AHL Player of the Month award after he posted 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points in 10 games. He became just the third player in Griffins history to win the honor, joining Riley Barber, who took it in April 2022, and Chris Minard, who won it in February 2012.

This season's production is not a fluke built on a soft schedule or hollow volume. Last season with the Charlotte Checkers, Leonard finished tied for second in the AHL with 36 goals, tied for first with 5 shorthanded goals, second with 252 shots, and registered 61 points, good for tied for 10th in the league. He then carried that into the postseason, putting up 14 points on 8 goals and 6 assists across 18 playoff games as Charlotte reached the 2025 Calder Cup Finals.

The Detroit Red Wings took notice. Leonard made his NHL debut with Detroit on Dec. 16 against the New York Islanders and followed it with a three-game point streak from Dec. 17-21, scoring in consecutive outings on Dec. 20 and 21. He has four points in nine NHL games this season, adding to a career NHL total of 21 points in 79 games across parts of five seasons. A related news item from the Griffins organization notes that Detroit has since recalled Leonard from Grand Rapids, a move that underscores how tightly his AHL performance connects to his NHL standing.

The shorthanded breakaway against Rockford, a turnover at the blue line converted into a lead, is exactly the kind of play that makes Leonard impossible for a parent club to ignore.