Nick Leddy

Nick Leddy (born March 20, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He was drafted in the 1st round, 16th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. According to projections, Leddy has enormous potential as an offensive defenseman and playmaker both at the collegiate and professional levels. On February 12, 2010, the Minnesota Wild traded Leddy's NHL rights to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Kim Johnsson in exchange for Cam Barker. Minnesota Golden Gophers coach Don Lucia stated in September 2009 that he foresaw Leddy spending at least two years in development with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before making his transition to the NHL and a professional career. On January 17, 2011, Leddy was assigned to Rockford (AHL) by the Blackhawks but was later recalled on January 22, 2011 for a game against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

Eden Prairie High School
After a solid sophomore year at Eden Prairie High School, Leddy recorded five goals and 22 assists for a total of 27 points in his junior year. These numbers propelled Leddy to second-team all-Metro and earned him an honorable mention for all-state honors in Minnesota. The USA Hockey National Team Development Program and USA Hockey acknowledged Leddy as one of the best young players in the nation, but instead of heading to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to join the USNTDP, Leddy chose to finish his high school career with his teammates, and returned to Eden Prairie for his senior year. Leddy posted 12 goals and 33 assists for a total of 45 points during that 2008-09 season, earning him the prestigious Minnesota "Mr. Hockey" award and the title of Metro Player of the Year by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. In addition, the Associated Press named Leddy to first-team all-state. Leddy was also awarded a position on the Class AA all-state tournament team. He is best friends with Muhdi Mustafa Sharif who also attended Eden Prairie High School and helped manage the 2009 State Champion team. Sharif serves as Leddy's agent.

Freshman Year
As a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team, Leddy immediately made his presence known. In his collegiate debut, Leddy would score a power-play goal in a 6-1 rout of the University of British Columbia. Shortly afterward, however, Leddy would suffer a broken jaw against Alaska-Anchorage on October 30, 2009. This injury would cause Leddy to miss eight early-season games. Despite the absence, Leddy would strike back by posting his first career goal in his second game following his return in a win at Minnesota State on December 5, 2009. In early January 2009, Leddy would collect an assist in each game of the Golden Gophers' rout of Harvard, and would soon follow these assists up with two more assists against Alaska-Anchorage later in the month. Leddy would be named WCHA Rookie of the Week after posting a three-point game against Colorado College on February 20, 2010, boasting the game-winning goal and two assists. Shortly after having his NHL draft rights traded from Minnesota to Chicago on February 12, 2010, Leddy would post remarkable, team-leading numbers, including four assists, five points, 21 shots on goal and a plus-four rating for the month of February. He would carry this momentum into the month of March 2010, scoring yet another power-play goal against Wisconsin on March 7, 2010. Ultimately, Leddy would receive the team's Rookie of the Year award after playing in 30 games and ranking third among the team's defensemen in scoring by posting a solid 11 points. Leddy led the team in plus-minus with a plus-six rating, all the while maintaining excellent discipline on the ice: Leddy committed just two penalties all season. As a testament to Leddy's importance as a young defenseman, the Golden Gophers posted a 7-1 record when Leddy scored a point.

Professional career
He was drafted in the 1st round, 16th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. On February 12, 2010, the Minnesota Wild traded Leddy's NHL rights to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Kim Johnsson in exchange for Cam Barker. Minnesota coach Don Lucia stated in September 2009 that he foresaw Leddy spending at least two years in development with the Golden Gophers before making his transition to the NHL and a professional career. On July 27, 2010 it was reported by the Chicago Tribune that the Blackhawks had agreed to terms on a three-year, $2.7 million contract with defenseman Nick Leddy, who will turn professional and leave the University of Minnesota after playing one season, according to his agent, Neil Sheehy. "(Leddy) is really smooth out there and I think he's going to be a Blackhawk for many years," general manager Stan Bowman said July 12 at the conclusion of the Hawks' Prospects Camp.

Leddy played his first NHL game on October 8, 2010 against the Colorado Avalanche and scored his first NHL goal on October 11, 2010 against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.

International play
Leddy's high school and post-secondary career was supplemented with intermittent international play and development. He was a member of the U.S. squad in both the under-17 and under-18 Five Nations tournaments in the Czech Republic. In addition, Leddy would particiate in the 2009 U.S. under-18 evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. in association with USA Hockey and the USA Olympic team. Leddy would post three goals and two assists in just five games at Lake Placid. .