The last few days have been quite the adventure for Washington Capitals prospects Ryan Leonard and Ryan Chesley, as they are still settling in back home following the World Junior championship. Both players represented Team USA and played huge roles in the team’s run to the Gold Medal.
2024 World Junior Tournament Summaries For Capitals Prospects Ryan Leonard and Ryan Chesley
“It was a really special moment. Overall being with that team, and obviously winning that gold medal,” Chesley said in a Zoom press conference. “We had such a good group of guys and playing with such high-level players is really good, so much fun.”
It was an experience that neither of them will take for granted and a huge step into their development as future NHL players. But now their focus turns to contributing to each of their respective programs at the college ranks.
Leonard is having a terrific rookie season at Boston College and the Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the nation. He has 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 17 games and had a nine-game point streak, which led him being named the Hockey East Rookie of the Month for November.
On the other hand, Chesley, Washington’s second round pick in 2022, has embraced his increased role as a top-four defenseman at Minnesota and slowly started to find his offensive touch towards the end of the first half. The sophomore blueliner has six points (two goals, four assists) in 20 games with the Golden Gophers.
“I think my game has matured and developed in a lot of different ways. I think offensively my skills have grown a lot. [I have] more confidence in that area of the game,” Chesley said. “And my all around defensive game has grown too. Gotten bigger, stronger. So I think I’ve gotten better and bigger in a lot of different ways.”
Both teams have tough schedules ahead of them to begin 2024. The second half consists of conference only play and each series is filled with intense action. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the building gets even louder, which is something that both Leonard and Chesley embraced overseas.
“I just think kind of the overall just the atmosphere like over every single game we had, we weren’t technically the “home team” or had the most fans there for us,” Leonard said. “So I think just playing in an away rink for the majority of the tournament and just kind of having the opposing fans on the other side of you, cheering against you, it’ll help us down any team, any college hockey team of students sections and all their chants and all that.”
The question that is on all Capitals fans minds surrounding Washington’s eighth-overall pick is when he is going to come to D.C., and put on a Capitals uniform. But right now, he is only focused on what lies ahead for BC.
“It’s always in the back of your head when you’re going to turn pro and kind of when you’re going to take that next step. But honestly, right now I’m worried about Providence Friday night,” Leonard said. “That’s kind of the last of my worries. And the NHL is always going to be there, but I think college is just a once in a lifetime opportunity. So you never want to rush out of there and I kind of just want to soak it all in and see what we can make happen here.”
Leonard and Chesley are expected to carry the momentum from their championship run into the second half of the college hockey season and lead their team to deep playoff runs come mid-March.
“It was a really special moment – overall being with that team and obviously winning that gold medal. We had such a good group of guys.”
Prospects Ryan Chesley and Ryan Leonard speak with the media over Zoom fresh off helping @usahockey to #WorldJuniors Gold in Sweden.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/PzpHuCuBtv
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 9, 2024
By Jacob Cheris
