Ryan Leonard Talks Overnight Jump To Capitals, Debut & Hanging With Alex Ovechkin: 'Not Something You Can Put Into Words'

Ryan Leonard's last 48 hours are enough to give someone whiplash.

On Sunday, he and his teammates at Boston College were playing in the regional final, where they saw their season come to a disappointing end at the hands of Denver. Then, on Monday, he woke up in his dorm room, and business unfolded, as he was faxed over papers for his entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.

As he went to clean out his locker stall and put pen to paper, his phone buzzed: a text from Alex Ovechkin came up, as Washington was en route to Boston for a Tuesday meeting with the Boston Bruins.

"He asked if I wanted to get sushi once they landed," Leonard said. "I read it in the locker room.... (my teammates were) like 'What? I'm not sure if you should respond to it.' And I was like, 'I kinda have to.'"

Later that night, Ovechkin and the team met Leonard at the Circle, a bar in Boston, where the group listened to "Bandz A Make Her Dance" and shared some food, drinks and words of wisdom.

"Just to go to dinner with those guys and meet all those guys I'm really just trying to embrace the moment and spend quality time with those guys," Leonard said. "It's not often you get to go to dinner with one of the greats."

Then, Tuesday morning hit. Leonard made his way to TD Garden and had his first NHL morning skate with the Capitals. There, he swapped sticks with Ovechkin — who took a dislike to his lower flex — and got to know his teammates a bit more.

He also learned he'd be playing on the top-6 and making his NHL debut against the Bruins in his hometown.

"A dream come true... Just thinking about being here at BC and then turning the page and being a pro, it's pretty weird to think about, but it's pretty cool," Leonard said.

The nerves are building a bit for the 20-year-old as he plays his first NHL game in front of family, friends and BC teammates, but he's taking things one step at a time and just trying to keep things simple.

"This is the only debut I'll have, it's pretty cool. Not really something you can put into words when something you really dream about comes true," Leonard said. "Just trying to go out there and have fun."