Leonard inks deal with Swamp Rabbits

GREENVILLE, S.C. —The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have signed defenseman Curtis Leonard, who will be entering his seventh pro season, for the 2020-21 season.Leonard, a Napanee, Ontario native, was a steady defenseman with the Elite Ice Hockey League's Belfast Giants for the previous two seasons. Across 108 games, the 27-year-old scored 42 points (5g-37a) and was a +36. With the Giants, he captured a regular-season title and a Challenge Cup title during the 2018–19 season.His pro career began in the American Hockey League  after being signed to an Amateur Tryout Agreement by the Rochester Americans upon the conclusion of his collegiate career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has previously spent time in the ECHL with Reading, Fort Wayne and Evansville.Leonard's career went into overdrive for two seasons with the Komets during the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons. Leonard picked up 38 points and a +64 rating whil also skating in 25 playoff games with the Komets, including a trip to the 2018 Western Conference Finals.In 193 games in the ECHL, Leonard has scored 47 points, to go along with 120 penalty minutes and a +62 rating. Across the ECHL, the AHL and the EIHL, Leonard has played 302 games.Leonard spent four seasons at RPI, and served as team captain in his senior season. He suited up for 151 contests and recorded 43 points (9g-34a). His entire junior hockey career was spent with the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he captured a league championship in 2011.