Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Capitals’ Ryan Leonard Invited to 2025 NHLPA Rookie Showcase

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Christopher Babos | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 12:56 PM ET

Ryan Leonard is the only expected representative for the Washington Capitals at the 2025 National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) Rookie Showcase on Sep. 3. The annual event takes place at the Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. It is located approximately 20 minutes away from Washington’s home rink, Capital One Arena.

The showcase serves as an opportunity for Upper Deck, the official trading card partner of the NHLPA and the NHL, to collect videos and pictures of players to be used for their first official trading cards and other promotional materials in 2025-26 and beyond. Vincent Iorio represented the Capitals at the 2024 NHLPA Rookie Showcase.

Leonard Brings NHL Experience to 2025 Showcase

Leonard skated in nine regular-season games during the 2024-25 regular season and scored his first NHL goal against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4, 2025. He finished the regular season with one goal, no assists, and a minus-4 plus/minus rating while on the ice for more than 14 minutes per game.

In the 2025 NHL Playoffs, Leonard recorded an assist on Dylan Strome’s second-period goal in Game 2 of Round 1 against the Montreal Canadiens for his only playoff point. Still, he finished with a plus-1 plus/minus rating with nearly 10 minutes of ice time per night over eight games.

Leonard will be joined at the 2025 NHLPA Rookie Showcase by Gabe Perreault, a former teammate at Boston College (BC). The 20-year-old winger skated in five games for the New York Rangers in 2024-25 and is still seeking his first NHL point. Perreault was a standout offensive player at BC, amassing 108 points in 73 NCAA games, an average of 1.47 points per game in a competitive college environment.

Islanders Featuring 2 Rookies in Arlington

New York Islanders center Marc Gatcomb has the most NHL experience at this year’s NHLPA Rookie Showcase. The 26-year-old center scored eight goals and totaled nine points in 39 games for the Islanders in 2024-25. The undrafted forward carved a path to the NHL after 117 American Hockey League (AHL) games over the last four seasons, and six games with the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL in 2022-23.

Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

New Islanders teammate Matthew Schaefer will join him in Virginia. The first overall choice at the 2025 NHL Draft seems ready to start the season after skating in 17 games for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2024-25 regular season. Schaefer has already signed his entry-level contract, limiting his options to NHL duty or a return to Erie for the 2025-26 season.

The NHLPA Rookie Showcase is an annual right-of-passage for up-and-coming players in the NHL. Every NHL team is expected to be represented; however, players could change depending on availability for the first week of September. As it stands currently, Leonard will be the only player representing the Capitals at this year’s event.