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Red Wings Recall AHL's Top Scorer Ahead Of Homestand

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The Detroit Red Wings are recalling forward John Leonard from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, rewarding one of the hottest hands in the minors as the NHL club prepares for its upcoming four-game homestand.

Leonard, 27, has been simply dominant this season, helping power the Griffins to a historic 22-1-0-1 record. The New Jersey native has emerged as the AHL’s top scorer, producing 19 goals and 10 assists for 29 points in just 20 games. He has shown off his top end goal scoring ability, finding the back of the net in 15 of those 20 contests. For his efforts in the month of November, Leonard was named the AHL's Player of the Month with 24 points in just 15 games.

Despite playing fewer games, Leonard trails the AHL scoring lead by just two points behind two other forwards tied atop the league leaderboard. His offensive surge has been a driving force behind Grand Rapids leading the AHL with 93 goals, four more than the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, despite playing two fewer games.

Leonard’s performance made the call-up unavoidable as the Red Wings recalled him late Sunday night ahead of a homestand that begins Tuesday against the New York Islanders.

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A former sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Leonard has previous NHL experience, appearing during the 2020-21 season. He has played 70 NHL games overall, recording 17 points across stints with the Sharks, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and now Detroit. Most of his career, however, has been spent in the minors, where his game has steadily surged.

Last season, Leonard posted 36 goals and 25 assists for 61 points in 72 games with the Charlotte Checkers. He followed that with 14 points in 18 playoff games during their run to the Calder Cup Final.

In a recent interview with The Hockey News, Leonard credited his success this season to chemistry with his linemates Dominik Shine and Sheldon Dries.

"This year been fun playing with, playing with Dries and Shine, and I think we're just kind of clicking right now and obviously when you're playing with with really good guys, it goes a long way and I've obviously been fortunate to be on some of the finishing ends of that, but now playing with those two guys has been a lot of fun," Leonard explained. "I think it's a fun system to play, It's a fast North-South game, I think that benefits me well and the coaching staff is awesome."

Exclusive: Griffins' John Leonard Talks Early Season Success, NHL Call-Up BuzzExclusive: Griffins' John Leonard Talks Early Season Success, NHL Call-Up BuzzGriffins' league-leading scorer John Leonard reveals the secrets behind their historic hot streak and discusses his own NHL call-up potential.

Leonard also emphasized the depth of the Griffins roster, saying the sky is the limit for a team he believes can match up with anyone in the league. When asked about recent rumors of an NHL call-up, Leonard said he tries to remain focused on the present.

"At the end of the day, I think everyone's dream is to be an everyday player in the NHL but I'm here in Grand Rapids right now, and that's my focus and I try not to get too caught up in that," he said.

Leonard is expected to work in as a depth forward with Detroit and could see time on the bottom lines as the Red Wings look for internal solutions while some players at the bottom of the lineup, including Marco Kasper, continue to struggle.

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