David Legwand

David A. Legwand (born August 17, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first player ever drafted by the Nashville Predators, with whom he spent 12 full seasons and set several franchise records. He finished the final three seasons of his career split between the Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres.

David Legwand
Legwand with the Buffalo Sabres in 2016
Born (1980-08-17) August 17, 1980
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
Played for Nashville Predators
EHC Basel
Detroit Red Wings
Ottawa Senators
Buffalo Sabres
National team  United States
NHL Draft 2nd overall, 1998
Nashville Predators
Playing career 1999–2016

Playing career

Amateur

Legwand attended Grosse Pointe North High School. As a youth, he played in the 1993 and 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Detroit Little Caesars minor ice hockey team.[1]

He played his junior career with the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL. In the season before he was drafted, he scored 54 goals along with 51 assists, totaling 105 points. He also won the Red Tilson Award as the most outstanding player in the league.

Nashville Predators
Legwand in 2009.

Prior to the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile dealt their first- and second-round picks to the San Jose Sharks for the second and 85th pick. As a result, he was able to draft Legwand second overall behind Vincent Lecavalier.[2] Poile had previously been in discussions with the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, and the New York Rangers before San Jose accepted their deal at the last minute.[2][3] After suffering from mononucleosis during training camp, Legwand returned to the Plymouth Whalers for the 1998–99 OHL season. He missed further time during the season after the death of a family member and the World Juniors. He finished third on the team with 31 goals and 49 assists for 80 points through 55 games.[4] Once the Whalers were eliminated from the OHL playoffs, he signed a three-year contract with the Predators worth $8.925 million[5] and made his NHL debut against the New Jersey Devils.[6]

Prior to the start of the 1999–00 season, Legwand was encouraged to put on more weight after he experienced a small growth spurt.[4] As such, he worked with the team's strength and conditioning coach and added between 5 and 10 pounds.[7] Despite improving physically, he failed to impress head coach Barry Trotz with his skills at the start of training camp.[8] He still made the Predators opening night roster and tallied his first career NHL goal in a 4–2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.[7] Through the month of December, Legwand accumulated three goals and five assists for eight points through 10 games.[9] By the end of March, he had tallied 28 points and led all rookies with 13 goals through 67 games.[10]

Legwand returned to the Predators for his sophomore season but failed to make an immediate impact on the team. After causing several turnovers leading to goals during a late October game against the Vancouver Canucks, Legwand sat as a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career.[11] On December 23, 2000, during a game against the New York Rangers, Legwand became the first NHL player to score on a penalty shot in overtime.[12] As the Predators failed to qualify for the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, Legwand competed for Team USA at the 2001 IIHF World Championship.[13]

During the NHL 2004–05 lockout season, Legwand played for the Swiss team EHC Basel.

Legwand in 2011.

After several first round playoff exits, Legwand and the Predators advanced to the second round for the first time in franchise history and his career in 2011. The Predators were defeated by the eventual Western Conference Champions Vancouver Canucks in six games.

In early November 2005, Legwand suffered a knee injury. Prior to rejoining the Predators once his knee recovered, Legwand played two games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Milwaukee Admirals. He made his AHL debut on February 23, 2006, while playing on a line with Scottie Upshall and Jordin Tootoo.[14]

On March 5, 2014, in the final year of his contract with the Predators and out of playoff contention, Legwand was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Patrick Eaves, Calle Järnkrok, and a conditional 2014 draft pick, ending his 15-year career in Nashville. He left Nashville as the franchise's all-time leader in all offensive categories and games played, with 956 appearances.[15]

Later years

On July 4, 2014, Legwand signed a two-year, $6 million free agent contract with the Ottawa Senators. The move came after the Senators traded star center Jason Spezza to the Dallas Stars.[16] In his only season in Ottawa in 2014-15 season, Legwand added a veteran presence in helping return the Senators to the playoffs, however suffered a decline in production with 9 goals and 27 points in 80 games.

On June 26, 2015, Legwand was traded to the Buffalo Sabres along with Senators teammate Robin Lehner in exchange for the New York Islanders' 1st-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[17]

Legwand announced his retirement from professional hockey on December 22, 2016.[18]

Personal life

Legwand and his wife, Lindsey, have two children, with the firstborn being a son born on November 21, 2009.[19][20]

In January 2015, Legwand, along with former NHL player Derian Hatcher, entered an agreement to purchase the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[21] The transfer of ownership was approved by the OHL Board of Governors and completed on March 4, 2015.[22]

Records and milestones
  • Nashville Predators record for most games played (956)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1996–97 Detroit Ambassadors NAHL 44 21 41 62 58 — — — — —
1997–98 Plymouth Whalers OHL 59 54 51 105 56 15 8 12 20 24
1998–99 Plymouth Whalers OHL 55 31 49 80 65 11 3 8 11 8
1998–99 Nashville Predators NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1999–00 Nashville Predators NHL 71 13 15 28 30 — — — — —
2000–01 Nashville Predators NHL 81 13 28 41 38 — — — — —
2001–02 Nashville Predators NHL 63 11 19 30 54 — — — — —
2002–03 Nashville Predators NHL 64 17 31 48 34 — — — — —
2003–04 Nashville Predators NHL 82 18 29 47 46 6 1 0 1 8
2004–05 EHC Basel NLB 3 6 2 8 2 19 16 23 39 20
2005–06 Nashville Predators NHL 44 7 19 26 34 5 0 1 1 8
2005–06 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2006–07 Nashville Predators NHL 78 27 36 63 44 5 0 3 3 2
2007–08 Nashville Predators NHL 65 15 29 44 38 3 1 0 1 2
2008–09 Nashville Predators NHL 73 20 22 42 32 — — — — —
2009–10 Nashville Predators NHL 82 11 27 38 24 6 2 5 7 8
2010–11 Nashville Predators NHL 64 17 24 41 24 12 6 3 9 8
2011–12 Nashville Predators NHL 78 19 34 53 26 10 3 3 6 10
2012–13 Nashville Predators NHL 48 12 13 25 20 — — — — —
2013–14 Nashville Predators NHL 62 10 30 40 30 — — — — —
2013–14 Detroit Red Wings NHL 21471131 50000
2014–15 Ottawa Senators NHL 809182732 30000
2015–16 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 5 9 14 14 — — — — —
NHL totals 1,136228390618551 5513152846

International
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
1998 United States WJC 5th 7 0 0 0 2
1999 United States WJC 8th 6 1 3 4 31
1999 United States WC 6th 6 0 2 2 4
2000 United States WC 5th 6 1 1 2 4
2001 United States WC 4th 9 2 4 6 4
2005 United States WC 6th 7 0 1 1 4
Junior totals 13 1 3 4 33
Senior totals 28 3 8 11 16

References
  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  2. Boclair, David (June 28, 1998). "Predators deal, draft Legwand". The Daily News Journal. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  3. "Preds---". The Daily News Journal. June 28, 1998. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  4. Glennon, John (April 18, 1999). "Last season was more productive for Legwand". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. "Legwand signs, sees first action". The Tennessean. April 18, 1999. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  6. Glennon, John (April 18, 1999). "A devilish ending". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Bigger is better". The Tennessean. October 14, 1999. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  8. Glennon, John (September 10, 1999). "Legwand finding motivation". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Predators Report". The Tennessean. December 28, 1999. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Preds: Legwand deals with hockey, life on own". The Tennessean. March 31, 2000. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  11. Wyatt, Jim (October 26, 2000). "Legwan returns to Preds lineup". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  12. "David waves the magic 'wand'". Calgary Herald. December 24, 2000. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  13. Glennon, John (March 30, 2001). "World Championships feature four more Preds". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Admiral debut". The Tennessean. February 25, 2006. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  15. Kujawa, Kyle (March 5, 2014). "Legwand acquired from Nashville". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  16. "Senators sign F Legwand to two-year contract". The Sports Network. July 4, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  17. "Sabres trade for Lehner, Legwand from Senators". Buffalo Sabres. June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  18. "David Legwand retires after 16 NHL seasons". NHLPA. December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  19. "Nashville: the scene of the 'Legwand hat trick'". Ottawa Citizen. October 7, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  20. "Returning to Detroit makes trade easier for Legwand". NHL. May 4, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  21. "Sarnia Sting sold to new owners". theobserver.ca. January 22, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  22. "Legwand and Hatcher, New Owners of Sarnia Sting". LastWordOnSports.com. March 4, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
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