Ryan Leonard couldn’t believe it at first.
No, the moments leading up to signing his entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals on Monday was far from a shock. The Amherst native and Boston College star’s road to pro hockey had been building to this moment for years with each puck fired into twine and welt landed against an opponent.
Rather, the 20-year-old winger had to do a double-take at the text message that popped up on his phone just as he was about to put to paper on his contract with the Caps.
It was a message from Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin — inviting him out for sushi with the rest of his new teammates once Washington landed in Boston.