Assistant coach Leonard ready to share lessons from life in hockey

 

It is a natural fit.

When long-serving assistant coach Evan Brown decided to step away from the Napanee Raiders bench this summer, he told head coach Ben Hagerman exactly who should replace him. In fact, he’d already done some lobbying on the club’s behalf.

It didn’t take long for the Raiders to welcome Curtis Leonard into the fold. About five years removed from a seven-year career in professional hockey that saw him playing across the United States and in Ireland, the 33-year-old former rearguard and Napanee native felt he was ready to give back to the game. 

Following a junior run in Wellington, capped with a Buckland Cup championship, and four years as an NCAA scholarship athlete and eventual captain at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (where he was a business and management major on the Dean’s list), the avid student is prepared to teach the lessons he’s learned. He’ll work with the defensemen and coach the penalty kill this year.

NapaneeRaiders.com caught up with “Leno” to discuss his new role. Here is the discussion:

NR: Why were you interested in getting into coaching?

CL: I’d been away from the game for a little while, but over the last couple of years I’ve had some friends get into coaching and found myself getting asked more questions about the game. It definitely gave me the itch to get involved again. I was fortunate to have some great coaches and play at a high enough level, so I felt like this was a good opportunity to give back and hopefully pass along some of the things I learned to local players.

 

NR: Growing up in Napanee, what kind of connection do you have with the Raiders?

CL: The Raiders have always been a big part of hockey in Napanee. When I was 16, before I signed in Wellington, I actually signed a card with the Raiders and my original plan was to play here and hopefully move on from there.

Even before that, I remember being a kid playing Novice at the old rink in Napanee. We were in the OMHA finals and got to dress in the Raiders’ room, and at that age you thought it was the coolest thing in the world. It felt like you were in the big leagues. So even though I never ended up playing for the Raiders, there’s always been a connection there, which makes it pretty special to come back and be part of the organization now.

NR: How will your playing career help you transition into coaching?

CL: I think there are a lot of things I learned throughout my playing career that I wish I had known/understood when I was the age of some of these players. Hopefully I can pass along some of those little details and lessons that can complement the skill they already have.

The skill level of young players today is incredible, and a lot of these guys are probably more skilled than I ever was. But there are still fundamentals within the game (like how you think the game, positioning, habits and decision making) that can help that skill translate into success at this level and hopefully at higher levels as well.

NR: Did you have coaches you looked up to as mentors? Are there any lessons they taught you that stood out?

CL: I was fortunate to have a lot of great coaches throughout my career, and they all contributed something different to the player and person I became.

(Former Wellington Dukes coach) Marty Abrams coached me for a long time, and we were fortunate to have a lot of success together. One of the biggest things I learned from him was the importance of playing within a team structure and understanding that the team comes first.

At university, Seth Appert really stood out for his communication and attention to detail. Then, Adam Keefe (Belfast Giants, EIHL) was another coach I really enjoyed playing for. He had a way of simplifying the game so that when you stepped on the ice, you weren’t overthinking. You understood your job and could just go execute. His preparation was also unbelievable. The small details he would pull out of video to give us an advantage were something I really appreciated.

NR: Having been involved in training camp and coaching seminars, any surprises in what you’ve experienced so far?

CL: One thing that has really stood out is how much coaching comes back to communication and relationships. Obviously there’s a technical side — teaching a skill, explaining how it applies within the game, and helping players build on it, but a big part of coaching is simply being able to connect with players and including them in the process.

Players need to know that you care about them and that you want what’s best for them. There are always going to be difficult conversations and tough decisions, but I think if you can be honest, direct and fair with players, that goes a long way.

NR: What is your outlook for 2026-2027?

I’m really excited for the year. For me personally, it’s a great opportunity to learn alongside Ben and (assistant coach) Chris (Brown), who have both been doing this for a long time and have had a lot of success.

I’ve been able to come out to some of their skates and practices in the past when I was still playing, so I already had a lot of respect for how they coach. Chris was actually my captain during my first year in Wellington and was someone I looked up to as a leader, so it’s pretty cool to now be coaching alongside him.

I’m looking forward to adding whatever I can from my experiences, but I also want to watch, listen and learn from both of them. More than anything, I’m just excited to get the season going and see what this group can accomplish.

The Raiders organization wishes to thank Evan Brown for his contributions over the past four seasons, which include two Tod Division titles and a PJHL East championship, and it looks forward to further success with Leonard on the coaching staff.