Florida Panthers Ink D Jordan Leopold

Jordan Leopold (Getty Images)

SUNRISE, FL – Florida Panthers Assistant General Manager Randy Sexton announced today that the club has agreed to terms with D Jordan Leopold on a one-year contract.

“When we made the deal for Leopold last week, we did so knowing he was the kind of player and person that we wanted in our organization,” Sexton said. “It took some time to reach an agreement that Jordan and his family were comfortable with, but we are thrilled to have him. That said, he’s a very mobile defenseman that logs considerable minutes and is solid in all three zones. He’s also a proven postseason performer from his time in college, with Calgary, and in pressure situations with the U.S. National Team."

Leopold, 28, played in 83 games last season with both Calgary and Colorado scoring seven goals with 17 assists and 24 PIM. For his career in the NHL, he has played in 355 games with Calgary (2002-06, 2008-09) and Colorado (2006-09) registering 109 points (29-80-109) and 162 PIM. He has also played in 46 postseason contests for both Colorado and Calgary recording 15 assists and 18 PIM.

The Golden Valley, Minnesota native also has extensive experience on the international stage. He has represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympic, four World Championships and two World Junior Championships.

Leopold played four years at the University of Minnesota (1998-2002) and was a teammate of current Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard during the 2001-02 campaign. He won the NCAA championship during his senior season and was awarded the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given to the top U.S. collegiate player.  He was originally drafted by Anaheim with their first choice, 44th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.