Massachusetts natives Will Smith, Ryan Leonard selected in top 10 of 2023 NHL Draft

It didn’t take very long for Lexington’s Will Smith and Amherst’s Ryan Leonard to hear their names called at the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday night.

Smith and Leonard were both taken in the top 10 of the first round of the draft, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Smith was taken fourth overall by the San Jose Sharks, while Leonard was selected eighth by the Washington Capitals.

It’s the next step in both 18-year-old players’ eventual road to the NHL, with the two forwards elevating their stock as premier, blue-chip prospects during their time together in the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP).

After Sharks legend Patrick Marleau announced Smith as San Jose’s first pick, Smith made his way up to the stage as the theme song from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” blared over the speakers at Bridgestone Arena.

“I feel like I kind of had to,” Smith said of his song choice. “I’m trying to own it and I love the song, too.”

Smith, an uber-skilled playmaking center, scored 51 goals and posted 127 total points in just 60 games with the NTDP’s U-18 team in 2022-23. He previously played with both the Boston Junior Eagles and at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham before moving to Plymouth, Michigan to join the NTDP.

The winner of the 2022-23 Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international hockey competition, Smith took home tournament MVP honors at the U-18 Men’s World Championship after scoring 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in just seven games.

Leonard, a right wing who skated next to Smith on the NTDP’s top line, also decimated defenses in his draft year.

Leonard scored 51 goals and racked up 94 total points in just 57 games last season, establishing himself as a two-way forward with a pro-ready release.

A product of Western Massachusetts hockey programs, Leonard played for both the Springfield Rifles and Pope Francis High School before making the jump over to Michigan. Leonard’s older brother, John, played three seasons at UMass Amherst and is currently in the Nashville Predators organization.

Smith’s playmaking and Leonard’s shot helped form one of the most productive lines in NTDP history — an impressive feat, given that previous players hailing from the program include Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Patrick Kane, Quinn Hughes, Clayton Keller, Phil Kessel, and many others.

Both Smith and Leonard will eventually play on different coasts up at the NHL level. But the promising forwards are sticking together for at least another season. Smith, Leonard and their fellow NTDP linemate in Gabe Perreault will all play at Boston College this fall.