The Washington Capitals are confident in former 7th overall pick Ryan Leonard, and now he's opened up on why he returning to Boston College in 2024/25. The 2024 season was a dramatic one in the NCAA hockey arena, with the National Championship Game going down to the wire as the University of Denver picked up a dramatic 2-0 victory. Now, the effects of that game continue to be felt, as former Washington Capitals first-round pick Ryan Leonard has revealed it was that result that inspired him to return to college next season, as opposed to becoming a professional. <q>Leaving my team after losing that last game was just something I couldn't do.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/br_openice/status/1817915045923168592'> </a></blockquote></div> It was an incredible individual season for Leonard, who put together an impressive 31 goals and 60 points in 41 games played, and now, the 19-year old winger will have another season in college to develop before he leaves for the NHL in a year. That isn't a given however, but with Boston College expected to be a powerhouse again, this may be the year that they take the final step and take home an NCAA Championship. If not, then we will hear more from Leonard, but right now he's heading back to college for another season, and given the loyalty and the leadership, it's safe to say that Washington will be excited by what they've seen from the former No. 7 overall draft pick.