Jamie Leach grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and played hockey at Cherry Hill High School East for the Cougars in the SHSHL, “Suburban High School Hockey League.” The Cougars petitioned several times for a charter to play in the LBCSHL, and the SHSHL but were denied entry due to the geography issue of being a high school in New Jersey. The Cougars played non-league games with both leagues until 1982. Though they were not officially invited to play in the SHSHL until 1983, they made the most of their honeymoon season coming in second place in the league. They then went on to beat the Germantown Academy Patriots who were vying for their third consecutive Suburban League championship. Due to Flyers Cup eligibility rules, the Cougars were denied entry into the tournament because of being a New Jersey high school. They were replaced by Germantown Academy.
After establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with the Cougars came back in 1984 and won the Liberty Conference, the strongest division in the SHSHL. However, the third-place Council Rock Indians stunned the Cougars in the best of three SHSHL finals by beating Cherry Hill two games to none.
In Jamie’s senior year, 1985 it all came together for the High School team from Cherry Hill. The Cougars won the league’s best record again, and for the second year in a row saw the Council Rock Indians in the SHSHL finals. This time besting the Indians with a 5-4 win in quadruple overtime. The Flyers Cup Committee convened before the season and decided that the Cougars could compete for the coveted high school championship title prize. Making the best of what could be their first and only opportunity, that’s exactly what they did, and they won against the Conestoga Pioneers from the ICSHL. Unfortunately being from New Jersey prohibited them again from competing in the Pennsylvania State Cup Championship, this time. Conestoga replaced them and won.
Youth hockey photos
Jamie went on to play Junior “A” in the Western Hockey League, “WHL”, before moving on to play three more seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, “OHL.” Jamie was drafted in the third round, fourth-seventh overall in the 1987 NHL entry draft. Leach began his NHL career in 1989 and played his way through the professional ranks in different leagues with an array of teams through 2001
*Leach did not qualify for a Cup inscription in 1991 as he had played too few NHL games that season (seven regular season games). He played enough games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 to get his name on the Stanley Cup.
| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1985-86 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 58 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1986-87 | Hamilton Steelhawks | OHL | 64 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 67 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1987-88 | Hamilton Steelhawks | OHL | 64 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 79 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 12 | |
| 1988-89 | Niagara Falls Thunder | OHL | 58 | 45 | 62 | 107 | 47 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 25 | |
| 1989-90 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989-90 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 72 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 39 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 14 | |
| 1990-91 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990-91 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 43 | 33 | 22 | 55 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1991-92 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 38 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 8 | -2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991-92 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1992-93 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 29 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 33 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992-93 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 9 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | -6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992-93 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992-93 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 19 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | -5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993-94 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993-94 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 74 | 15 | 19 | 34 | 64 | -5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1994-95 | Canadian National Team | Intl | 41 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 26 | ||||||
| 1994-95 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | -5 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994-95 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995-96 | South Carolina Stingrays | ECHL | 5 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995-96 | Rochester Americans 🏆 | AHL | 47 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 52 | -1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996-97 | Sheffield Steelers | BISL | 36 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 26 | ||||||
| 1997-98 | Nottingham Panthers | BISL | 39 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 36 | ||||||
| 1998-99 | Nottingham Panthers | BISL | 32 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 14 | ||||||
| 1999-00 | Nottingham Panthers | BISL | 42 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | |
| 2000-01 | Nottingham Panthers | BISL | 46 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
