Michael Leighton is a former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for various teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) during his career. He was born on May 19, 1981, in Petrolia, Ontario, Canada.
Leighton began his professional career in 1999 when he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round of the NHL Entry Draft. He spent several years playing in the minor leagues before making his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2003. He played in 38 games for the Blackhawks over the next two seasons before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2005.
Leighton played in just one game for the Sabres before being traded again, this time to the Nashville Predators. He played in 10 games for the Predators before being claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006. It was with the Flyers that Leighton had his most successful season in the NHL.
In the 2009-2010 season, Leighton played in 27 games for the Flyers and helped lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals. He set a record for most shutouts in a playoff series with three in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Montreal Canadiens. However, the Flyers ultimately lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals.
Leighton continued to play in the NHL for several more seasons, but he never reached the same level of success as he did with the Flyers. He played for the Carolina Hurricanes, the Chicago Blackhawks (again), and the Columbus Blue Jackets before returning to the AHL in 2014.
Leighton played for several AHL teams over the next few years, including the Rockford IceHogs, the Charlotte Checkers, and the Syracuse Crunch. He also played briefly in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in 2016.
Leighton announced his retirement from professional hockey in 2019. Over the course of his career, he played in 110 NHL games and had a record of 37-43-14 with a 2.98 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. He also played in 491 AHL games and had a record of 246-174-47 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.
Leighton will be remembered for his impressive playoff performance with the Flyers in 2010, as well as his longevity and success in the minor leagues. He was a reliable goaltender who was able to play at a high level for many years, and he will always be a respected figure in the world of hockey.
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