Michael Leighton played parts of 15 seasons in the American Hockey League during a professional career that took him to 11 NHL organizations and 13 AHL cities.
A sixth-round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, Leighton’s pro journey began in Norfolk, Va., where he earned AHL All-Rookie Team honors after going 27-16-8 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage for the Admirals in 2001-02.
Leighton would go on to make five appearances in the AHL All-Star Classic and win the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Award as the league’s outstanding goaltender with the Albany River Rats in 2007-08.
Leighton played in a total of 507 regular-season games in the AHL, seventh-most in league history among goaltenders, and posted a career record of 250-186-55 (ranking fifth all-time in victories), a 2.38 GAA, a .916 save percentage and an AHL-record 50 shutouts.
In postseason play, Leighton posted a 1.67 GAA and a .946 save percentage in 28 Calder Cup Playoff appearances, and he owns the AHL record for saves in a single game with 98, set in a five-overtime contest on Apr. 24, 2008.