Who ever said that one person can’t make a difference is wrong. Jordan Leopold is one of those players that seems to get well “moved” around a lot this time of year. In fact, he actually just traded for the 4th time in his career and is finally going home. The Minnesota native was just traded to his home state from the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday. What’s not amazing is the trade, but what is amazing is how is came to happen.
Usually trades that happen in sports are decisions based on money and performance, not warm fuzzy feelings. Jordan Leopold’s trade was different. Thanks to Jordan’s daughter, Jordyn, we have all been reminded that sports are sometimes about people, not just about the numbers.
Jordyn Leopold is the 11-year old daughter of Jordan, the 34 year old defenseman who was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. In January, she wrote a litter to the Minnesota Wild front office asking the team to trade for her father, who happens to be a Minnesota native. The letter reads “My dad is very lonely without his family. We are living in Minnestoa right now and I am lost without my dad and so it my mom, my 2 sisters and my brother. My dad is on a team with young guys and very lonely and is not playing because the Jackets got him because they needed a D-man. It has been since November and we cannot take it anymore.” She goes on to pull their heart strings a little bit tighter “Please, please, please ask the Jackets if you guys could get him.”
On Monday March 2nd, Minnesota did just that, they traded defenseman Justin Falk and a fifth round draft pick for Jordyn Leopold’s dad.
Here is the original letter from Jordyn. We don’t blame you if you get a little misty eyed, we did. Sometimes when all you hear in sports in money, scandal and stats, its nice to remember that sports really does have a good side.
