Advertisement

I was quite rough on Josh Ho-Sang last year, after what I would consider to be a disappointing rookie season (considering the hype he entered the league with). Ho-Sang played with a lot of frustration in his freshman year, forcing plays, committing turnovers, and demonstrated a severe case of tunnel vision. This season, most of those concerns were improved upon considerably. Quite frankly, I was very impressed with the progression of his game in 2013-14. Ho-Sang was a danger to create scoring chances nearly every time he hit the ice because he was able to display more poise and utilize his teammates better. His stick handling ability is so terrific that he’s able to draw a lot of attention to himself and bide time for his linemates to find holes in the defence.

Ho-Sang is starting to develop patience with the puck and is more comfortable letting defenders come to him, rather than constantly attacking in a north/south style of way. His play away from the puck and effort on the back check got better as the season went on and it’s clear that Windsor’s coaching staff was harping on him to improve in that area. He’s still got a ways to go, but the effort made towards improving is encouraging. All that being said, the way Ho-Sang finished the season looms over him like a black cloud. He was awful in his first round playoff series against London, reverting back to the way he had played last season as rookie, forcing plays and playing recklessly. This came to a head when he sent Zach Bell hard into the boards, breaking his leg. Ho-Sang (whether you agree with it or not) received a 15-game suspension for the act and will miss the first couple of months next season. Then, there’s the mystery of Hockey Canada leaving Ho-Sang off the U18 team, which you can perceive as them not liking his attitude because he’s certainly skilled enough. When we add it all up, we’ve got one heck of a talented player who has some issues surrounding him which could scare off some teams. That said, I was impressed (save for the end of the season) with the improvements Josh Ho-Sang made to his game this year.

– Brock Otten, OHL Prospects

Josh Ho-Sang Highlights

Josh Ho-Sang Statistics

SeasonTeamLeagueGPGATPPIM+/-|Postseas.GPGATPPIM+/-
11/1/2010Toronto Marlboros Minor Mdgt AAAGTMMHL-----|
12/1/2011Toronto Marlboros Minor Mdgt AAAGTMMHL3031487924|
2012-13Windsor SpitfiresOHL6314304422-23|
Canada Ontario U17WHC-1753250|
2013-14Windsor SpitfiresOHL673253854426|Playoffs412310-10
Josh Ho-Sang is a small but skilled forward with some incredible hands. He's shown impressive skating ability and agility with the puck on his stick. He's a crafty player that has the excitement factor in his favor. He can rely too heavily on himself at times, but has great offensive instincts and pounces on chances. (August 2013)

Josh Ho-Sang often turns heads with his ability to handle the puck with ease in the offensive zone. He has speed and great offensive instincts but needs to work on his game outside of the offensive zone. He has the ability to explode offensively this season and has the potential to be a top ten pick in next years draft. (Tyler Parchem, EP 2013)
Previous articleMichael Dal Colle Draft Profile
Next articleTrading James Reimer: Not So Fast
Founded in 2008, Maple Leafs Hotstove (MLHS) has grown to be the most visited independent team-focused hockey website online (Quantcast). Independently owned and operated, MLHS provides thorough and wide-ranging content, varying from news, opinion and analysis, to pre-game and long-form game reviews, and a weekly feature piece entitled "Leafs Notebook." MLHS has been cited by: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBC News, USA Today, Fox Sports, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, TSN, Sportsnet, Grantland, CTV News, CBSSports, The Globe & Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, Global News, Huffington Post, and many more.