Josh Ho-Sang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Josh Ho-Sang
Ho-Sang with the New York Islanders in 2017
Born	(1996-01-22) January 22, 1996 (age 29) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	173 lb (78 kg; 12 st 5 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
ECHL team Former teams	Florida Everblades New York Islanders Örebro HK Linköping HC Salavat Yulaev Ufa
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	28th overall, 2014 New York Islanders
Playing career	2016–present

Joshua Navarro Ho-Sang (born January 22, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a forward for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. He has also played for teams in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The New York Islanders picked him in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

People have described Josh as a very talented hockey player who loves to play an exciting, offensive game. He once said, "I love to dangle. I love to play an offensive game. I love to celebrate when I score."

Early Life and Family

Josh Ho-Sang was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His family background is very diverse! He has Chinese, Black Jamaican, Russian-Jewish, and Swedish heritage. He grew up in the Thornhill area, which is a suburb of Toronto.

Josh celebrates both Jewish holidays like Chanukah and High Holidays, as well as Christmas and Easter. When he was 17, some people thought he might become one of the best Jewish ice hockey players ever.

His father, Wayne, is a Black Jamaican professional tennis player from Kingston, Jamaica. Wayne's grandfather was Chinese from Hong Kong. Josh's dad was also part of a reggae band called Fujahtive. His mother, Ericka, is Jewish and was born in Santiago, Chile. Her parents were from Russia and Sweden. Both his parents moved to Canada when they were kids.

Josh has a younger brother named Khole. Khole is also a talented athlete! When he was 13, he played American football for Team Ontario and was set to play for Canada in an international competition. Khole is also a first-degree black belt in taekwondo. He even finished second in his category at the Canadian Nationals in 2014.

Hockey Career Highlights

Josh Ho-Sang was chosen early in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft by the Windsor Spitfires. He was seen as a very promising young player.

In his first season with the Spitfires, Josh scored 44 points in 63 games. He was one of the top rookie players in the OHL. He also played for Team Ontario in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in December 2012.

Ho-Sang at the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Josh played in the 2014 BMO Top Prospects Game, where he scored a goal and had an assist. Later, he received a suspension for a play that injured another player. The suspension was for 15 games, but it was later reduced to six games.

In the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders picked Josh in the first round. In October 2014, he signed his first professional contract with the Islanders.

Josh returned to the OHL for the 2014–15 season. He was traded to the Niagara IceDogs and finished the season with an impressive 81 points in 60 games.

He continued to play well for the IceDogs, leading his team in scoring with 82 points in 66 games in his final OHL season. He also had 26 points in 17 playoff games that year.

Ho-Sang wore #66 in honor of Mario Lemieux

Josh started the 2016–17 season playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL). On March 2, 2017, he made his exciting NHL debut with the Islanders. Just a few days later, on March 7, he scored his very first NHL goal against the Edmonton Oilers.

He continued to play for both the Islanders and the Sound Tigers over the next few seasons. In 2019, he signed a new contract with the Islanders. However, he later asked for a trade and spent some time away from the team while they tried to find a new team for him.

After a period of not playing, Josh returned to the Islanders' minor league team. He was later loaned to other teams, including the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL.

In 2021, Josh played in Sweden for Örebro HK and Linköping HC in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He later signed with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL for the 2021–22 season.

In 2022, Josh signed a contract to play for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL in Russia. Most recently, in March 2024, he signed with the Florida Everblades in the ECHL. He helped the Everblades win the Kelly Cup at the end of the season, leading all players in the playoffs with 17 assists!

Jersey Number Choice

When Josh first joined the Islanders, he chose to wear jersey number 66. This was a special choice because it was a tribute to Mario Lemieux, a legendary hockey player. Some people wondered about his choice, but Lemieux himself said he didn't mind. Josh explained that he admired Lemieux not just for his amazing skills on the ice, but also for how he helped people off the ice. He said, "He fought and continues to fight for other people... That's a man worth looking up to."

Later, the Islanders' general manager asked Josh to change his number because the team usually doesn't allow numbers higher than 35. So, Josh chose to wear number 26 instead.

Playing for Canada

In January 2022, Josh Ho-Sang was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This is a huge honor for any hockey player!

Career Statistics

These tables show Josh Ho-Sang's performance in different hockey leagues. "GP" means Games Played, "G" means Goals, "A" means Assists, "Pts" means Points (Goals + Assists), and "PIM" means Penalty Minutes.

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honours

See also

• List of select Jewish ice hockey players