“It’s just another part of your hockey road map.”
Interesting phrase.
One of my smart-ass teammates chirped it in my direction many years ago while a doctor was inserting 16 stitches below my bottom lip.
Good times!
Of course, the phrase can be construed in other ways.
Jadon Joseph of the Tri-City Americans understands the connotation.
The 20-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta is about three weeks away from the conclusion of his Western Hockey League career.
The Kennewick, Washington-based Americans are a team in transition and will not qualify for the post-season. Thus, Joseph is done, along with fellow overager Krystof Hrabik, an import centre who played this season as a two-spotter for the Americans.
As a WHLer, Joseph is an interesting case, a well-spoken veteran of over 300 WHL games who is currently the leader in playoff games played among active players. His total of 58 post-season encounters was built during the first three years of his major junior career.
He will not be able to add to his total in the coming weeks and will likely be passed by a couple of other 1999-born players in the league.
Barring any unforeseen events, the curtain will fall on his WHL career in Kennewick, Saturday, March 21. Joseph will most certainly be reflecting on his personal hockey road map these next few weeks, which must rank in some ways as one of the most bizarre routes traveled by a player in recent memory.
On paper, it’s six different teams over four full seasons. He’s played on a team in each of the WHL’s four divisions. In each of the past two seasons, he’s had three different addresses. He’s played for teams based in every WHL province or state other than Oregon and Manitoba.
On a personal note
As an old freelance media-wag, I have always had kind of a soft spot for the 20-year-old players in the WHL. They occupy such important roles and they shoulder tremendous responsibility during their final season in major junior hockey. Expectations are always high. In some cases, perhaps unrealistic, but nonetheless, these players put in the work.
Joseph sat down with DUBNetwork Feb. 20 in Medicine Hat for what was to be a 10-minute conversation about a couple of deep playoff runs during his career.
But it went sideways – in a good way – very quickly.
What transpired was about an hour of hockey talk documenting a most unlikely junior hockey career path and an absolute roller coaster of emotions.
When we concluded our conversation, I felt somewhat exhausted by it all but humbled by Joseph’s poise, his recall, maturity, and positive outlook. I could sense the emotion in his voice as I looked on. He was kind enough to take me along for a stroll down his almost unimaginable memory lane.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been able to tell most of this story,” Joseph sighed as I reached to turn off my recording device. “It’s the first time I think I was able to talk to somebody about the whole experience.”
Indeed, it was my privilege.
We’ll share the conversation in three parts this week as Joseph prepares to suit up for his 250th WHL regular-season game.
