Josh Ho-Sang grateful to Maple Leafs management after learning he’d play in Beijing Olympics

Josh Ho-Sang was full of excellent humour and good sense when he spoke to reporters on a Zoom name Wednesday.

Camped out with fellow Canadian Olympic crew members in Davos, Switzerland, per week forward of the Beijing Olympics, Ho-Sang confirmed good sense when he was requested if his inclusion on the crew would lead to an NHL contract.

“My focus is the Olympic crew,” he stated. “I feel to look ahead can be an injustice to myself and the chance that I've proper now. I’m making an attempt to remain within the current and embrace each single day with this group, with this employees, as a result of this can be a second that may be a once-in-a-lifetime alternative … I don’t need to blink and take into consideration the NHL, simply take into consideration the group of males which have come right here and the job we need to do.”

Ho-Sang has made essentially the most of his alternative this season after beginning on knowledgeable tryout contract with the AHL Marlies. At 25, now 26, he was thought-about on the final legs of a professional hockey profession that has included simply 57 NHL video games. However he embraced each position requested of him by Marlies head coach Greg Moore and his employees. Ho-Sang has 11 objectives and 20 factors in 27 video games, together with a team-leading 5 power-play objectives.

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas took the initiative with Ho-Sang when curiosity was arguably at its lowest for the Toronto native, and the previous first-round choose of the New York Islanders seems to be an NHL choice once more.

“Yeah, it might be foolish to not take into account it,” Ho-Sang stated concerning a possible NHL supply, if one doesn’t come from the Leafs.

“For me, I've the utmost respect for Toronto — I’m so grateful for every little thing they’ve accomplished — and I’d take that into consideration very, very closely, even when I acquired a proposal from one other crew … I've a lot respect for (Dubas) and what he’s accomplished for my hockey profession, it’s not one thing I’m simply going to overlook or throw away. For me, any NHL crew that’s knocking, its due to Kyle.”

Ho-Sang performed elements of three seasons with the Islanders, and has bounced across the final three from Bridgeport and San Antonio of the AHL to Orebro and Linkopings in Sweden and now the Marlies.

The six-foot ahead is a powerful skater with offensive expertise, however groups will likely be listening to his two-way sport and the way powerful he's to play in opposition to.

“I feel my sport has turn out to be extra tame,” stated Ho-Sang, who revealed he counts Buddhist prayer beads in moments of stress. “I nonetheless have the creativity and explosiveness I attempt to carry on a regular basis, however I feel I’ve gotten higher at my determination making, when it comes to easy performs, studying the puck, studying the state of affairs.

“I prefer to go all gasoline on a regular basis, that’s simply my nature in relation to hockey, and I feel to get to the subsequent stage I must be an environment friendly hockey participant ... (It’s) form of like punting in soccer, there’s a purpose why groups don’t go for it on fourth down on a regular basis, since you put your self in unhealthy positions typically if you attempt to threat all of it.”

Ho-Sang has loads of believers with the Leafs.

“We’re happy with him right here,” centre Jason Spezza. stated. “He’s a man that’s labored actually arduous to attempt to change the narrative round his sport. I haven’t watched him a ton this yr with the Marlies, however when I've, he appears to be like dynamic, and he appears to be like like he’s dedicated ... (He) got here right here with an important angle and, if you do this, you win individuals over.”