Ho-Sang grateful to Leafs management

Renewed career leads to Olympic berth with Team Canada

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

Camped out with fellow Canadian Olympic team members in Davos, Switzerland, a week ahead of the Beijing Olympics, Ho-Sang showed good sense when he was asked if his inclusion on the team would result in an NHL contract.

“My focus is the Olympic team,” he said. “I think to look forward would be an injustice to myself and the opportunity that I have right now. I’m trying to stay in the present and embrace every single day with this group, with this staff, because this is a moment that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity … I don’t want to blink and think about the NHL, just think about the group of men that have come here and the job we want to do.”

Ho-Sang has made the most of his opportunity this season after starting on a professional tryout contract with the AHL Marlies. At 25, now 26, he was considered on the last legs of a pro hockey career that has included just 57 NHL games. But he embraced every role asked of him by Marlies head coach Greg Moore and his staff. Ho-Sang has 11 goals and 20 points in 27 games, including a team-leading five power-play goals.

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas took the initiative with Ho-Sang when interest was arguably at its lowest for the Toronto native, and the former first-round pick of the New York Islanders appears to be an NHL option again.

“Yeah, it would be silly not to consider it,” Ho-Sang said regarding a potential NHL offer, if one doesn’t come from the Leafs.

“For me, I have the utmost respect for Toronto — I’m so grateful for everything they’ve done — and I’d take that into consideration very, very heavily, even if I got an offer from another team … I have so much respect for (Dubas) and what he’s done for my hockey career, it’s not something I’m just going to forget or throw away. For me, any NHL team that’s knocking, its because of Kyle.”

Ho-Sang played parts of three seasons with the Islanders, and has bounced around the last three from Bridgeport and San Antonio of the AHL to Orebro and Linkopings in Sweden and now the Marlies.

The six-foot forward is a strong skater with offensive skills, but teams will be paying attention to his two-way game and how tough he is to play against.

“I think my game has become more tame,” said Ho-Sang. “I still have the creativity and explosiveness I try to bring all the time, but I think I’ve gotten better at my decision making, in terms of simple plays, reading the puck, reading the situation.

“I like to go all gas all the time, that’s just my nature when it comes to hockey, and I think to get to the next level I need to be an efficient hockey player.”

I think I’ve gotten better at my decision making, in terms of simple plays, reading the puck, reading the situation.

JOSH HO-SANG TEAM CANADA