Josh Ho-Sang happy to be with Toronto Marlies

Former New York Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang was recently included in the latest round of roster cuts by the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he's staying within the organization. 

He was signed to an AHL-only deal by Toronto's minor league affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Of course, this means that the Leafs will be able to continue to keep tabs on him.

“For me, I really wanted to be here.” Ho-Sang said after his first practice with the Marlies. “I have a lot of faith in Kyle Dubas and I have a lot of faith in this organization. To me, obviously playing for the Leafs is extrordinary, but what actually sold me on everything was the people here.“

The 28th overall draft pick of the Islanders in 2018, Ho-Sang has appeared in 53 total NHL games, tallying seven goals with seven assists. He's also had stints in the Swedish Hockey League. 

"I think since last year, I was in Europe, and then coming back here, I think it’s been a lot of learning about myself.” Said Ho-Sang. “I think you learn how resilient you can be, and I also think you realise how important it is to have people who help you. Like I went to therapy, I talked to my friends, I talked to my family, I outsourced, like I talked to a lot of people who maybe weren’t involved in hockey, just involved in the regular work world. I think sometimes being able to recieve perspective from other people and also being able to express how you feel in a non-judgemental environment, I think that that can really help you find out about yourself and grow, and that’s something I reccomend to everyone and for me, that’s definitely how I’ve learned about myself and in terms of what I’ve learned is just to keep plugging away.“

"His maturity level just seemed to (go up) another notch in all areas," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said to TSN of Ho-Sang during the second intermission of the team's pre-season game against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. "The way he carries himself, his approach on the ice, the consistency he's bringing and just simplifying his game a little bit."

A veteran of 178 games in the AHL, Ho-Sang is looking forward to making the most of his opportunity. 

“I’m really happy everything worked out with the PTO, and that I earned myself an opportunity here and I’m hoping to just run with it.”