Dakota Joshua

Dakota Joshua (born May 15, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing as a prospect to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 128th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
==Early life==
Joshua was born on May 15, 1996, in Dearborn, Michigan to mother Jullee. His mother had also played ice hockey growing up and competed in the Michigan Senior Women's Hockey League. His younger brother Jagger also plays hockey.
==Playing career==
Growing up in Michigan, Joshua played junior hockey for the Honeybaked U16 midget team and was invited to the USA Hockey Select National Team Evaluation Camp. Following the 2011–12 season, Joshua was drafted by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the third round of the United States Hockey League (USHL). After splitting the 2012–13 season between Honeybaked and the USHL, Joshua was drafted 156th overall by the Plymouth Whalers during the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection. Despite being drafted, he continued to play in the USHL for the 2013–14 season and was ranked 157th overall amongst North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Joshua was eventually selected in the fifth round, 128th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was unaware he had been drafted until he received a phone call from Toronto management while in the car. After drafting Joshua, Leafs amateur scouting director Dave Morrison spoke highly of him as a player, saying: "He’s tall, very athletic and we saw some flashes of real good skill towards the end of the year. His coaches couldn’t say enough good things about him. He’s very diligent in two ways of the game, a top nine potential player." Joshua spent two full seasons with the Stampede, during which he helped them win the 2015 Clark Cup championship.
In his freshman season at Ohio State, Joshua recorded 17 points in 29 games for the Buckeyes. He recorded his first collegiate goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, during a shootout against Michigan on January 17, 2016. However, two days later, he received a game suspension as a result of his actions during the contest against Michigan. He helped the Buckeyes qualify for the Big Ten Tournament but they lost in the semi-finals to the top-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers. The following season, Joshua recorded 12 goals and 23 assists earning Honorable Mention All-B1G accolades in March 2017. As well, off the ice he was selected for the Ohio State Scholar-Athlete while majoring in Sport Industry and selected for the Academic All-Big Ten team.
On July 12, 2019, his rights were traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations. Joshua made his NHL debut on March 1, 2021, against the Anaheim Ducks, scoring a goal. After scoring in his debut, Joshua said: "It was all I expected and then some. To play in the National Hockey League is the biggest honor you can have in the sport of hockey. So it was an unreal experience to be a part of the club today." He was reassigned to the taxi squad shortly after but called up again on March 5.
As a free agent from the Blues, Joshua was signed to a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 13, 2022.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2012–13 	U.S. National Development Team	USHL 		6 	2 	0 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Sioux Falls Stampede 	USHL 		1 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Sioux Falls Stampede 	USHL 		55 	17 	21 	38 	58 		3 	0 	0 	0 	8
2014–15 	Sioux Falls Stampede 	USHL 		52 	20 	24 	44 	74 		11 	4 	9 	13 	38
2015–16 	Ohio State University 	B1G 		29 	5 	12 	17 	50 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Ohio State University 	B1G 		33 	12 	23 	35 	58 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Ohio State University 	B1G 		34 	15 	11 	26 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Ohio State University 	B1G 		32 	9 	13 	22 	67 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		30 	3 	4 	7 	25 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Tulsa Oilers 	ECHL 		20 	3 	8 	11 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Utica Comets 	AHL 		6 	2 	1 	3 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		12 	1 	0 	1 	7 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Springfield Thunderbirds 	AHL 		35 	9 	11 	20 	23 		18 	7 	8 	15 	58
2021–22 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 		30 	3 	5 	8 	16 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		42 	4 	5 	9 	23 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
USHL 	USHL 	USHL
Clark Cup (Sioux Falls Stampede) 	2015 	
College 	College	College
B1G Honorable Mention All-Star Team	2017 	
==References==
==External links==
* 
Category:American men's ice hockey centers
Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey players
Category:San Antonio Rampage players
Category:Sioux Falls Stampede players
Category:Springfield Thunderbirds players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks
Category:Tulsa Oilers (1992–present) players
Category:USA Hockey National Team Development Program players
Category:Utica Comets players
Category:Vancouver Canucks players