The market for foreign players has been particularly tight this summer. The lowering of the limit and the reluctance of many foreigners to associate with KHL clubs led to only a few brave people buying tickets to Russia. One of them was Troy Josephs, a foreign player who until the summer only a few people in Russia who followed the Swiss league closely could hear about. But such obscurity did not prevent the black center from starting the new season brightly: Josephs scored six goals in seven games and, according to some Telegram channels, has already attracted the attention of the stagnant SKA.
Until the age of 27, Josephs’ career could hardly be considered outstanding. The Canadian spent his youth career not in Ontario’s top league, but in the second-oldest league (OJHL). Despite this, Josephs entered the draft and was selected by Pittsburgh in the seventh round of the 2013 recruiting class, two picks before the end of the ceremony. “I’m a two-way forward who sees the ice well, skates and fights well,” Troy himself briefly described his playing style in an interview with Scouting Sites.
“The winger has done well in the OJHL, but needs to prove himself against better competition. His instincts in the offensive zone can be compared to Patrick Sharpe, his speed makes Troy very effective near the goal line, where he wins the fight for the puck,” the Lines website wrote about the forward. . The general director of the youth team noted that Josephs is still raw, but has great potential. Thanks to this potential, Clarkson University, a well-known university but far from being the best in the NCAA, became a leader. Among our more or less well-known teammates, we can highlight the world runner-up Nico Sturm and the current Kunlun player Devin Brosseau.
The Penguins’ farm system turned several lesser-known NCAA players into stars at the NHL level, but Josephs lost the competition and spent most of his time in the Penguins’ system at the ECHL level. The European chapter of Josephs’ career was also unimpressive: the forward went to Norway, then spent two years in the Swiss second league; In the KHL’s best years, players with this development path were not particularly considered.
Troy Josephs in Lugano
Photo: Monika Majer/Getty Images
In the top Swiss league, Josephs played for Lugano alongside well-known forwards such as Markus Granlund and Marc Arcobello. It was they who occupied places in the top 6 of the attack, and Josephs most often played on the third line. Last year, the striker was briefly sent to the Second Division.
“How did you find such a hockey player and what can you say about his game? If you want to pay a compliment, you shouldn’t pay it to me, but to our sports director Rafik Yakubov. It was he who suggested this character to us, so to speak. We watched a video with his participation and saw in it a player who can help us,” Oleg Bratash said before the season.
Yakubov himself said that Dmitry Tsygurov, who lives in Switzerland, pointed out to the Canadian: “Kosmachuk and Josephs have not yet played in Russia, so we decided to prefer the “well-fed” ones over the “hungry” ones who want to show themselves. “They are quite young, they have their own tasks. They will help us and we will help them,” Lada’s sports director told the Championship.
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“Lada” showed a specific type of hockey at the beginning of the season: while many are trying to rush to the attack with all available forces, the Togliatti team seems to be trying to revive the traditions of Pyotr Ilyich Vorobyov. “Lada” is ready to score on fast breaks, to bury the puck in his back pocket, and this is where the American’s skills come in handy. In the match against Salavat Yulaev, he scored a double and then scored in five games in a row.
It is possible that Josephs “only” plays to finish, as in the episode with the goal against Traktor:
Video rights belong to KHL LLC. Video of the goal can be seen on the official KHL website.
Or do a beautiful trick by scoring Magnitka from a rather difficult position:
Video rights belong to KHL LLC. Video of the goal can be seen on the official KHL website.
Troy’s two-way skills also come in handy: Josephs spends two minutes on the ice in a 4-on-5 situation per game. The Tolyatti club still ranks third in the league in neutralizing special teams, and Troy manages not only to destroy other people’s chances, but also to make his own come true, for example, as in the episode of the match with Amur .
Video rights belong to KHL LLC. Video of the goal can be seen on the official KHL website.
Of course, Josephs’ execution will probably decline in the long term, but the Canadian Legionnaire fits Lada’s playing system like a glove. Knowing SKA’s policy in recent seasons, one can expect interest from St. Petersburg, but one can imagine in advance that this will not bring much benefit. Now in St. Petersburg they are not very successful in trying to play high-speed offensive hockey, exactly the opposite of what they play in Tolyatti. Josephs’ success is a synergy between his playing style and the team’s playing philosophy, and it’s hard to imagine this happening anywhere else.
