Growing up in Brantford, Ontario in a family of hockey players, Josh always had the goal of playing professionally. But the long-term dream was always to play in the NHL.

 

But unlike most guys, he didn’t get drafted into the OHL or NHL. Josh realized that if he wanted to make it, he would have to take the hard road and literally fight his way there.

 

As a result, he fought at least 20-30 times per season and became known as one of the toughest hockey players in every league he played in.

 

Embracing his role as an enforcer, he signed his first pro contract in 2003 with the San Diego Gulls. From there he worked his way up to signing his first NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006. Josh’s dream came true.

 

He continued to play up until last year (2019) in leagues all over the world (including the NHL, AHL & KHL) fighting close to 300 times. Josh took a lot of pride in protecting his teammates and being able to play his sport professionally. He did all of this without knowing the long-term health consequences of concussions.

 

He dealt with the ups and downs that came with 16-year of playing pro hockey. He soon started to notice that his down days were getting darker and darker towards the end of his career. Tune in as Shelby and Josh discuss his long hockey career and how Josh got to where he is today.

 

Full episode covers:⁠  

Josh’s Youth

NHL Career

Mental Health 

Post Concussion Syndrome 

Strong Support Group

You can find this episode of Mental Millennials on our website, podbean app, or YouTube! We hope you enjoy the listen!