Back at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, there were plenty of quality players who were selected in the 1st round, including Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl, Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak and our own William Nylander. There was another player in the draft, however, who had turned a lot of heads in his draft year and was believed to be a top-5 talent. However, his attitude and off-ice issues dropped him to the bottom of the 1st round. I am, of course, talking about Josh Ho-Sang.
Ho-Sang, now retired, finished his NHL career with just 53 games played, producing a total of 24 points - all of which came with the team that drafted him 28th overall, the New York Islanders. Ho-Sang had a shot in Toronto in 2021, signing a PTO with his hometown Leafs in hopes of winning a job out of training camp. However, he ultimately fell short of his goal, but still signed a 1-year AHL deal to play for the Leafs' AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies.
During his time in Toronto, Ho-Sang appeared to be much more humbled than he ever was during his time on Long Island. He bounced around between the Islanders and AHL Bridgeport and San Antonio before brief stints in Sweden, Toronto and the KHL. This week, his former GM, Garth Snow, spoke about the disappointment of taking a chance on him only to be proven wrong.
Obviously, it goes without saying that attitude is very important in life. A good attitude can land you opportunities that you may not otherwise have obtained. A poor attitude, even when paired with talent, can burn bridges, alter perceptions and ultimately cause problems for all parties involved. It would appear as though Ho-Sang got in his own way, by the sounds of things, at least from Snow's perspective.
