Former NY Islanders first round pick Josh Ho-Sang wins ECHL's Kelly Cup
It may not be the trophy he'd hope to hoist after being selected 28th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the NY Islanders, but Josh Ho-Sang is a champion for the first time in his professional career, helping the Florida Everblades to their third consecutive Kelly Cup title.
Ho-Sang, 28, hadn't played much hockey over the last two years, getting injured after one game while playing with Salavat Yulayev Ufa in the KHL last season, and was without a team until this spring.
On March 13th, the Everblades announced they were signing Ho-Sang on the day he released his first rap album entitled "Same."
Ho-Sang played 11 games with Florida during the regular season, scoring twice and adding 13 assists.
The Everblades entered the postseason as the third seed in the Eastern Conference's South Division, eliminating in-state rivals, the Jacksonville Icemen, in seven games after trailing the series 3-1.
Florida made easy work of the Orlando Solar Bears in the second round, winning the series 4-1.
Taking on the Adirondack Thunder in the Eastern Conference Finals, Ho-Sang scored the Everblades' opening goal of the series clincher in Game 6.
Tonight, in Game 5 of the potential Kelly Cup clincher, the Everblades found themselves trailing 3-1 into the third period. Florida knotted the game at three, scoring the tying goal with under two minutes to go.
Just 3:28 into overtime, Matthew Wedman scored the game-winner, making it a three-peat for the Everblades. Ho-Sang finished the playoffs scoring one goal and 18 assists in 22 games.
Playing alongside Ho-Sang, former Bridgeport Sound Tigers player Robert "Bobo" Carpenter is hoisting the Kelly Cup for his third time as a point-per-game player in the playoffs with 23 points (12 G, 11 A) in 23 games.
After everything Ho-Sang has been through in his professional career, it's great to see him succeeding on the ice and enjoying the game again.