Former NY Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang signs ECHL contract

The name Josh Ho-Sang was seldom heard over the last few years, but the 28-year-old has reappeared in the hockey realm this week.

A former first-round pick by the NY Islanders in 2014, Ho-Sang recently dropped an 18-track rap album entitled 'Shape', while also releasing a new app called Pick Up Pro (PuP).

After diving into the music industry and the app store, Ho-Sang returns to his hockey roots, signing with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

Ho-Sang has been a nomad across the hockey world since leaving the Islanders organization, playing two seasons in the SHL, one season with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and one game with Salavat Ulaev Ufa of the KHL. He suffered an injury in Russia and was contemplating retirement from the game altogether.

Now he'll join the back-to-back Kelly Cup champions, looking to make it a 3-peat. The Everblades sit fifth in the ECHL's Eastern Conference with 71 points - seven points out of second place with 15 games remaining in the regular season.

Ho-sang will be joining some familiar names to Islanders fans on Florida's Gulf Coast, as he'll team up with Nathan Staios, son of former Islander and current Ottawa Senators GM, Steve Staios, and Robert 'Bobo' Carpenter, who played 49 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers from 2019-2021, totaling 20 points (9 G, 11 A).

Though Ho-Sang only played 53 games with the Islanders, his name still resonates as a player who always makes people wonder, "What if?" His skill was unquestioned, but off-the-ice issues kept him from becoming an everyday NHLer.

It's good to see Ho-Sang getting back into hockey, as he'll likely be a crucial part of the Everblades roster. Who knows, maybe he'll even be able to wear his number '66' in peace.