Joey Hishon

Joey Hishon (born October 20, 1991) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche. Hishon was drafted by the Avalanche in the first-round 17th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[1] With his career hampered by a long-term concussion, Hishon played within the Avalanche organization for four seasons and a combined total of only sixteen games before spending two years abroad in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and Swedish Hockey League (SHL) to complete his playing career.

Joey Hishon
Hishon with the San Antonio Rampage in 2015
Born (1991-10-20) October 20, 1991
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Colorado Avalanche
Jokerit
Luleå HF
NHL Draft 17th overall, 2010
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career 20132018

Playing career

Junior

Hishon began his minor hockey career with the Stratford Minor Hockey Association, graduating in 2006-07 from the Stratford AA Midget Warriors of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association before he was selected 8th overall in the first round of the 2007 Ontario Hockey League draft by the Owen Sound Attack. In his first season with the Attack in 2007–08, Joey impressively finished second on the team with 47 points in 63 games as the youngest on the team. In the 2008–09 he returned Owen Sound to the Playoffs leading the team in scoring with 37 goals, 44 assists for 81 points. Selected to play in the OHL All-Star Classic for the Western Team he was also voted at season's end as the Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler in the OHL's Western Conference by the league's coaches.[2]

Hishon was limited to just 36 games in an injury plagued 2009–10 season. Despite missing two months due to a broken foot and MCL sprain he still managed to put better than point per game numbers with 40 and was awarded the Attack's Harold Sutherland Cup for top draft prospect, eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[3] With a fallen ranking of 55th by the NHL's Central Scouting Final grades, Hishon was surprisingly taken in the first round, 17th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche.[4] He was the first Stratford minor hockey league player to be picked in the first round since Craig Hartsburg in 1979.[5]

Hishon with Lake Erie Monsters (2013).

Hishon was instrumental in helping the Attack to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions. During the course of the 2010-11 OHL season, on March 13, 2011, Hishon was signed to a three-year entry level contract with the Avalanche.[6]

During the 2011 Memorial Cup, Hishon was struck by an illegal elbow blow to the head by Kootenay Ice defenceman (and Buffalo Sabres prospect) Brayden McNabb, which left Hishon with a concussion; Hishon missed the rest of the Memorial Cup and the entire 2011–12 hockey season with post-concussion syndrome.[7][8] In part due to this hit, Hockey Canada redefined the rules to make clearer a zero-tolerance policy for head hits.[9]

Colorado Avalanche

Hishon's recovery extended into the following 2012–13 season, before he was belatedly cleared for non-contact practice with the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, to begin the new year.[10] Hishon was finally scheduled to make his long-awaited professional debut with the Monsters against the Toronto Marlies on March 19, 2013. It marked a return from his concussion just two months shy of two years.[11] In his fifth game, Hishon scored his first professional goal in a multi-point effort against the Chicago Wolves on March 29, 2013.[12] However, on April 12, in his ninth game and on his first shift against the Hamilton Bulldogs, Hishon's season was ended after he suffered a second concussion received in a hit from behind by Joey Tenute. With an early prognosis of a less severe concussion than previously endured, it was anticipated Hishon would recover in time to prepare for the following season.[13]

Hishon played for the majority of the 2013–14 season scoring 10 goals and 24 points despite missing 26 games due to injury.[14] He was an emergency call-up during the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, debuting in Game Four against the Minnesota Wild.[15] At the end of the season, the Avalanche gave him a qualifying offer of $900,000,[16] and he was reportedly signed to a one-year two-way contract paying $850,000 in the NHL.[17]

In the 2014–15 season, Hishon again played primarily for the Lake Erie Monsters in the AHL, playing 53 games and scoring 16 goals and 36 points. In March 2015, Hishon was called up to the Colorado Avalanche.[18] He scored his first NHL goal on April 7, 2015, against goaltender Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.[19] In the summer of 2015, Hishon signed a one-year two-way contract paying $890,000 in the NHL.[20] In the 2015–16 campaign, he made 62 appearances for Colorado's AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, unable to earn a recall to the NHL for the duration of the season.

Europe

On May 2, 2016, as an impending restricted free agent with the Avalanche, Hishon opted to embark on a European career, signing two-year deal with Finnish club, Jokerit, who compete in the Kontinental Hockey League.[21][22] In the 2016-17 season, Hishon struggled to adapt with Jokerit in the KHL, contributing while playing through injury with just 3 goals and 9 points in 48 games.

In the off-season, Hishon was mutually released from the remaining year of his contract with Jokerit and subsequently signed a one-year deal with Swedish top-tier club, Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League on June 14, 2017.[23] In the 2017–18 season, Hishon was unable to perform to his full capabilities through injury in recording 2 goals and 4 points in 22 regular season games.

As a free agent, Hishon opted to end his professional career, opting to return to the junior ranks as a scouting and skills development coach with former club, the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, on July 20, 2018.[24]

International play

Hishon made his international debut at the 2008 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He scored 5 points in 6 games to help Team Ontario to a gold medal. In 2009, he was selected to represent Team Canada at the IIHF World U18 Championships and was the team's leading scorer with 5 goals and 10 points in a fourth-placed finish.[25]

During the 2010–11 season, Hishon was invited to take part in Canada's National Junior Team selection camp for the 2011 World Junior Championships in Buffalo, New York, before he was included among the first cuts of the camp.[26][27]

Career statistics

Hishon with the Owen Sound Attack in 2009

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07Stratford Warriors AAMidget50444286114
2007–08Owen Sound AttackOHL6320274738
2008–09Owen Sound AttackOHL653744813444376
2009–10Owen Sound AttackOHL3616244026
2010–11Owen Sound AttackOHL5037508764225192432
2012–13Lake Erie MonstersAHL91562
2013–14Lake Erie MonstersAHL5010142416
2013–14Colorado AvalancheNHL30112
2014–15Lake Erie MonstersAHL5316203634
2014–15Colorado AvalancheNHL131120
2015–16San Antonio RampageAHL6214294362
2016–17JokeritKHL483696810002
2017–18Luleå HFSHL222242030220
AHL totals 174 41 68 109 114
NHL totals 13 1 1 2 0 3 0 1 1 2

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2008 Canada Ontario U17 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 2 3 5 14
2009 Canada WJC18 4th 6 5 5 10 0
Junior totals 12 7 8 15 14

References

  1. "2010 NHL Entry Draft". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2010-06-26.
  2. "Hishon has friends in high places". Colorado Avalanche. 2010-06-27. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  3. "Wilson to lead ship". Owen Sound Sun Times. 2010-06-08. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  4. Dater, Adrian (2010-06-25). "Hishon shocked to go to Avalanche at No. 17". Denver Post. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  5. Mike Savage (2010-06-28). "Hishon realizes a dream". Stratford Beacon Herald. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  6. "Avalanche signs Hishon". Colorado Avalanche. 2011-03-13. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
  7. Pyette, Ryan (2011-09-14). "Concussions stall NHL hopes | Hockey | Sports | London Free Press". lfpress.com. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  8. Dater, Adrian (2012-03-16). "Avs Mailbag: Is Joey Hishon any closer to returning for Avalanche?". denverpost.com. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  9. Odland, Kristen (2011-05-28). "Hockey Canada adopts zero tolerance rule for head shots". nationalpost.com. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  10. "Joey Hishon update and other news". Denver Post. 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
  11. "Hishon scheduled to return to ice". StratfordBeaconHerald.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  12. "Monsters fall in Chicago 5-2". Lake Erie Monsters. 2013-03-29. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
  13. "Joey Hishon improving after latest concussion with Lake Erie Monsters". Denver Post. 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  14. Janke, Kinsey (2014-10-24). "Joey Hishon eager to return to NHL after debut with Colorado Avalanche - NHL.com - AHL Update". nhl.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  15. Dater, Adrian (2014-04-23). "NHL dream to become reality for Avs call-up Joey Hishon - The Denver Post". denverpost.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  16. Dater, Adrian (2014-06-20). "Joey Hishon given qualifying offer by Colorado Avalanche". blogs.denverpost.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  17. Chambers, Mike (2014-07-22). "Stefan Elliott, Karl Stollery, Joey Hishon and Paul Carey were given qualifying offers by the Avalanche". blogs.denverpost.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  18. "Alex Tanguay, Joey Hishon to play in milestone games for Avs". www.denverpost.com. 2015-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  19. "Joey Hishon's first NHL goal sends Colorado to win". www.denverpost.com. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  20. "Joey Hishon signs one-year contract with Colorado Avalanche". www.denverpost.com. 2015-07-27. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
  21. "Hishon confirmed to play with Jokerit". Jokerit (in Finnish). 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  22. nurun.com (2016-05-04). "Hishon headed to Finland". Beacon Herald. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  23. "Center ready for Lulea Hockey" (in Swedish). Luleå HF. 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  24. "Attack announce Joey Hishon to join scouting and skill development staff". Owen Sound Attack. 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  25. "Owen Sound's Hishon has proven his toughness". NHL. 2010-03-05. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  26. "Hockey Canada Selection Camp: Team Profile". Hockey Canada. 2010-12-04. Archived from the original on 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  27. "Hishon takes cut in stride". Stratford Beacon Herald. 2010-12-16. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
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