CCHL News

Jooris Commits to Union College for 2010

Date: Jan 11, 2010

For a lot of high level minor hockey players, being passed over in their Ontario Hockey League draft year can be a crushing blow to their aspirations to advance their careers. In 2006, no OHL team felt it was worth taking a chance on Josh Jooris, who was overlooked primarily because of his lack of size.

"I was labelled too small and I was too small, I was 5'5 in my draft year," said Jooris, a Burlington native. "I think that motivated me, in my draft year I didn't play much, I was kind of like the cheerleader on the bench but that definitely motivated me and look where I am today, I guess it worked out for the best for me."

Now, with eighty two points in thirty four games in his second season with the Burlington Cougars, there are likely more than just a few OHL teams wishing they could reconsider that decision.

"Yeah I guess," laughed Jooris when asked if he thought OHL teams were wishing they had selected him three years ago given the quality of player he has blossomed into. "I didn't have too much interest in the OHL at all so I don't even know if I was on their radar or if anyone knew me but I guess maybe you can say that."

The motivation Jooris felt to prove people wrong has clearly been seen in his play with the Burlington Cougars over the past two seasons. In 2008-2009, Jooris amassed eight goals and twenty six assists in forty two games but has seen his numbers skyrocket in the 2009-2010 season after finding instant chemistry on a line with Greg Carey. Together, the pair sits one-two in CCHL scoring with Jooris leading the way with nineteen goals and sixty three assists in thirty four games.

"Definitely a playmaker, my line mate Greg Carey and I have great chemistry," said Jooris, when describing the style he tends to play. "I'm a pass first kind of guy, I can bury the puck when need be but if we're on a two on one, I like to dish first. I have great overall vision on the ice and know my surroundings pretty well."

 

Not surprisingly, Jooris considers himself more of a playmaker but he has shown an ability to score in the clutch with six of his nineteen goals coming as game winners.

"Whenever the opportunity comes to score a goal, I try to put it in the net whether it's the eighth goal in the game in a blowout or the winning goal," said Jooris. "Some of my winning goals have come from like 12-2 victories so it's maybe not that clutch but at least I'm scoring at the right time."

Jooris' outstanding play over his two seasons with the Cougars recently led him to signing a commitment to attend Union College to play Division I NCAA hockey for the Dutchmen starting in the fall of 2010. Since being overlooked in his OHL draft year, Jooris said an NCAA scholarship has been his goal and that he is humbled to finally have achieved it.

"It means a lot; it's pretty much been my dream ever since the OHL passed on me in my draft year," said Jooris. "I was really excited to get it (the commitment) done, really humbled by the offer and Union College is obviously a great school. I went down there for a visit a couple of weeks ago and I just knew it was the right place for me. It means a ton and I'm really excited for the opportunity."

Ben Barr, the Assistant Coach of the Dutchmen, was the first to contact Jooris during the 2008-2009 campaign. When representatives from Union College were present to watch Jooris at the summer evaluation camp for Team Canada East for the 2009 World Junior A Challenge and provided positive feedback, he knew that there was some interest from the College's side. A visit to the campus in Schenectady, New York confirmed to Jooris that his interest in attending the school was just as high as Union College's interest in him.

"I saw a game there and the whole atmosphere - their rink - everything was just unbelievable, it gave me goose bumps when I saw the team come out," recalled Jooris. "I went down on the visit with my mom and had a meeting with the coaches and they were all really nice people and knew what they were talking about. They play the style that I like to play which is just a go-go-go style even on the penalty kill as well. The people, the atmosphere and the school were just amazing."

Now listed at 6'0 and 179lbs, Jooris has overcome his lack of size that plagued him as a younger player. Heading into his freshman season with the Dutchmen, Jooris explained that his main focus will be to improve his defensive game over the last part of the season with the Cougars.

"I just want to get better defensively because the next level is such a defensive game; there are really low scoring games, especially in the ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference)," said the CCHL's leading scorer. "I definitely want to work on my defensive side; my offense has been doing pretty well but obviously I want to try to keep improving everything."

Back to news articles