JOSHUA LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCIES, NOT FLASHES, TO PROVE PEOPLE WRONG
Third-year pro back with Rochester on one-year contract
Jul 22, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans made retaining their roster an apparent focus of the 2025 offseason. General Manager Jason Karmanos, along with Sabres GM Kevyn Adams have returned over a dozen of the Amerks that pushed to the North Division Finals of this past spring’s Calder Cup Playoffs, be it on AHL or NHL contracts.
Another focus across the organization has been an emphasis on being tough. That’s why shortly after the signing period opened up, bulldozing forward Jagger Joshua was asked to put ink to paper, signing a one-year AHL contract to join the Amerks again after being acquired via trade last season.
“I think it just kind of comes naturally,” said Joshua when asked about his style of play. “I guess my attitude towards playing in hockey just leads me to be more physical and I think it really helps at this level (the AHL). Not a lot of guys are willing to do some of that. You have to get to the dirty areas and I thrive in it.”
Amerks head coach Michael Leone cited numerous times throughout his maiden voyage as Rochester’s bench boss that team toughness would be what wins hockey games. Joshua was brought in to assist with that edge. The Dearborn, Michigan, native was acquired from the Penguins’ organization midseason after posting 93 penalty minutes his rookie year in 2023-24. In 24 games as an Amerk, Joshua amassed 76 penalty minutes, but come playoff time, a roster full of youth and Sabres prospects saw Joshua on the outside looking in as a healthy scratch.
The penalty minutes are the visible stat, but there is more than meets the eye through Joshua’s scope.
“I think my playing style sometimes leads to me getting misunderstood because I am so physical. I think some people get caught up in that. They think that's all I can do or all I produce.”
But that’s not the case and Joshua has proven that before. At Michigan State University, the power forward was given the trust of head coach Adam Nightingale to get an increased role with the team his senior season. After recording eight points his junior year, Joshua leaped forward, scoring 13 goals and 24 points to finish fourth on the Spartans’ point production list, while topping the club with 92 penalty minutes.
As his rookie season went on in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Joshua was rewarded with additional minutes down the stretch. The outcome: 10 points (4+6) over his final nine games. He was reliable on the defensive side of the puck as well, posting a plus-9 on-ice rating over that same stretch.
“That was a big confidence booster for me. I always viewed my game as something you can’t judge just by going off a stat sheet. I impact the game in other ways, but I do think when I’m playing my style and at the top of my game, offense becomes a biproduct of my physicality. My style of play can lead to points and it has in the past.”
Joshua’s past highs came when he was able to maintain his pace of play game after game. It’s a challenge in college and the difficulty doubles in pro hockey, where players like Joshua went from 30-something games at the NCAA level to attempting to produce throughout the 72-game grind that is an American Hockey League schedule.
“My challenges would just be my consistency. I think I've shown flashes of the player that I am. I’ve shown that I can do it, but my biggest thing is consistency and doing it every night. There's a lot of games in this league and playing your A-game every night is difficult. It's hard to be at your best every game, but I’m doing everything I can to improve on it.”
Skating, puck control, continuing to build muscle mass. These are just some of the micro details that can lead to macro results for the 26-year-old talent. It helps to have role models when looking for guidance. Joshua has two: his older brother and newest member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dakota, and the person that taught he and his brother the game of hockey; their mother, Jullee Joshua.
“Without her, I wouldn’t be familiar with the sport. And when I was growing up and saw my brother playing, I just wanted to be like him.”
Dakota’s journey is an easy one to find. The quick use of an online search engine will tell you he was drafted over a decade ago and has skated in well over 200 NHL games.
Jullee’s background in the sport isn’t as well documented, but the mother of two professional hockey players has been on the ice longer than either have them have been alive. She spent 20 years with the Michigan Polar Bears, a team that was part of the first-ever women’s adult hockey league in the state of Michigan.
“She goes to Florida every summer for their national championship. She’s almost 60 now and has been playing for 40 years, so when we talk about hockey, she tends to know more than the average parent. That’s the nice part. We can talk and she can know right away if I had a good or a bad game, but she’s always supported my brother and I, and he and I talk every day.”
Jullee could be labelled as a trailblazer for women’s hockey in Michigan. Dakota could be labelled as a proven product, with the 29-year-old prepared to begin a sixth season in the NHL. Jagger’s role is different. He is 26. He is undrafted. He doesn’t fall into the category of prospect. He is an underdog.
“I always like to think I'm a bit of a late bloomer. I didn't play travel hockey technically, until I was 16, which is pretty late. But I’ve always figured it out, whether it was then, juniors, college, or pro. I’ve had a really good summer, and I think in my head I’ve got to prove a lot of people wrong and prove some things this year. I’m excited for that.”
