One of the fastest skaters in Alliance hockey and arguably the fastest defender, Josh Harding can do it all from the back end. A right shot defender with a great shot and playmaking ability, putting up 16 pts in the shortened last season he is a known two-way defender who is dynamic in all three zones. Starting in his own zone, Josh is known to be very defensively smart. He forces the puck to the outside and reads developing plays. He isn’t afraid to block shots and get into shooting lanes as well as go into the corners and come out with the puck. Leading into transition, when Josh has the puck on the stick he can use his phenomenal skating to breakout himself but also has crisp first passes for a quick efficient breakout. Defending transitions, he can defend odd man rushes and one on one situations using his above average backwards skating to watch the play develop and predict what opposing forwards are going to do. He has a strong stick that he uses to stick check without taking penalties. If this were the NHL he would likely win the Byng as he led his team in TOI but had only 8 PIM while being an offensive and defensive threat. In the offensive zone he has an above average shot however he often cycles it around to forwards who bury it. He uses his pristine edges to walk the line and create space for himself and his teammates. Josh is smart and knows when to forecheck and when to stay back and defend. He communicates well and doesn’t get caught out of position often. Josh does have time on both special teams and as he grows and continues to develop looks to be an impact two-way defender at the next level. He’s currently working on his stick handling and hands in general however when he adds these to his game he will become one of the most well rounded defenders in his age group.