News

As published in the Independent Free Press.

Taking a much different path than his older brother, Josh Dickinson has nonetheless realized a dream of signing a professional contract beginning with the 2018-19 season after coming to terms with the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.

The 20-year-old local native and former Georgetown Raider is leaving Clarkson University after his freshman year to sign with the Avalanche and for the rest of the season he is on an amateur tryout with the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, who play in Cleveland Friday night.

“Extremely excited to sign my first NHL contract with Avalanche!” Dickinson tweeted Thursday morning.

“Thank you to my family, friends and Clarkson hockey for the help and support to get me here.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound undrafted centre had 15 goals and 11 assists in 40 games with Clarkson this season as the Golden Knights were ranked in the top five of Division 1 NCAA schools for most of the year.

Dickinson spent three years with his hometown Jr. A Raiders, racking up 56 goals and 86 assists in 142 games, while leading the club to a Buckland Cup Ontario Junior Hockey League championship last spring alongside linemate Jack Jacome of Caledon and the duo continued their success at Clarkson this past season.

There’s a possibility that the Christ the King Secondary School graduate might suit up against 22-year-old brother Jason on the final weekend of the AHL’s regular season as the Rampage is slated to face the Texas Stars in a home-and-away series April 13-14.

Jason played four years with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm and was team captain in his final season. He was a first-round draft pick (29th overall) of the Dallas Stars in 2013 and played 27 games with the NHL team in 2017-18, registering two assists, before being returned to Texas this past week.