Josh Norris


Joshua Norris is an American professional ice hockey forward, who is currently playing with the Belleville Senators in the American Hockey League as a prospect under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks and in 2018 was traded to the Senators as part of a package for All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Playing career

Norris first played midget hockey with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies before gaining attention of the U.S. National Development Team. He played with Team USA in the United States Hockey League for two seasons through to the 2016–17 season. Norris committed to play college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines of the NCAA on September 21, 2016.
On June 23, 2017, Norris was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. His NHL rights were traded to the Ottawa Senators on September 13, 2018, as part of a package that brought Erik Karlsson to the Sharks.
On January 17, 2019, it was announced that Norris would miss the remainder of the 2018–19 season due to an injury sustained during the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished the season with 10 goals and nine assists in 17 games. His 10 goals were tied for a team-high, and ranked second in points behind teammate Quinn Hughes. Norris' 10 goals were tied for seventh-most in the nation and third-most in the Big Ten Conference.
On May 27, 2019, the Senators signed Norris to a three-year, entry-level contract. Norris was assigned to Ottawa's AHL affiliate Belleville Senators. His 58 points in 51 games earned him a promotion to Ottawa and he played his NHL debut on February 22, 2020 against the Montreal Canadiens.

International play

Norris competed at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships where he helped Team USA win a gold medal. The following year, Norris was named to Team USA to compete at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He played in all seven games on the way to a bronze medal. Following Team USA's 4–2 defeat to Team Sweden in the semifinals, Norris was named U.S. Player of the Game.
On December 23, 2018, Norris was selected to compete at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and was later named an alternate captain alongside Michigan teammate Quinn Hughes.

Personal

He is the son of Canadian former NHL player Dwayne Norris. His father was his coach in youth hockey. Norris spent much of his first 11 years growing up in Germany, where his father played professionally and he speaks fluent German. Norris is a good friend of Ottawa Senators player Brady Tkachuk. The two played together on USNTDP teams and in the world junior championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors