Dakota Joshua

Joshua was born on May 15, 1996, in Dearborn, Michigan.^[1][2] Growing up, his mother played ice hockey and competed in the Michigan Senior Women's Hockey League.^[3] His younger brother, Jagger, is also an ice hockey player.^[4] Growing up in Michigan, Joshua played junior ice hockey for the Honeybaked under-16 midget team and was invited to the USA Hockey select national team evaluation camp.^[5]

Following the 2011–12 season,^[1] Joshua was drafted by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the third round of the United States Hockey League (USHL) draft.^[6] After splitting the 2012–13 season between Honeybaked and the USHL, Joshua was drafted 156th overall by the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection.^[7] Despite being drafted in the OHL, he continued to play in the USHL for the 2013–14 season.^[1]

Joshua was ranked 157th overall amongst North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.^[8] He was not invited to the NHL draft combine.^[9] Joshua was eventually selected in the fifth round, 128th overall, in the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was unaware he had been drafted until he received a phone call from Toronto management while in the car.^[10] After drafting Joshua, Maple Leafs' amateur scouting director Dave Morrison spoke highly of him as a player, saying: "He's tall, very athletic, and we saw some flashes of real good skill towards the end of the year. His coaches couldn't say enough good things about him. He's very diligent in two ways of the game, and a top nine potential player."^[11]

Joshua spent two full seasons with the Stampede, during which he helped them win the 2015 Clark Cup championship.^[5][12]

In his freshman season at the Ohio State University, Joshua recorded 17 points in 29 games for the Buckeyes.^[1] He recorded his first collegiate goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, during a shootout against the University of Michigan on January 15, 2016.^[13] However, four days later, he received a game suspension due to his actions during the contest against Michigan on October 17.^[14] He helped the Buckeyes qualify for the 2016 Big Ten tournament but lost to the top-seeded University of Minnesota in the semifinals.^[15] The following season, Joshua recorded 12 goals and 23 assists,^[1] earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten accolades in March 2017.^[16] As well, off the ice, he was selected for the Ohio State Scholar–Athlete while majoring in the sports industry and selected for the Academic All-Big Ten team.^[2]

On July 12, 2019, Joshua's rights were traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for future considerations.^[17] Joshua made his NHL debut on March 1, 2021, in a 5–4 win over the Anaheim Ducks, and scored a goal.^[18][19] After scoring in his debut, Joshua said: "It was all I expected and then some. Playing in the National Hockey League is the biggest honor you can have in the sport of hockey. So, it was an unreal experience to be a part of the club today."^[20] He was reassigned to the taxi squad shortly after but called up again on March 5.^[21]

As a free agent from the Blues, Joshua signed a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 13, 2022.^[22] On February 13, 2024, in a 4–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, he achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick with an assist on each of Conor Garland's two goals, followed by a goal and a fight against MacKenzie Entwistle in the third period.^[23]

On June 27, 2024, after setting career-highs in goals and assists with the Canucks, Joshua signed a four-year, $13 million contract extension to remain with the team.^[24] In the summer of 2024, Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which required surgery and made him miss the training camp for the 2024–25 season.^[25] He returned to play on November 14, in a 5–2 loss against the New York Islanders.^[26]

On July 17, 2025, Joshua was traded by the Canucks to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2028 fourth-round draft pick.^[27]