Joshua Lowell Strutz
Defenseman – Shot left, 6’2″- 195 lbs
Born 2/14/90 — Drafted by God 12/18/09
Josh, a true athlete enjoyed all sports: you name it he played it. Nevertheless, hockey captured Josh’s heart & soul and never let go.
At age 4, he was enrolled in “learn to skate” hockey program and the love affair began. From the moment he touched the ice, Josh’s eyes lit up with a sparkle of joy. Josh was constantly skating, shooting, stick-handling and learning to read the ice. He learned from coaches, teammates, his brother Adam and step-Dad, John. Josh could not get enough to hockey. At 13, He insisted on playing with three different AAA teams in the Spring season, so he could be more competitive that Fall. While Josh’s teammates and coaches believed him to be invaluable to his team(s): he worked harder each season to increase his skills, but even more importantly, his presence on the team became more valuable to his coaches and teammates. Josh possessed a drive, a love, and a passion for the game that emulated from him and onto his teammates.
Whether in the locker room, on the ice, or off, Josh’s love for the sport and the “brotherhood” of his teammates was extremely contagious. Josh, aka the “prankster” really enjoyed the “fun” side of camaraderie. He loved to play practical jokes, on the bench, in the rink before a practice/game, but mostly in the locker-room after games. He believed it brought the players closer together and also helped to ease tension after a loss, or celebrate after a win. He would grow to carry all these skills and laughs with him through his years at the High School level and then onto the College level of hockey.
Loving the game of hockey as much as Josh did made most people stop and take a step back. It amazed so many that his devotion and love for the sport, the success of his team and reputation of his coaches was more important to Josh than anyone could ever imagine. If Josh had to choose between between hockey and anything else, he would choose hockey every time. Josh never meant to leave the ice in the middle of a game.