Josh Lingard - Speak softly but carry a big stick

September 7th, 2020
North Saanich, British Columbia

Josh Lingard will arrive at the Panorama Recreation Centre this evening right around 6:00 pm and will be greeted there by the rest of his Panthers mates and by Photographer Gordon Lee.  He will then put on his gear and head out for a 6:45 pm practice now that the squad for this 2020/21 season has been selected.  This will be the 4th and final time that Josh has arrived for the photo shoot and for the 20-year-old, it will be his last.  He has been the top scorer on the Club for two of the four years.  He has been a top prospect and All-Star in the VIJHL every year he has played in the League and is in every single conversation with Junior "B" pundits when discussing the best player in the League.

"Josh was really quiet the first couple of years but I thought he really blossomed last season," quipped Pete Zubersky.

"He is as dynamic as they come and when the chips are shoved to the middle of the table, I am more than happy with him holding the cards.  Last year I watched Josh laugh a lot more and his play was just off the charts.  Coach put him back on the point on our power play and I thought that made it a lot more effective.  He played and dominated in every situation and looks like he could score every time he touches the puck.  I think that his line will be talked about a lot this season and in years to come when we all look back at what Josh along with Tanner and Riley can and will accomplish."

Lingard is a proven leader on the Panthers and a man of few words, but offered up a few when his arm was twisted.

"I really enjoyed hanging with the guys at the rink last season because of the incredible bond we had as a team. It definitely helped contribute to the success we had last season. Our bond helped us to individually push ourselves and our teammates to their fullest potential. Playing with Riley and Tanner for the past four seasons has definitely helped me overall with my confidence to perform. I will miss all the guys that have aged-out but I am excited to start a new season with some younger guys and I plan to help push and support them both on and off the ice. I think we will be able to find that bond once again this season and have the success come with it!" 

The most fortunate Coach in the League is Brad Tippett who is able to run Lingard out the gate all night long.

"Josh is another 200 foot player. There are a lot of skilled players in the league. He is one of a very small group who maintain their skill level at high speed.  He can consistently beat opposing defensemen to the outside. He is a master at angling and pinching a player out and he plays with a bit of an edge. The turnaround in our power play was directly linked to his move to the quarterback position at the top. His skill level forces penalty killers to be cautious and that just awards him more time to make a pinpoint pass. The one thing people do not know is his ability to play through bumps and bruises. He is often a target and takes a lot of slashes from defenders as he blows around them. Those take a toll but he just plays through it."

Lingard will pose for the photo this evening, you can count on that.  But what fans on the Peninsula can also count on is that he will be doing everything in his power to bring a Championship banner to hang from the Panorama Recreation Centre ceiling when his Junior career closes out next April.