2024 NHL Draft player profile: Ollie Josephson, Red Deer Rebels

As a kid, Ollie Josephson loved visiting his grandparents in Kamloops, B.C., and touring around the local rink where his dad, Mike Josephson, helped the powerhouse Blazers capture a fifth WHL championship and second Memorial Cup title back in 1994.

Now, the second-generation WHLer is hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps again by hearing his name called at the NHL Draft.

The Red Deer Rebels centreman has established himself as a shutdown force to be reckoned with in his second WHL season.

“He’s a solid two-way guy who takes pucks to the net and makes great plays,” Rebels President and General Manager Brent Sutter said. “Very responsible in his own zone. He’s someone that’s in control of his own game, supporting his teammates from centre ice. He can skate so well and he’s very, very smart.

The thing he needs to work on is finishing his chances and wanting to score more. But just the way he is, he’s a complete player and he’s someone coaches trust.”

Josephson, the fifth-overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, more than doubled his offensive totals from his rookie year in 2023-24.

The 17-year-old potted 12 goals (including two game-winners and two shorthanded markers) and 35 assists in 68 games in his first year of NHL draft eligibility, while adding another five points (two goals, three assists) in nine playoff matches.

He also finished second on the Rebels and 13th among all WHL skaters in faceoff attempts (1,214) and faceoff wins (643).

“I really grew my two-way game, just being really reliable defensively,” Josephson said of his standout year. “It’s really cool year. Lots of special things you get to do. I’m trying not to look at it too much, just take it day by day.”

The Victoria, B.C. product is also drawing on his lacrosse background as he looks to hit a new level offensively.

Josephson was a star player with the Juan de Fuca Whalers program for years- he was even named tournament all-star after helping his peewee team cap off an undefeated season with a second-straight provincial title in 2018.

“I think it actually helped quite a bit,” Josephson said. “You’ve got to use your speed in that sport a lot and compete hard. I’d say those are my two biggest strengths in hockey and I think they came from lacrosse.”

Sutter sees that crossover as well when he watches the 17-year-old fly across the ice.

Josephson’s high-tempo skating and driven nature helped him snag a spot with Canada’s gold medal-winning side at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects game and the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he netted three assists in seven games en route to another first-place finish.

Most recently, the 6-foot, 190-pound forward got a final chance to impress NHL brass at the 2024 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y.

Josephson’s stock has climbed throughout the season with NHL Central Scouting slotting him at 40th among all North American skaters.

The 2024 NHL Entry Draft runs from June 28-29 in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Sphere.