Josiah Didier will be suiting up for St. John’s in 2015-16 as the IceCaps signed him to a one year AHL contract. The 22 year old blueliner finished up his four year college career this past season.
The 6’3, 220 lb rearguard spent the last four seasons at the University of Denver, recording a total of 29 points, 203 PIMS, and a +20 rating in 148 career games. This past year, he picked up a career-best eleven points in 40 contests while serving as an alternate captain.
Didier then signed a tryout deal with the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he suited up for eight games. He played primarily on the third pairing and recorded an assist and five PIMS in that time.
The IceCaps now have five right shot defencemen already signed for next year. Joining Didier are Darren Dietz, Morgan Ellis, Dalton Thrower, and Brett Lernout. Assuming the team brings in some replacements on the left side, it’s likely that one of the players in this group will be ECHL-bound before too long next year.
The fact that this was done makes it highly likely that the Habs will not be signing Didier prior to the August 15th deadline, meaning that they will relinquish his NHL rights and that he will become an unrestricted free agent as he is too old to re-enter the draft. However, if he plays well, the Canadiens can simply sign him to an entry-level deal at some point during the season or next summer.
Didier’s Stats:
