Filmon Preparing for Jump to Pros | BLOG

At 20-years-old, Josh Filmon is already very wise. When he talks about his hockey journey, he is articulate and pensive and preaches an approach of 'active listening.' He got a taste of the NHL ever so briefly in 2023 when he played in the Devils preseason but headed back to his Junior team in Swift Current, where he played out an essential year in his development. Although his offensive numbers were down from the previous year (67 points compared to 75), it was his defensive game and rounding out his play as a 200-foot player that took priority. 

At this year's Development Camp, Filmon shared his thoughts on how he has grown from year to year...

Filmon on his development…

I think I took strides just in becoming a little more complete. Had a little more responsibility this year, being a 200-foot player, killing plays in the D zone, penalty killing. So I think, yeah, it was a good year for me to just kind of start fresh and rebuild some of the baseline stuff that's going to help me get to pro with those defensive habits.

And then, towards the end of the year, I think I made big strides as well, just figuring out how to apply my offensive skill set into that kind of scheme. And I think I can still take strides within my skating and just lower body strength. It's all going to come together. And that's going to be something I need to continue working on to make the jump to Pro.

On learning from other players who have already jumped to pros and what he expects going into training camp…

In terms of the plans just getting stronger and faster. I got a pretty good group I'm training with right now, pro guys back home in Winnipeg, so make sure that I keep pushing myself and learning from those guys, talking to guys who've already made the jump, and then in terms of where I think I'm going to be, obviously, I have no clue. The goal is just to come into camp and try and put on the best performance I can. There's a new coaching staff here in New Jersey and talking with the development staff, my goal is just to come in before the team goes to Prague and try and make the best impression that I can, to either earn a spot or take some feedback and go down to Utica and try and continue to develop there.

On training this summer with NHL players Seth Jarvis and Cody Glass…

Seth Jarvis in Carolina, is a young guy who just kind of made the jump. Obviously, he didn't play in the American League. He went straight to the NHL. But a guy who had a different path would be Cody Glass. He was a really high draft pick, and kind of took him a little bit more time to figure it out and make that transition to the NHL. So two kinds of different examples, but really good role models. It's just important to be an active listener and to try to take as many lessons as you can.

On what he experienced playing in pre-season games in 2023…

Honestly, just how big and strong and fast everybody is. You can't really put into words what the difference is when you're making a jump, say, from Junior to (the NHL). But once you're there, it's kind of like you have a little bit of a feeling of how fast and strong those guys are, and then it becomes more mental than physical, almost, where you just got to think the game at that speed, and you’ve got to be able to see plays before they happen because you don't have as much time. You got to be, you know, proactive, not reactive.