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Every time Chris Joseph gets onto the ice for a shift he feels like an underdog. His success on the ice shows he might be more than that.

In high school, he was overlooked by Division I hockey programs. After a successful four-year career at Stony Brook University in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, Joseph latched on in October with the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League. At the end of December, he was promoted to the Ottawa Senators’ AA affiliate, the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen.

Despite his success, he still views himself as the underdog.

“Down in Huntsville, as I played more, I kind of adjusted to it and found my rhythm to a point where I was comfortable out there,” Joseph said. “But here at Evansville, I definitely feel every shift I want to go out there and prove something, prove that I should be here, that I can play at this level.”

Coming from the ACHA drives Joseph. The 24-year-old defenseman knows how much harder he had to work to get to where he is today, and he’s happy to represent the ACHA at the pro level.

“I think this goes to show that people shouldn’t overlook the whole mentality of club hockey, because there are a lot of very good players there — players that are there that are definitely better than I am,” Joseph said.

Joseph’s new coach with the IceMen, Al Sims, can certainly see his drive. Sims said Joseph plays the game at the professional level just as sound as any former Division I player.

“He’s fit right into our group, and he’s one of those kids you don’t really notice on the ice,” Sims said. “That’s a good thing for a defenseman — that means he’s not making any gaffes or bad plays. He plays hard for his size and he’s a great skater. I think his skating is his biggest asset.”

Joseph, who was a two-time member of Team USA for the World University Games, is excited he’s living out one of his ultimate life goals.

“It’s definitely always been my dream to play pro hockey,” Joseph said. “But if you would have told me four years ago that four years later I’d be playing in the East Coast Hockey League coming from the ACHA, I probably would have told you [that] you were out of your mind and laughed at you and walked away.”

Joseph had a smooth transition to the professional game. His biggest challenges were adjusting to the speed of the game and the skill level of the players.

“As I adjusted more and played more games, the game kind of slowed down for me,” Joseph said. “I was able to adjust pretty well, and thankfully I didn’t have any problems with it.”

Joseph played 20 games for the Havoc in the SPHL and didn’t register gaudy numbers with just one assist. However, he was a rock at the blue line and tallied a plus-six rating. The promotion to Evansville was something Joseph thinks happened because he kept his game simple as a steady, stay-at-home defenseman.

“I’m not a very flashy player. I’m not going to give you 20 goals and 40 assists every year like some offensive D-men,” said Joseph, who was a scorer at Stony Brook with 70 points (24 goals, 46 points) in 96 games and led the team to the ACHA national championship game as a senior. “But I pride myself in the D-zone. I’ll block shots, I’ll try hits every shift. I think making that first pass just to get it out of the zone is the simplest play you can make, and it’s one of the biggest plays you can make.”

In his first four games for the IceMen, Joseph has a plus-three rating, including plus-three in his first ECHL game, with one shot attempt.

“Plus-minus is his big stat,” Sims said. “If he can be a plus player every night, that’s a big thing for him. If he gets a point, that’s a bonus. He’s not a guy who we’re looking to put up points.”

Each game Joseph logs in the ECHL is a step toward become a better all-around hockey player.

“Every day I’m learning something new, which is very beneficial for my game and even just myself growing as a person,” Joseph said. “I definitely feel that I’m fitting in well, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity to even be here.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.