JOSIAH DIDIER
Denver
So. | D | Littleton, Colo.

Josiah Didier

Key Statistics: As a rookie on a team where a spate of injuries kept the roster in a state of flux, Didier saw ice time in 42 of the Pioneers’ 43 games. He finished with three assists and  a plus-minus rating of +6. He is still looking for his first collegiate goal, but led the team with 70 blocked shots.

What He Does: Already 6-2 when he started college, Didier made getting even bigger a mission during the season and over the current summer. By late July he’d added muscle and was hitting 210 on the scale, hoping to be at 215 by the start of training camp. That should translate onto the ice in an obvious way for the Montreal Canadiens draft pick. “I like getting physical,” Didier said during a Zamboni break during the Pioneers summer youth hockey camp where he works on-ice. “I’ll try to be even more physical next season.” As for that first collegiate goal, he’s not too concerned. “Everything starts in the [defensive] zone,” he said. “Playing solid defense will create good things in the offensive zone.”

The Bigger Picture: With many players, you know what you’re going to get all the time. With Didier, coach George Gwozdecky says, it depends on where you see him. Ambling across the DU campus, Didier looks like any other quiet, unassuming, friendly, intelligent student with a book bag slung over his shoulder. On the ice, he is all business. The other Pioneers and their fans love to see him use his size and strength to the detriment of the opponent’s offense and hope to see him push it a little bit more with his physical play as a sophomore on a team that will carry and often dress seven defensemen.

Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky on Didier: “Josiah is a big, strong, smart D-man who can outlet the puck extremely quickly and accurately. As a freshman he gained a lot of confidence, playing in some big games and exciting environments.”