DEFENDER JOSH JUBENVILLE SIGNS 2-YEAR DEAL
The Sky Is The Limit For Gritty D-Man
Oakville, ON – Toronto Rock General Manager Jamie Dawick announced today that Rock defender Josh Jubenville has agreed to a 2-year contract extension. The signing is pending league approval.
Jubenville’s NLL debut was delayed by a couple of years after the Rock selected him in the fourth round, 40th overall in the 2017 NLL Draft. He was completing his education at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan and was unable to accommodate the pro lacrosse grind into his schedule. The 23-year old from Windsor, ON made the commitment to the Rock in the fall of 2019 and after a successful training camp, he was named to the Active Roster to begin the 19-20 NLL season.
The Rock’s coaching staff and management were very familiar with Jubenville’s work and had a lot of confidence in the young defender being able to make the jump to the NLL after two successful summers with the Oakville Rock of Ontario’s Major Series Lacrosse.
“My expectations were that Josh would be able to handle himself pretty well based on what we had seen in Oakville over the past couple of seasons,” said Dawick. “However, Josh exceeded our expectations and became a regular for us as a rookie. He has a physical presence and is a tough guy to play against. He is showing all the signs of becoming a very good NLL defender and we’re excited to have him in Toronto.”
Jubenville played in every one of the Rock’s 11 regular season games during the shortened 2019-20 season. He contributed 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points along with 47 loose balls and caused 12 turnovers. His stat line reads more like that of an veteran NLL defender than a first-year pro.
“My rookie year went as well as I could have hoped, despite the ending no one saw coming with the pandemic,” said Jubenville. “I’m excited to spend the next two years in Toronto and build on this good start to my career and I’m just as excited to be a part of an overall great organization.
“Playing two summers in Oakville helped me a lot. I had a lot of familiarity with the coaching staff and management. A big thing that helped me when I got to Toronto was the veteran leadership presence in locker room. Dan Dawson, Brad Kri, Damon Edwards and Billy Hostrawser were guys I was constantly asking for advice, and I relied on those guys to give me a push in the right direction. Defensive coach Bruce Codd is a smart coach, and he had a lot of trust in me which helped me a lot,” explained Jubenville.
Jubenville is looking forward to getting back on the floor and playing in front of the Rock City faithful once again. One of his fondest memories from his rookie season was that first time he heard his name announced before the game and ran out of the tunnel.
“I realized my dream had come true, running out of the tunnel for the home opener,” said Jubenville. “From watching in the stands growing up to being on the floor later in my life, everything had come full circle and everything I worked for had become a reality.”
The NLL has announced this year’s NLL Draft will be a virtual event on Tuesday, September 17. Fans can watch on Bleacher Report Live, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter at 7:00 p.m. ET.
2020-21 Toronto Rock Season Memberships are on sale now! For more information or to purchase, please visit torontorock.com.