Next to Kristaps Zile, Janis Jaks and Ralfs Freibergs, Josh Wesley will become the fourth foreigner in the Litvín defence.
There are also four strikers with foreign passports on the roster, Canadian Giorgio Estephan, Polish Pawel Zygmunt and Slovaks Matúš Sukel and Andrej Kudrna, and goalkeeper Denis Godla can be added to them.
Litvínov looked like he was putting together the Latvian national team in defense. In the end, he turned a little different, after a bad start to the season, he is trying to improve the team with a fourth foreigner in the defensive line.
He brought the American Josh Wesley (26 years old), who was drafted by Carolina in 2014, to the three Latvians. In the end, he never played in the NHL, but settled steadily in the AHL, where he played 163 games. But he recognized the Stanley Cup.
His father Glen, who won the NHL in 2006 with Carolina, had a great career overseas. Josh was 10 years old at the time. “I’ve had so many Cup experiences!” Wesley Jr. told The Hockey Writers before his draft.
He attended a party with his dad at the military base, where Wesley Jr. played cards with the Marines. Then the Stanley Cup went home, then to the police station. “When we got back, dad was sleeping in bed with the cup, which was quite funny,” he recalled.
Josh also went to the NHL ice with his father, when the Hurricanes hung his jersey under the ceiling of the hall. “I got dressed in my gear and stood next to my dad. Then when they raised the banner, he kept looking at me and smiling. It was one of the most memorable moments in my life,” he admitted.
He never made it to the best league in the world himself, even though he was drafted by Carolina in 2014.
Paradoxically, he played in the attack for a long time. He didn’t play the entire year as a defender until he was 16. But he didn’t become an offensive savage. He did not collect many points in the juniors or in the AHL.
Now he is waiting for a stage in the extra league. “I would like to thank Pavlo Hynk for his very friendly and fair dealings.
Josh was deciding over the summer whether to continue overseas or head to Europe.
Litvínov will be his first European destination and both sides are very much looking forward to mutual cooperation,” Wesley’s agent Petr Peleška.
“After several weeks of negotiations, we agreed on the terms, and I believe that Josh’s engagement will be beneficial for both parties,” he added.