The 2024-25 season was the beginning of a new chapter for New Jersey Devils prospect Josh Filmon.
It marked his first professional season, making the jump from the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League to the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. In addition to his 65 games with the Thunder, Filmon also played 12 games for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.
On Monday, Adirondack's assistant coach, Mike Bergin, provided The Hockey News with insight into Filmon's first season.
"For his first pro season, I thought it went well," Bergin said. "He came in, and it is tough to adjust to the pro level, especially when you are still eligible to play juniors, as Josh was last year. He came in, and you could see the vision, his shot, and just the way he carries himself day-to-day, that he is going to be a great pro.
"At the beginning of the year, (there was a) little bit of a transition period for him to adjust to the pro level and kind of understand how he can play and how he can use his attributes to help us win and help him go further on in his career," he continued. "I think it was a great first step because he kept getting better as the year went on."
The 21-year-old scored a team-leading 20 goals for the Thunder and collected 36 points, second-most on the team.
Continuing To Focus on Strength
Those adjustments and transitions are unique to every individual player. For Filmon, Bergin explained that it is about understanding how to use his body and physicality and creating space for himself on the ice.
Like most young players, Filmon, listed as 6-foot-1, 158 pounds, has not yet reached his physical maturity and continues to focus on and prioritize filling out his frame.
"He wants to get bigger and stronger," Bergin said. "He wants to be in the gym more. He wants to fix his nutrition and eat more so he can get bigger. I think he has the right mindset; it just takes time, and I think he is on the right trajectory to get that frame to help him."
Filmon's Role With The Thunder
In the ECHL, Filmon found himself playing several different roles, from the power play to the penalty kill.
"(His role) was changing throughout the year, and we used him in different scenarios," Bergin continued. "He came in, and he has an incredible shot and offensive prowess that you can't really teach. He was on the power play for us all year long. We relied on him to score some big goals for us and make some big plays in the offensive zone."
Throughout the season, Filmon impressed his coach with his ability to read the game.
"He made so many different plays where I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this kid can think the game at a high, high level,'" Bergin said.
"I think a lot of people miss that with his game."
While that offensive prowess comes naturally to the Manitoba native, rounding out his 200-foot game is critical to take the next step.
"Every team is so deep, and every line can score," Bergin said. "You have to be able and be committed to play that defensive style game. The better he gets at that, he will be able to go into the offensive zone and play where he wants to play. The better he is at defending will lead to him generating more offense."
Understanding the importance of that defensive style of play is something Bergin discusses with his players, especially when moving to the next league.
"Everybody is in the right spots, most of the time," he explained. "It is so much harder to generate offense and do the right thing. I think it is just being more reliable in the D zone, and we can put (Filmon) out in defensive situations. He wants to get better, and as the year went on, he became more defensively reliable and was able to play more situations for us."
The Transistion From ECHL To AHL
This past season, the Thunder featured a few names that were familiar to hockey fans in New Jersey. Besides Filmon, there were Dylan Wendt (forward), Jackson van de Leest (defenseman), Tyler Brennan (goaltender), and Jeremy Brodeur (goaltender).
The Hockey News asked Bergin what some of the key factors are that enable a player to make a successful transition from the ECHL to the AHL.
"I think it is a combination of things," Bergin said. "It is your everything, from your day-to-day habits to how you eat, sleep, and show up to the rink. How you compete and (figuring out) what piece of the puzzle you need to fit to help that team. Like we were talking about earlier, (playing strong defensively), everybody has to have that, but what else can you bring?
"Are you physical? Are you a penalty killer? Are you better than the next guy at your job? It is tough to be a pro," he continued. "Everybody is looking for that next shot. It is the guys who show up with consistency who will succeed."
With Filmon's upbeat attitude and drive to improve as a player, he remains a Devils prospect to watch as he continues to learn and hone the craft that earned him a selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
**Additional photo credit to Andrew Maclean of the New Jersey Devils
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