Joshua Archibald (born October 6, 1992) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey right winger. Archibald was selected by the Penguins in the sixth round (174th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Early life
Archibald was born in Regina, Saskatchewan.
His father
Jim Archibald was a notorious Enforcer for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team in college, setting the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record for
penalty minutes before joining the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League.
His mother Anne also attended the University of North Dakota, where she was part of the school's swim team.
Archibald grew up in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, a small town in the Qu'Appelle Valley, and he played minor ice hockey for the Balgonie Prairie Storm and, briefly, the Moose Jaw AAA Warriors of the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League.
When he was 15 years old, Archibald and his family moved to Brainerd, Minnesota, where he continued to play ice hockey for Brainerd High School.
Playing career
NCAA
He then played college hockey at the University of Nebraska Omaha from 2011 to 2014. He was selected as the WCHA Rookie of the Week in November 2011.
At Nebraska Omaha, Archibald played on a line with future Pittsburgh Penguins teammate
Jake Guentzel.
In 2013–14, Archibald was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, marking him as one of the ten best players in men's college hockey;
he was also named All-NCHC First Team,
and won the NCHC's Player of the Year and Forward of the Year awards.
Professional
Pittsburgh Penguins
On May 16, 2014, Archibald signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Archibald made his NHL debut on March 5, 2016, in a home game against the
Calgary Flames but was soon reassigned to the Penguins AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
He was recalled back to the Penguins on February 11, 2017, which is also when he scored his first 2 NHL goals in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. However, he was returned to the Penguins AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins two games later. He was recalled to the Pittsburgh in late March and competed in the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, lifting the Stanley Cup after teammate Jake Guentzel.
On July 12, 2017, Archibald re-signed with the Penguins on a two-year, one-way contract with an average annual value of $675,000.
In the 2017–18 season, Archibald made the Penguins' opening night roster. On December 1, 2017, he was reassigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for a conditioning stint.
Arizona Coyotes
On December 19, 2017, the Penguins traded Archibald, along with Sean Maguire and a 6th-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, to the
Arizona Coyotes in exchange for
Michael Leighton and a fourth-round pick in 2019. This trade's purpose was to clear space for a follow-up trade which brought defenceman
Jamie Oleksiak to Pittsburgh from
Dallas Stars.
The Coyotes chose not to tender Archibald a qualifying offer after the 2018–19 season, and he was released into free agency.
Edmonton Oilers
On July 16, 2019, the
Edmonton Oilers signed Archibald to a one-year contract.
Shortly into the season, while playing on the checking line with
Riley Sheahan and
Jujhar Khaira, he fractured his right foot under unspecified circumstances.
Even after his return, he did not score a goal until December 1, when he was promoted to the top line alongside
Connor McDavid. Archibald received a shot from
Darnell Nurse to help put the Oilers up 5–2 over the Vancouver Canucks.
Although he was not a permanent fixture on the top line, Archibald was often the first to be promoted during the 2019–20 season when one of McDavid's usual partners was unavailable.
On March 7, 2020, the Oilers signed Archibald to a two-year contract extension that would take him through the season.
The following week, the NHL chose to suspend the regular season indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
at the time of the pause, Archibald had 12 goals and 21 points in 62 games.
When the NHL resumed play for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in July, Archibald was one of 31 Oilers invited into the Edmonton "bubble".
There, the Oilers lost the qualifying round 3-1 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
On October 3, 2021, Oilers medical staff announced that Archibald would be out indefinitely because of myocarditis, which developed after he contracted COVID-19 during the summer of 2021.
Return to Pittsburgh
As a free agent from the Oilers, Archibald returned to his original club, the Pittsburgh Penguins, after signing a one-year, $900,000 contract on July 13, 2022.
Tampa Bay Lightning
On July 1, 2023, Archibald signed as a free agent to a two-year, $1.6 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
On September 9, 2023, it was announced by Lightning General Manager, Julien BriseBois, that Josh Archibald was “placed on unconditional waivers… for the purpose of terminating his contract” following talks with Archibald and his agent where it was made clear that Josh would not be playing hockey for unspecified reasons.
International career
Archibald holds dual citizenship for both
Canada and the
United States, choosing to play for the Americans in international competition.
Archibald played with Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Personal life
Archibald was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Brainerd, Minnesota and is a dual citizen of both Canada and the United States. His father,
Jim Archibald, played in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars during the mid-1980s.
In June 2016, he married Bailey Baxter.
After COVID-19 infection in summer 2021, Archibald developed myocarditis. He was out for most of the 2021–22 season but rejoined the Oilers in March 2022.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
|
|
|
| 2009–10 | Brainerd High | USHS | 74 | — |
| 2010–11 | Brainerd High | USHS | 40 | — |
| 2011–12 | Omaha Mavericks | WCHA | 33 | — |
| 2012–13 | Omaha Mavericks | WCHA | 34 | — |
| 2013–14 | Omaha Mavericks | NCHC | 62 | — |
| 2013–14 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 13 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 24 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Wheeling Nailers | ECHL | 4 | — |
| 2015–16 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 75 | 10 |
| 2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 0 | — |
| 2016–17 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 54 | 16 |
| 2016–17 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 4 | 2 |
| 2017–18 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 0 | — |
| 2017–18 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 4 | — |
| 2017–18 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 25 | — |
| 2018–19 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 15 | — |
| 2019–20 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 12 | 4 |
| 2020–21 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 37 | 2 |
| 2021–22 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 7 | 4 |
| 2022–23 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 43 | — |
|
International
Awards and honors
|
|
| All-NCHC First Team | 2014 | |
| AHCA West First-Team All-American | 2014 | |
|
| Stanley Cup champion | 2017 | |
External links
