Johannson remembered at U.S. Hall of Fame induction ceremony

NASHVILLE-- Abby Johannson expected it to be an emotional evening.
Everyone at the United States Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday wished that her late husband, Jim Johannson, could've been there to accept the Lester Patrick Trophy.

But Jim, who died of heart disease at 53 on Jan. 21, was never one to seek out the spotlight anyway.
Known to all in USA Hockey simply as J.J., Johannson worked mostly in the background during his 17 years with the organization. Being honored for outstanding service to hockey in the United States might have been a strange experience for him.
"J.J. was a very selfless and humble man," said Abby, who accepted the trophy on her husband's behalf. "I think he would have been very proud and very pleased to receive this award and know what kind of impact he made on USA Hockey in particular and the young people growing up in the sport."

Jim Johannson's absence was felt by almost everyone at the ceremony because he had crossed paths with most of those attending, including members of the 2018 induction class: Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, retired NHL referee Paul Stewart, former University of Michigan coach Red Berenson, three-time U.S. Olympian Natalie Darwitz, and former NHL player Leland "Hago" Harrington.
Poile recalled hiring Johannson as a scout for the Predators in 1997, a year before they began play in the NHL. At the time, Johannson was GM of the Twin Cities Vulcans of the United States Hockey League.
Johannson, a University of Wisconsin player who was selected by the Hartford Whalers in the seventh round (No. 130) of the 1982 NHL Draft and played 374 games from 1987-94 in the International Hockey League, joined USA Hockey in 2000 as manager of international activities and U.S. Olympic Committee relations. He was promoted to senior director of hockey operations on Aug. 5, 2003 and became assistant executive director of hockey operations on June 25, 2007.

Poile, the NHL leader among GMs with 1,353 wins with the Predators (759-588-148 with 60 ties) and the Washington Capitals (594-454 with 132 ties), worked with Johannson through USA Hockey, including as associate GM for the United States when it won the silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and GM when it finished fourth at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"I just found his energy unbelievable," Poile, 68, said. "I found his personality, his attitude, his upbeatness to be second to none. He was always fun to be around when you'd go to those tournaments. … The guy had boundless energy, totally positive all the time. If you can choose the type of people that you'd like to be around on a daily basis, Jim Johannson would be right at the top of the list."

Photo credit: John Russell/USA Hockey
Darwitz, a 35-year-old native of Eagan, Minnesota who represented the United States at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics and the IIHF World Women's Championship eight times, remembered Johannson, who was from Rochester, Minnesota, looking out for her when the forward was a young newcomer on the national team.
"At the time I came through USA Hockey, we didn't have a Jimmy Johannson on the female side yet, so he kind of oversaw the women's program," Darwitz said. "So I crossed paths with him a lot, especially in my early days with USA Hockey. ... He was always a smiling face we'd see in the hallways at events and certainly did a lot for the women's game."

Photo credit: John Russell/USA Hockey
Berenson, who coached Michigan for 33 seasons before retiring April 10, 2017, would hear from Johannson almost annually when he'd want players from the Wolverines for the U.S. National Junior Team. Johannson was the GM for the past nine IIHF World Junior Championships and was on the staff of 16 World Junior teams.
"This whole 12 months has been really sad losing Jim at a young age," Berenson, 79, said. "That's obviously a huge blow and nobody can fill those shoes, but he did a great job. He impacted a lot of players and was a big part of USA Hockey. We're all going to miss him and it's going to be sad, but that's the way it is. It's great that he's being recognized. This is a great honor that his family will receive."

Photo credit: John Russell/USA Hockey
With the U.S. National Junior Team opening training camp in Everett, Washington on Saturday to prepare for the 2019 World Junior Championship from Dec. 26 - Jan. 5, in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Johannson's absence will be glaring again. Abby Johannson said this was the time of year her husband looked forward to the most.
"The recruiting process and scouting for that tournament I know was the highlight of his year and something he put a lot of passion into" she said. "So it will most certainly be a tough tournament to watch this year, but we know his legacy will live on and that he had a hand in helping some of those guys achieving making the under-20 team. So that will be really nice."