Steve Johnson (born March 3, 1966) is an American ice hockey coach and former
wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
who was an
All-American for
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
.
Career
Johnson joined the ice hockey program at
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
for the 1984–85 season. He produced modest numbers in his first two campaigns for the Sioux, helping the team to good but unspectacular finishes. The return of
Tony Hrkac
Anthony John Hrkac (; born July 7, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player of Croatian and Ukrainian ancestry who played eighteen seasons of professional hockey.
Playing career Collegiate
Hrkac was drafted in the second round, ...
and the arrival of
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour (born April 21, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of ...
changed the team's fortunes and Johnson was a beneficiary. For his junior season, Johnson's scoring production soared and he nearly tripled his career totals. He finished third on the team in scoring and led the Fighting Sioux to a
WCHA
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...
title. UND won the
NCAA Championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
that year and ended up with 40 wins, setting a new NCAA record in the process (only
1993 Maine has won more games). Johnson was selected by the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
in the
Supplemental Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
after the season as he was to old to be eligible for the standard
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft (french: Repêchage d'entrée dans la LNH) is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the rights to available ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirem ...
.
Several of the stars from the championship team left after 1987 and North Dakota declined the following year, but Johnson got even better. Now
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of the team, Johnson became the focal point for the offense and led the Sioux in scoring. He finished in a three-way tie for the national scoring lead and was in on nearly half of North Dakota's goals for the season (48.9%).
He was an All-American and led UND to a third-place finish in the
conference tournament.
After graduating, Johnson played two seasons of professional hockey. Though his numbers improved after a trade to the
Phoenix Roadrunners, Johnson decided to retire in 1990.
Johnson transitioned into coaching and got his first prominent role as the head coach for the expansion
Fargo-Moorhead Bears
The Fargo-Moorhead Bears were a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Bears began playing in the 1995–96, following the folding of the Wisconsin Capitols franchise, leaving the USHL with 11 team ...
in the
USHL
The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...
. The team finished well, ending the season 10 game above .500, but the franchise was dissolved after the season. Johnson didn't remain out of a job for long as he was brought in on another expansion team, the
Lincoln Stars
The Lincoln Stars are a Tier I junior ice hockey team playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Stars' home ice is the Ice Box on the former Nebraska State Fair grounds and adjacent to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
History
...
, the very next year. In the team's inaugural season, Johnson led them to league championship. He kept the Stars near the top of the league for much of his eleven seasons, winning a second Clark Cup in 2003 and finishing as runner-up in 2000. He resigned after the 2007 season but returned with a third USHL team two years later, taking the
Fargo Force
The Fargo Force is a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Force have won one league championship in 2018 and was awarded USHL Organization of the Year for 2008–09 and 2012–13. ...
to a runner-up finish in 2010.
After a sterling career in junior hockey, Johnson returned to the college ranks as an assistant first for
St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State University (SCSU) is a public university in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Founded in 1869, the university is one of the largest institutions in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Its enrollment in 2020 was approximate ...
and then
Nebraska–Omaha. Afterwards, he returned home to
Grand Forks
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...
as the director of youth hockey in the area. In January 2020, Johnson was brought in as the head coach for
Minnesota–Crookston when the team revived its dormant program as a club team and mulled over bringing it back to varsity status.
Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Coaching Record
USHL
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Steve
1963 births
Living people
Ice hockey people from North Dakota
Sportspeople from Grand Forks, North Dakota
American men's ice hockey forwards
North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey players
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
NCAA men's ice hockey national champions
Vancouver Canucks draft picks
Milwaukee Admirals players
Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) players
National Hockey League supplemental draft picks