MHM 2018 Oct-digital

U.S. HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
HALL OF FAMER
BOB JOHNSON
1991 UNITED STATES HOCKEY HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEE
Minneapolis native Bob
Johnson, a graduate of
Minneapolis Central High
School, went on to play left wing
for the Gopher Hockey team from
1954-55 under legendary Coach
John Mariucci. Following a couple of high
school coaching stints at both, Warroad, MN and
Minneapolis Roosevelt, where he won four City
Conference championships in six years, he took
over the reins at Colorado College in 1963.
After several years at C.C., he moved to the
University of Wisconsin, where, in a period of
11 years, he led the Badgers to seven NCAA
tournaments, winning three championships and
one second-place finish. It was there where the
1977 NCAA Coach of the Year recipient was given
the nick-name, “Badger Bob.”
He also led the 1976 U.S. Olympic team to
fourth-place finish at Innsbruck, Austria, and
coached the 1981, 1984, and 1987 U.S. teams in the
Canada Cup as well. In addition, he coached the
1973, 1974, 1975, and 1981 U.S. National teams.
Beginning in 1982, Johnson coached the NHL’s
Calgary Flames for five seasons. IN 1990, he took
over as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, where in
his first season, he led the team, which was led by
superstar Mario Lemieux, to Stanley Cup victory
over his hometown Minnesota North Stars, four
games to two.
A tireless promoter of American hockey,
Johnson also served as Executive Director of USA
Hockey for a three-year period in the 1980s. Then in
November of 1991, Johnson tragically died of brain
cancer at the age of 60. Johnson’s memory lives
on forever, however, from his famous phrase which
epitomized his love for the game: “It’s a great day
for hockey.”
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Badger Bob was one of the greatest hockey
coaches ever to hail from Minnesota. He was later
inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in Toronto,
in 1992. 6
MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2018
91