US men’s Olympic team architect Johannson dead
WASHINGTON, Jan 22, (AFP): Jim Johannson, who assembled this year’s US Olympic men’s ice hockey team without NHL talent, died in his sleep Sunday morning at his Colorado home. He was 53.
The USA Hockey executive’s passing comes 19 days before the opening ceremony at next month’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and the American team’s bid for its first gold medal since the 1980 Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice” squad almost certainly will be dedicated to Johannson.
“We are beyond shocked and profoundly saddened,” said USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher. “He was the absolute best, most humble, kind and caring person you could ever hope to meet. His impact on our sport and more importantly the people and players in our sport have been immeasurable.”
Serving as USA Hockey’s assistant executive director, Johannson joined the governing body in 2000 to manage US Olympic activities, was promoted to hockey operations director in 2003 and took his latest post in 2007 to guide all US international teams.
During his tenure, US teams captured 64 medals in major global events, 34 of them gold.
“In building the teams that achieved so much success for USA Hockey, Jim Johannson had a sharp eye for talent, a strong sense of chemistry and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The NHL family’s respect for Jim’s contributions to hockey, at all levels, is exceeded only by our shock and sorrow over his sudden passing.”
Johannson, who played for the Americans in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, won a US college crown at Wisconsin, but was best known for assembling talented teams for nearly two decades.
“Jim’s positive influence was enormous and will be felt for generations to come,” said US Hockey president Jim Smith. “Today we are a medal contender every time we put a team on the ice and he played a major role in helping us get to that point. It’s a sad day for all of us.”