America’s Most Wanted

Joel Johnson tapped for two of the biggest jobs in hockey

By: Aaron Paitich

THE FIRST CALL came from St. Thomas. The second from Uncle Sam.

Joel Johnson said yes to both, emphatically.

It was a busy offseason for the White Bear Lake native. But now tasked with leading Minnesota’s newest Division I women’s hockey team and the defending gold medalist U.S. Women’s Olympic Team, it will be an even busier winter.

MHJ // What’s the first thing you did after accepting the Olympic job?

Joel Johnson // The first call I’ve always made was to my wife Shannon. I always call my wife to get permission and she’s always excited for me. We share this journey together. It’s always a big deal when you get asked to represent your country. It was an exciting day—one that I’ll never forget.

MHJ // What coaches helped you get to this point?

Johnson // One of my best coaching times was with Pete Aus, a longtime high school coach who also coached alongside me at Bethel University. He helped shape my career in significant ways. And recently just having the opportunity to coach with Bob Corkum at the national level really helped shape and develop me.

MHJ // What separates Olympians from the rest?

Johnson // First and foremost is the baseline of skill. But beyond that, coachability, work ethic, attitude— those are some of the things that come to mind that really separate these players. Their body language on and off the ice. Their commitment to train when it’s inconvenient. Their ability to receive coaching and put it into practice immediately. The character off the ice. Those are the little things.

MHJ // How do you identify team leaders?

Johnson // Team leaders are willing to serve. They’re willing to put their best interests aside. It doesn’t mean they don’t pursue to be the best that they can be. It just means they sacrifice when necessary for the betterment of the team. There’s also that magical factor: when someone is a leader, they influence other people. When you see someone with the ability to influence others, they automatically are a leader, because people will follow them.

MHJ // What can we expect from the Olympic team?

Johnson // Watch how people skate. Watch how fast and competitive they are when their feet are moving at such a high speed. The tempo of the game is incredible. But more importantly, I would tell everybody to watch their body language. Watch the team camaraderie and how they talk on the bench and encourage each other. Because it takes both the skill sets of shooting and skating and all that, but also a competitive spirit and a fierce desire to win. And then at the end of the day, it takes a smile on your face with the joy to compete. When you watch the best of the best, they end up with a smile, and it’s fun to watch

MHJ // What are you most looking forward to at St. Thomas?

Johnson // I’m so excited to get going. There’s so many new things, so many unknowns. It’s going to be a learning process for all of us at St. Thomas. I can’t wait to get to know the players. There’s going to be a desire to compete and a desire to win. But that doesn’t matter to me as much as getting to know the players, because the better we can be as people, the better we can build a program that will sustain success on and off the ice.

MHJ // What drives Minnesota’s ability to consistently produce so many elite players?

Johnson // The community development model has proven to be successful for both boys and girls. The fact that you grow up playing with your buddies and you get to go through life together, I think that’s a big deal. High school hockey on the girls’ side is just as important now as it has been on the boys’ side. I think at its core, the grassroots model getting young girls and boys involved with their communities is what makes Minnesota hockey special. That’s why I always think it will be special.