Johannson to be honored with Lester Patrick Trophy

Steven Santini remembers the time Jim Johannson helped him through the most discouraging moment of his amateur hockey career like it was yesterday.

Hundreds of United States-born amateur and professional hockey players will relate to Santini's story because Johannson not only was a respected executive and workaholic for USA Hockey for more than 17 years, but a father figure who never denied any player help or advice whenever needed.
Santini learned a day before the start of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship that he was being released from the team because of a lingering wrist injury. The defenseman understood the decision but still was devastated.
"The World Juniors is like the Stanley Cup for an 18-year-old kid," said Santini, now in his fourth season with the New Jersey Devils. "I just remember crying in J.J.'s arms ... he was always there for me and told me that day, 'Steven, you'll always have a place in USA Hockey.'"
Johannson, who died of heart disease at 53 on Jan. 21, will be honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy during the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Nashville on Dec. 12. His widow, Abby Johannson, will speak and accept the award on his behalf.
"It was something in J.J.," Abby said "His whole being was always so positive. He cared so much about the players, and more than just their hockey ability, but as people. We're so lucky to have had him because he was that way with us; he never focused on the negative, always the positive."
Johannson contacted Santini the following spring and asked if he would be interested in playing for the U.S. at the 2016 World Championship. Santini was.
"He believed in me and helped me through a tough situation and I'll always be grateful for everything he did for me and my career," Santini said.
The love for Johannson was most evident than at the inaugural Stars & Stripes Showdown charity game at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, on Aug. 26, where 37 players came to remember the man who meant so much to them. Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin came up with the idea to have a game to raise money for the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund and an education fund for Jim and Abby's 2-year-old daughter, Ellie Johannson.
"The Stars & Stripes game was a wonderful tribute to J.J. and really spoke to how well respected he was," Abby said. "I'm amazed at how many people J.J. knew. I always thought he was a wonderful guy and really good at his job, but over the last several months I'm really starting to understand what an impact he had on the hockey world."
Johansson's impact ranged from undrafted amateurs to NHL veterans.
"J.J.'s the guy that calls and says, 'Hey, you made the Olympic team,'" Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise said. "He was the glue for everything. You go to a place and everything's set up for you. You don't think about who the guy behind the scenes is, but it's him."
Johannson's legacy as a hockey executive began as a player.

Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Johannson was selected in the seventh round (No. 130) of the 1982 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers. He spent four seasons playing center at the University of Wisconsin, where he won an NCAA championship in 1983, and then played in the International Hockey League with Salt Lake City, Indianapolis and Milwaukee from 1987-94. He also played for the U.S. at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992.
His first executive position was as general manager with the Twin Cities Vulcans of the United States Hockey League from 1995-2000.
"I first met J.J. when he was working for Twin Cities," former NHL defenseman Jordan Leopold said. "Being a Minnesota kid and J.J. being from Minnesota, I felt like he looked out for me a little more. When I needed a little exposure in the NHL after battling injuries and needing to get back on the ice to prove I could still play, I called J.J. and said, 'Hey, I know I wasn't selected for this team, but if you need anyone I'm a phone call away.'
"He called me back and said, 'Jordan, we need you at the (2008) World Championship. I was a late addition, but that saved my NHL career."
Leopold played seven more NHL seasons after that tournament.
Johannson joined USA Hockey in 2000, as manager of international activities and U.S. Olympic Committee relations. As a USA Hockey executive, he was part of the management team for every Olympics since 2002, when the U.S. won a silver medal in Salt Lake City. He also was part of the silver medal-winning effort at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
"J.J. had a great read on all of the American players, so if I had a question about players' personalities away from the ice, he would know," Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. "Me and J.J. did a lot of international tournaments from 1999 on, so we spent a lot of time together. He was a good hockey man but even better person.
Waddell worked side-by-side with Johannson during numerous international events for USA Hockey.
"Sometimes you don't know player personalities away from the ice and J.J. and I would talk about players all the time, whether it was players in the [National Team Development Program] or somewhere else," Waddell said. "When you have a player play for you at the World Championship and you spend three weeks with him, you get to know what kind of guy he is, so [Johannson] was a great resource that way."
Johannson was promoted to senior director of hockey operations on Aug. 5, 2003 and was named assistant executive director of hockey operations on June 25, 2007.
He married Abby in her hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2011.
"J.J. had an incredible ability to manage his work and personal life," Abby said. "He was always there for Ellie and me. Even when he traveled we would talk to him and FaceTime several times a day. Regardless of who was calling, J.J. would pick up the phone. He loved hockey, the relationships he had that grew into life-long friendships. He loved watching players grow and develop both as players and people. He was always watching hockey and didn't sleep much, and I would often find him in the middle of the night watching games from the night before."
Among the most significant accomplishments during Johannson's tenure at USA Hockey was winning 64 medals (34 gold, 19 silver, 11 bronze) in major international competition. He also helped launch and implement the highly acclaimed American Development Model, and secured USA Hockey Arena as a home for all U.S. teams in 2015.

"J.J. created so many contacts in international hockey, he was not only able to cultivate what USA Hockey wanted but have the business acumen to go out and make it happen," NCAA hockey analyst Dave Starman said. "To me, that was one of the biggest things about J.J. No matter who in the International Ice Hockey Federation you had to contact, J.J. had them on speed dial.
"The combination of what he did internally at USA Hockey, and then what he allowed USA Hockey to do externally on a world stage, is why USA Hockey is in the shape it's in today."
Johannson was the general manager of the U.S. National Junior Team for the past nine World Junior Championships and served on the staff of 16 World Junior teams.
The United States won three WJC gold medals under Johannson's leadership (2010, 2013, 2017). The U.S. also won the bronze medal at the WJC in 2011, 2016 and 2018, and he was on the management team in 2004 when the U.S. won gold for the first time.
"It's my hope that J.J. is remembered for the man he was; kind, generous and personable," Abby said. "He was extremely thoughtful and introspective and made others around him feel special. I know this first-hand as I was lucky enough to be his wife. This is probably what Ellie and I miss most about him."