38 Facts About Ken Johannson

Kenneth Johannson was a Canadian-born American ice hockey player, coach and executive.

Ken Johannson served as player-coach of the Mustangs for two seasons and led them to the league's championship in 1959.

Ken Johannson played for the United States men's national ice hockey team at two Ice Hockey World Championships, winning a bronze medal in 1962.

Ken Johannson was inducted into the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.

Ken Johannson helped establish hockey at Rochester Lourdes High School and Rochester Junior College, before starting a minor ice hockey program in Rochester, Minnesota.

Ken Johannson served as general manager of the United States national team at the 1979 World Championships and preparations for ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Ken Johannson arranged an exhibition schedule for the national team at the Metropolitan Sports Center prior to the Olympics, which included games versus the Minnesota North Stars, university teams, the Canada and Soviet Union national teams, and the Central Hockey League.

Ken Johannson resigned as general manager before the Olympics citing personal reasons, and had completed all of the necessary travel arrangements and accommodations for the national team which subsequently won the gold medal as part of the Miracle on Ice.

Ken Johannson was the father of professional hockey players John Johannson and Jim Johannson, the latter of whom served as general manager of the United States national team.

Kenneth Johannson was born on October 6,1930, in Edmonton, Alberta.

Ken Johannson was described by the Edmonton Journal as a "crack athlete" from the south side of Edmonton, where he played ice hockey, rugby football, and fastpitch softball.

Ken Johannson played senior men's softball with the Jenner Motors team in 1951 and 1952, and coached an intermediate level women's softball team in 1955 in Edmonton.

Ken Johannson's football coach in Edmonton was a former University of North Dakota athlete and convinced him to attend the school, where he played in the offensive backfield and as a punter for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team.

Ken Johannson completed three seasons on a football scholarship in addition to three seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team.

Ken Johannson paid additional school expenses by working at doctor's clinic, and convinced three friends from Edmonton to join the school's hockey team.

Ken Johannson was a player-coach for two seasons in Switzerland.

In 1956, Ken Johannson began coaching high school boys ice hockey in Minnesota.

In February 1957, Ken Johannson resigned his position in Warroad, then completed the season playing hockey in Zurich.

Ken Johannson played for the Rochester Mustangs in the United States Central Hockey League from 1957 to 1968.

In 1960, Ken Johannson relinquished coaching duties and continued as a player for the Mustangs.

Ken Johannson scored four goals and three assists in five games at the World Championships, as the United States won the bronze medal.

In January 1966, Ken Johannson came out of retirement, then scored 11 goals and 14 assists in his first 11 games for the Mustangs.

Ken Johannson oversaw and assisted operating schools for minor hockey players and coaches across the country.

Ken Johannson served as general manager of the United States national team for the 1979 Ice Hockey World Championships, where the United States won two and tied four of its nine games to remain in the top tier for the upcoming Olympic Games.

Ken Johannson remained general manager of the United States national team for ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics, with his former teammate Herb Brooks as the coach.

When Ken Johannson was questioned whether it was the fairest and most open process that had been used to select a national team, he disagreed and felt that AHAUS had used ideas learned from its previous experience and that the process had not been any more open than in the past.

Ken Johannson announced a partnership with the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association to sell tickets to the home games, and planned for the national team to travel to West Germany and Czechoslovakia for exhibition games.

Ken Johannson resigned as general manager of the United States national team as of November 1,1979, citing personal reasons.

Journalist Frank Brown felt that media had incorrectly speculated that Johannson resigned due to a rift with Brooks, but rather that the volunteer work for the national team had taken a toll on Johannson's personal life and could not devote enough time to the team.

Ken Johannson had completed all of the necessary travel arrangements and accommodations for the national team at the time of his resignation, then was succeeded by Ralph Jasinksi.

Ken Johannson moved to Rochester in 1959, and began a 34-year career as an administrator at the Mayo Clinic.

Ken Johannson became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1961.

Ken Johannson's sons went with him to the tryouts for the US men's national team, and assisted by handing out shoes and jackets to the players and being stick boys.

Ken Johannson's sons were recruited to the Wisconsin Badgers by his former Warroad teammate Bob Johnson, and they played together on the 1983 NCAA championship team.

Ken Johannson began wintering in Naples, Florida as of 1992, and died there at age 88 on November 27,2018.

Ken Johannson was inducted into the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977.

Ken Johannson received the USA Hockey Builders Award in 2011, in recognition of "lasting contributions to the long-term growth and success of USA Hockey".

Ken Johannson was inducted into the Rochester Sports Hall of Fame, and is a partial namesake of annual scholarships given to high school hockey players by the Rochester Hockey Foundation.