CONCUSSED STUDENTS

After finding local success, Johnson signs with NAHL team After the Lancers won the Wickenheiser Cup last season, sophomore PATRICK JOHNSON was named the game’s Most Valuable Player • photo by JACK WEAVER

MORGAN VEHIGE • Sports Editor •

Former Wickenheiser Cup Most Valuable Player sophomore Patrick Johnson was signed to a one-year tender with the National American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Bismarck Bobcats. The NAHL has been around for 44 seasons and is a junior hockey club that spans all across America. It is the only Tier II hockey league to be recognized by USA Hockey, and serves as an alternate Tier I with the United States Hockey League (USHL), another premier junior league.

Johnson traveled to North Dakota on New Year’s Day to practice and debut in a game with the Bobcats, and after brief consideration, he signed a contract that will allow him to play with the team for one year.

Hockey has been in Johnson’s blood for as long as he can remember.

“All of my cousins, I have around 10 older boy cousins, all played growing up and all of our dads played growing up too,” Johnson said.

Although he began playing with his family, his love for the game and quickly developing skills led him to play on multiple club teams, including Lafayette hockey and the Springfield AAA Jr. Blues.

“I think it’s a fun sport, and it’s fun to be with the boys all of the time. You get to meet a lot of new people too, and it exposes you to a whole new variety of people,” Johnson said. “It also exposes you to a lot of life lessons as well like hard-work, perseverance and responsibility.”

The experience of traveling to play hockey isn’t foreign to ABBY STEBNER • Staff Reporter • Johnson. He did a similar thing when he played in a U14 Division in New York in his 8th grade school year. His experience in North Dakota will be similar to the one he had in New York.

In his time in New York, he stayed with a host family who was originally from St. Louis. However, when he goes to North Dakota, Johnson expects a different experience than what playing in New York was like.

“They have a group of families that host two or three guys per house and you provide transportation for yourself. It’s going to be a bit of a different experience for me,” Johnson said.

Sophomore Kate Johnson has always known that her brother was a good hockey player, but when he first started traveling for long periods of time for the sport, she realized how important it was to him.

“He always has had such a hard work ethic, and I know he always pushes himself to become a better person and player. Our family will go visit him as often as we can even though my parents will go see him more than my siblings and I because we have our sports, too,” Kate said.

She also recognizes how her brother has pushed himself to the level that he is at and how he will continue to grow in the best environment possible for him.

“We are very happy and proud of our brother. It will be a change again, but we want him to do what is best for him and what makes him happy,” Kate said.

Johnson is continually grateful for his family’s continued support as he chases his goal to rise to the highest possible level in hockey.

“I know they’re going to miss me,” he said. “But I think they know that this is what I want to do and this is what’s best for me, so they support me through the whole thing. It’s a huge help to have a great, supportive family by my side through all of this.” His mother, Michelle Johnson, has been through this all