Johnson follows Red's lead - Ice Hockey

If you're not a regular on Sioux Sports Cardinal posted a pretty interesting article about Jack "JMFJ" Johnson and his timing of his signing a professional contract with the LA Kings. It was obvious that Jack Johnson was ready to sign a professional contract because he made the jump for the CCHA to the NHL and has yet to play a game in the minors. This is the way you would like to see players leave the college game. Recently players like Phil Kessel, Jonathan Toews, Erik Johnson have left the college game and went directly to the NHL. I am hoping T.J. Oshie and Taylor Chorney are the next ones to make that jump.

Education important

It is an interesting story that also talks about Red Berenson's philosophy not going to the professional ranks if you're just going to be playing in the minors like the AHL. I think the crux of the article is the importance of finishing school and getting an education. You only play hockey so long before you on the outside looking in. Good stuff; I hope student athletes thinking about making the jump think long and hard before you leave school. The article is a year old but it has a really good message.

Johnson follows Red's lead
By Ian Robinson, Daily Sports Writer on 3/29/07

Berenson commends Johnson for holding out as long he did. When the coach was in school, there were no agents.

"Once a year they would (tell me) that I should leave school, that I would never be a hockey player if I stayed in school and so on," Berenson said. "But I didn't listen to them."

Forty years later, things are different. Berenson says NHL teams have been "all over Johnson."

"The biggest thing to me was that Red supported it," Jack Johnson, Sr. said Sunday. "He told him, you're doing the right thing."

Johnson is also deciding at the right time.

Berenson now has time to find another player to fill Johnson's roster spot, and the Kings want Johnson playing with them in the NHL.

"Jack is leaving at the right time for a spot in the NHL," Bacon said. "Other players have not done that."

Berenson's two complaints about players leaving early are when the player doesn't show a commitment to academics and when the player leaves college to spend two or three years in the minor leagues.

He doesn't see either of these things happening with Johnson.

Johnson has already registered for spring classes and plans on completing his Michigan degree over the next few years.

"He's coming back, he's going to get a degree from Michigan," Johnson, Sr. said. "That's the No. 1 thing, too. He promised Red he will graduate."

It's often said that Berenson takes more pride in how his players fare off the ice. When Berenson played hockey, most professional careers lasted just a few years. He continually looked to the future by earning both a BBA and an MBA from the Michigan Business School.